Who painted Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra?

Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra was painted by Unknown in 1488.

Where can I see Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra?

Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra?

Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra is associated with Mughal Painting.

Artwork

Text, Folio 48 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra

Unknown , 1488

Text, Folio 48 (recto), 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 painted folio, recto side of page 48, from a Kalpa‑sutra manuscript.

About this work

Overview

The object is a painted folio, recto side of page 48, from a Kalpa‑sutra manuscript. It consists of densely set text rendered in red, blue, and black ink, occupying most of the surface. A prominent red circle appears near the centre, and a thin red border frames the page. The paper shows signs of age, with a yellowed tone typical of historic South Asian documents.

Subject & Meaning

The script records passages from a Kalpa‑sutra, a genre of Buddhist literature dealing with monastic discipline and ritual. The vivid coloration and the central red circle likely serve to highlight key doctrinal points or structural divisions within the text, aiding readers in navigating the instructional material.

Technique & Style

Ink in three pigments—black for the main body, red for emphasis, and blue for supplementary notes—was applied with fine brushes onto a paper support. The layout follows a tight, columnar arrangement, characteristic of South Asian manuscript traditions, where visual order supports readability and ritual use.

History & Provenance

The folio originates from a South Asian Buddhist manuscript, though the precise region and date are not specified. Its material condition—yellowed, slightly brittle paper—indicates considerable antiquity, suggesting it was produced before the widespread adoption of modern paper-making techniques in the region.

Context

Kalpa‑sutras formed part of the broader corpus of Buddhist canonical and commentarial literature, used in monastic training and liturgical contexts. The decorative elements, such as the red circle and border, reflect a tradition of integrating visual cues into textual media to reinforce doctrinal hierarchy.

Legacy

Manuscripts like this folio illustrate the intersection of textual transmission and visual culture in pre‑modern South Asia. Their study informs understanding of Buddhist pedagogical practices and the material history of scriptoria, contributing to comparative analyses with contemporaneous manuscript traditions elsewhere.