Artwork

Text, Folio 5 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, Folio 5 (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. This artifact is a single folio (page) from a medieval manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist text.

About this work

You see a small, hand-painted page from an old book, filled with neat rows of black text and a bright red border.

You see a small, hand-painted page from an old book, filled with neat rows of black text and a bright red border. Tiny figures sit in the margins, dressed in robes, holding books or teaching.

This page is part of a Buddhist manuscript written in 1119—over 900 years ago. Scribes in a monastery in India copied sacred words by hand, while artists in Nepal added the decorations. It traveled between countries, carried by monks who valued its wisdom.

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

Overview

This artifact is a single folio (page) from a medieval manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist text. Created in 1119, it features handwritten text and decorative elements.

Subject & Meaning

The manuscript conveys the teachings of the Prajnaparamita-sutra, central to Mahayana Buddhism. Marginal figures, depicted in robes and engaged in scholarly or pedagogical activities, symbolize the pursuit and dissemination of wisdom.

Technique & Style

The folio exhibits meticulous calligraphy in black ink, complemented by a vibrant red border. The miniature figures in the margins reflect a style characteristic of early 12th-century Indian and Nepalese artistic collaboration.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by a Nepalese monk, this folio was produced by scribes in a northeastern Indian monastery. It subsequently traveled, circulated among monastic communities, before entering its current collection.

Context

Created during a period of vibrant Buddhist scholarly activity, this manuscript represents the intellectual and artistic exchange between India and Nepal. Its production involved both scribes and artists, highlighting the collaborative nature of medieval manuscript creation.