Artwork
Text, Folio 63 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 63 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The object is a wooden board, identified as folio 63 (recto) from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sūtra, a Buddhist text known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. The board is divided into three raised rectangular panels, each perforated with a regular grid of minute holes. The wood shows signs of age, with faint white markings along the panel edges.
Technique & Style
The perforated grid was employed as a writing aid, allowing ink to be transferred through the holes onto the manuscript page, facilitating uniform lettering.
The perforated grid was employed as a writing aid, allowing ink to be transferred through the holes onto the manuscript page, facilitating uniform lettering. The raised sections helped maintain consistent pressure and alignment during the copying process. The board’s construction reflects a utilitarian design common in East Asian scriptoria, where precision in reproducing sacred texts was paramount.
History & Provenance
The board originates from a manuscript of the Prajnaparamita tradition, likely produced in a monastic setting where large‑scale copying of sutras was undertaken. Its provenance traces to the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, which acquired the piece as part of its Asian art holdings, preserving it as an example of historical Buddhist textual production.
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 181 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 82 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 82 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 77 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 60 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 21 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 28 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)