Artwork

Text, Folio 48 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, Folio 48 (verso), 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

Overview

Folio 48 (verso) is a narrow strip of paper taken from a medieval manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnapāramitā, the "Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines". The page measures roughly a few centimeters in height and extends lengthwise, bearing densely set text in a dark brown pigment on a light brown, slightly weathered surface.

Subject & Meaning

The inscribed passage belongs to a central Mahayana Buddhist scripture that expounds the concept of emptiness and the nature of ultimate wisdom. Though the script is minute and challenging to decipher, the content reflects the doctrinal teachings intended for monastic study and ritual recitation.

Technique & Style

The text is rendered in a fine, uniform hand using dark brown ink, applied with a brush or pen onto a fibrous paper that shows a rough, uneven edge on its left margin. The manuscript’s materiality—its aged fibers, occasional tears, and creases—indicates a hand-crafted production typical of early Buddhist codices.

History & Provenance

Originating from an unidentified Asian workshop, the folio became part of a larger codex that survived through centuries of use. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is preserved as an example of early Buddhist textual art.

Context

As a component of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnapāramitā, this page contributes to the transmission of Mahayana thought across Asia. Its preservation offers scholars insight into the material culture of Buddhist manuscript production and the spread of philosophical texts during the period of its creation.