Artwork
Text, folio 161 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 161 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by 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 folio of paper, measuring roughly the length of a standard manuscript leaf, bearing continuous script in a compact hand. The parchment has a light brown, weathered surface, showing creases, tears, and a general patina of age. The text runs in tight rows without visible spacing or punctuation, suggesting a traditional East Asian script used for religious literature.
Subject & Meaning
The writing is a portion of the *Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines*, known in Sanskrit as the *Ashtasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā‑sūtra*. This Buddhist sutra expounds the doctrine of emptiness and the path to enlightenment, presenting a systematic exposition of the perfection of wisdom that has been central to Mahāyāna practice since the early centuries of the Common Era.
Technique & Style
The script is rendered in a diminutive, brush‑stroke calligraphy typical of manuscript production in East Asia, where scribes employed fine brushes to achieve dense, uniform characters. The paper’s texture and the ink’s absorption indicate the use of traditional mulberry or hemp fibers, and the ink is likely carbon‑based, creating a deep, matte black contrast against the aged substrate.
History & Provenance
The folio is part of a larger manuscript collection that was eventually acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art. While the precise origin—such as the producing monastery, date, or geographic region—is not detailed in the available record, the work reflects the broader circulation of Prajñāpāramitā texts across Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhist centers from the Tang dynasty onward.
Context
Manuscripts of the *Ashtasāhasrikā* were commonly copied for liturgical use, scholarly study, and dissemination of Mahāyāna teachings. The compact format of this leaf suggests it may have been intended for personal devotion or as a portable reference for monastic practitioners, aligning with the tradition of producing compact, hand‑held sutras for recitation and contemplation.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Text, folio 157 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 14 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 170 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 6 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 80 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 156 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 172 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)