Who painted Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra?

Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra was painted by Unknown in 1488.

Where can I see Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra?

Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra?

Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra is associated with Mughal Painting.

Artwork

Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra

Unknown , 1488

Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1488 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The object is a single folio, the verso of page 41 from a Kalpa‑sutra manuscript.

About this work

Overview

The object is a single folio, the verso of page 41 from a Kalpa‑sutra manuscript. Rendered on slightly yellowed paper, the surface is densely covered with tiny black and red characters arranged in orderly rows. A thin red border frames the edges, and three vivid red circles appear at the top of the text, likely serving as visual markers.

Subject & Meaning

The script records religious or instructional material associated with the Kalpa‑sutra, a Buddhist text dealing with monastic discipline and ritual practice. The red circles may indicate divisions such as chapters, sections, or important doctrinal points within the sutra.

Technique & Style

The page exemplifies traditional manuscript illumination, employing iron‑gall ink for the black lettering and vermilion pigment for the red characters and decorative elements. The uniform, compact arrangement of the script reflects a disciplined calligraphic hand typical of monastic scribes.

History & Provenance

Although the precise origin is not detailed, the folio belongs to a larger Kalpa‑sutra codex, likely produced in a historic Buddhist monastic center. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is conserved as part of the museum’s Asian manuscripts holdings.

Context

Kalpa‑sutras form a genre of Buddhist literature that codifies monastic rules and ceremonial procedures. Manuscripts of this type were copied by hand for use in training monks and preserving doctrinal continuity, often featuring modest decorative touches such as the red circles seen here.