Artwork
Text, folio 49 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 49 (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. The object is a painted wooden strip, narrow and elongated, divided into three rectangular panels.
About this work
Overview
The object is a painted wooden strip, narrow and elongated, divided into three rectangular panels. Each panel is densely covered with uniformly sized black characters arranged in orderly rows. The wood exhibits a light brown hue with modest wear along its edges, indicating age and handling.
Subject & Meaning
The script appears to be an ancient form of writing, likely employed for religious or scholarly purposes. The text corresponds to a portion of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra, a key Mahayana Buddhist scripture known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.
Technique & Style
The characters were inscribed by hand with meticulous attention to spacing and size, suggesting a disciplined copying process. The uniformity of the marks reflects a standardized calligraphic practice, while the painted wooden substrate provides a stable surface for the text.
History & Provenance
The strip originates from a manuscript of the Prajnaparamita‑sutra, a work circulated across Buddhist centers in medieval Asia. Its survival as a painted wooden fragment indicates it may have been part of a larger codex that was later disassembled or repurposed.
Context
Manuscripts of the Prajnaparamita were central to monastic education and ritual recitation. The use of wood as a support, rather than paper or silk, points to a specific regional or temporal preference in manuscript production, possibly linked to itinerant scholars or temple libraries.
Legacy
Fragments such as this provide insight into the material culture of Buddhist textual transmission, illustrating the care given to preserving doctrinal texts. They also contribute to the study of paleography, revealing the evolution of script forms used in sacred literature.
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 49 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 48 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 43 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 50 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 111 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 99 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 8 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 119 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 69 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)