Artwork
Text, folio 181 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 181 (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. This wooden block, folio 181 (verso), is part of a manuscript for the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist text.
About this work
Overview
This wooden block, folio 181 (verso), is part of a manuscript for the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist text. Measuring in a long, narrow format, it features three rectangular panels.
Subject & Meaning
The block's purpose was to print a section of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, a foundational Mahayana Buddhist scripture emphasizing wisdom and enlightenment.
Technique & Style
The block boasts evenly spaced, tiny holes in rows, facilitating ink pressing for text reproduction. Its worn, light brown wood with small white corner dots and faded label (likely title or page number) reflects use and age.
History & Provenance
Origin and ownership history prior to its current location are not specified in the provided details; it is now associated with The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Context
Created in a pre-printing press era, this block represents an early method of book copying, highlighting the labor-intensive process of textual dissemination in Buddhism before mass printing technologies.
Legacy
As part of a larger manuscript, it contributes to the preservation and study of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, offering insights into ancient Buddhist textual reproduction methods.
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 181 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 180 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 60 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 88 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 61 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 99 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 37 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 97 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)