Artwork
Text, Folio 66 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 66 (verso), 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. The object is a narrow wooden strip, measuring roughly the length of a folio, with three parallel rows of minute raised dots.
About this work
Overview
The object is a narrow wooden strip, measuring roughly the length of a folio, with three parallel rows of minute raised dots. The dots are organized in orderly lines that suggest the shape of characters or symbols. Along the upper edge, two small circular perforations are evenly spaced. This tactile surface was designed for reading by touch rather than sight.
Subject & Meaning
The raised-dot inscription encodes a passage from the Buddhist text known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, or the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra. The content reflects core Mahayana teachings on emptiness and the nature of enlightenment, rendered here in a format accessible to visually impaired practitioners.
Technique & Style
The dots were formed by pressing a fine tool into the wood, creating a uniform, raised pattern that can be felt. The three‑row arrangement follows the conventions of tactile scripts used historically for blind readers, allowing the text to be traced finger by finger. The two perforations likely served as alignment guides or binding points.
History & Provenance
The strip originates from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra, a work circulated across Buddhist monastic centers in Asia. While the precise date and place of production are not specified, such tactile manuscripts are known from the medieval period, when monasteries sought inclusive methods for disseminating sacred texts.
Context
Tactile writing systems for the blind have a long, cross‑cultural history, with similar devices appearing in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Buddhist traditions. This wooden strip exemplifies the practical application of Buddhist compassion, extending scriptural access beyond the sighted community to those with visual impairments.
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 29 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 96 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 76 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 114 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 135 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 88 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)