Artwork

Text, Folio 149 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, Folio 149 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The object is a narrow wooden strip, originally part of a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sūtra, a Buddhist text known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. The fragment measures only a few centimeters in height but extends lengthwise, bearing rows of dark brown script on a light‑colored, slightly curved surface.

Technique & Style

Crafted from light brown wood, the panel is smooth and flat with a gentle curvature that would have facilitated rolling. Two small perforations are positioned at opposite ends, indicating that the piece could have been tied or mounted for handling as a scroll. The inked characters contrast sharply with the pale background, enhancing legibility.

Subject & Meaning

The inscription consists of a formal cursive script in a non‑Latin language, likely Sanskrit rendered in a regional script used for Buddhist sutras. The text forms part of the Perfection of Wisdom corpus, which expounds on the concept of emptiness and the path to enlightenment within Mahayana tradition.

Context

Given its dimensions, perforations, and script, the strip was probably a functional fragment of a larger rolled manuscript, intended for reading, copying, or ritual recitation. Its design suggests it could be unrolled for study and then re‑rolled for storage, a common practice for portable Buddhist texts.

History & Provenance

The fragment is held in a museum collection, though specific acquisition details are not provided. As a surviving piece of a larger sutra manuscript, it offers insight into the material culture of Buddhist textual transmission and the preservation of religious literature across centuries.