Artwork

Text, Folio 149 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, Folio 149 (recto), 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.

Accession no.: 1938.301.149.a
Credit line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

About this work

Overview

This rectangular folio, painted on light‑brown paper, contains a segment of the Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā, the “Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.” The page is divided into three blocks of text separated by narrow gaps, each rendered in a fine, dark‑brown script that suggests an ancient Indian language, likely Sanskrit.

Subject & Meaning

The inscribed verses belong to a central Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture that expounds the concept of emptiness and the path to ultimate wisdom. The text’s concise, meditative tone reflects the sutra’s purpose as a guide for practitioners seeking insight into the nature of reality.

Technique & Style

The calligraphic work is executed with meticulous brush strokes, producing an intricate, miniature script that balances readability with decorative restraint. The use of subtle brown pigments on a similarly toned substrate creates a harmonious visual field, emphasizing the text’s solemnity without ornamental distraction.

History & Provenance

Originating from a manuscript tradition that flourished in South‑Asian monastic centers, the folio eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its precise dating remains uncertain, but it exemplifies the manuscript production practices of the early medieval period.

Context

The Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā was widely copied and circulated across Buddhist communities from India to East Asia. Pages such as this one were employed both as devotional objects and as study material for monks engaged in scholarly exegesis of the Perfection of Wisdom teachings.