Artwork
Text, Folio 75 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 75 (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 bearing a written text, identified as folio 75 recto from a manuscript of the *Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines* (the Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā‑sūtra). The board is crafted from light‑colored wood and the script is rendered in dark ink, arranged in a regular grid with thin separating lines.
Subject & Meaning
The inscription consists of three distinct textual sections, each punctuated by a central aperture. The language employed is a form of Buddhist Sanskrit script, typical of the Prajñāpāramitā corpus, though the specific content of this folio requires specialized philological analysis to interpret fully.
Technique & Style
The text is executed in a precise, columnar layout, each line aligned within a grid that facilitates uniform spacing. Ink application appears consistent, suggesting the use of a fine brush or pen on a smooth wooden surface, a method common in East Asian manuscript production where paper was unavailable or unsuitable.
History & Provenance
This folio originates from a larger manuscript tradition of the Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā, a key Mahāyāna Buddhist text circulated across Central and East Asia from the early medieval period. The board entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, though the exact acquisition details and prior ownership remain undocumented in the available records.
Context
Manuscripts of the *Perfection of Wisdom* were often produced for monastic study or ritual recitation, and the use of wooden boards reflects a practical adaptation for portable or durable use, especially in regions where paper was scarce or vulnerable to humidity.
Legacy
As a tangible fragment of the broader Prajñāpāramitā manuscript tradition, the board offers scholars insight into the material culture of Buddhist textual transmission, illustrating how sacred writings were adapted to diverse media across the Buddhist world.
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 74 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 92 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 65 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 87 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 80 (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 21 (recto), 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)