Artwork

Text, folio 4 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, folio 4 (recto), 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

You see a single page from a handwritten book, filled with neat black letters and a small red seal at the bottom.

You see a single page from a handwritten book, filled with neat black letters and a small red seal at the bottom. Tiny painted figures sit in rows, dressed in robes, with golden halos behind their heads.

This page was made in 1119 by a scribe in a monastery in India, but it was paid for by a monk from Nepal. The book is a Buddhist text, copied by hand over many months. The red seal marks who owned it.

To see more pages like this, look up The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Overview

This single folio (folio 4, recto) is part of a larger manuscript comprising 188 double-sided pages, hand-crafted in a northeastern Indian monastery in 1119.

Subject & Meaning

The manuscript contains the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist text emphasizing wisdom. The tiny painted figures with golden halos likely depict Buddhist deities or enlightened beings, underscoring the text's spiritual significance.

Technique & Style

The folio features neat black calligraphy, contrasting with a small red seal at the bottom. The miniature figures, adorned with golden halos, demonstrate a blend of meticulous scribal work and religious iconography typical of medieval Indian Buddhist manuscripts.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by a Nepalese monk, this folio was created by a scribe in a northeastern Indian monastery in 1119. The red seal indicates ownership, though subsequent provenance details are not provided here.

Context

Produced over several months, this manuscript reflects the labor-intensive, devotional nature of handwritten Buddhist texts during this period, highlighting interchange between Nepalese patrons and Indian scriptorial centers.