Artwork

Text, Folio 76 (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) 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.

About this work

Overview

The object is a single folio from a manuscript of the *Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines* (also known as the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra).

The object is a single folio from a manuscript of the *Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines* (also known as the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra). It consists of a light‑brown sheet framed by a slightly darker brown margin, bearing three rectangular blocks of text. Each block is topped by a small central perforation, and the script is unfamiliar, with the language remaining unidentified.

Subject & Meaning

The page forms part of a Buddhist sutra that expounds the doctrine of emptiness and the perfection of wisdom. Although the specific content of the three text blocks cannot be read, their inclusion within this sutra suggests they convey teachings on the nature of reality, compassion, and the path to enlightenment as understood in Mahayana tradition.

Technique & Style

The text is rendered in a dark brown pigment applied with a steady hand, producing evenly spaced characters across the surface. The medium of the ink is not specified, but its uniformity indicates a controlled writing instrument, likely a brush or reed pen. The perforations at the top of each block may have served a functional purpose, perhaps for binding or aligning the folio within the codex.

History & Provenance

The folio shows signs of age, including wear along its edges, indicating it has been handled over an extended period. No explicit information about its origin, date, or previous owners is provided, and the creator remains unidentified. It is preserved as part of a larger manuscript collection, suggesting it was once bound with other leaves of the same sutra.

Context

Manuscripts of the *Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita* were produced across Central and East Asia from the early medieval period onward, often in monastic settings. The use of an unknown script points to a regional or sectarian variant, reflecting the diverse transmission of Buddhist texts. The physical characteristics align with other surviving paper or parchment sutras used for devotional study and ritual recitation.