Text, Folio 120 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 120 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 14
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a small, richly colored page from an old Buddhist book—tiny figures, golden halos, and swirling clouds in red, blue, and green. This page was painted in 1119, part of a sacred text copied by hand in Nepal. The delicate lines and bright colors were meant to honor wisdom, not just decorate a page. It’s one of the few surviving pieces from this time and place. To see more works like this, look up painting: nepal, kathmandu, indian art.