Artwork

Text, folio 3 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, folio 3 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1119 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

The specific materials, pigments, and current physical condition of the folio are not detailed in the available records.

Created in 1119 at Vikramaśīla, this work is a folio from a religious manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra (the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines). The support is the recto of a page bearing the calligraphic text of the sutra. The object is currently held in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1938.301.3.a.

The specific materials, pigments, and current physical condition of the folio are not detailed in the available records.

History & Provenance

This folio from a manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines was created in 1119 at Vikramaśīla. The work was produced by an unidentified scribe as a piece of religious art. It eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under accession number 1938.301.3.a.

Overview

This artwork is folio 3 (recto) from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, also known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. As a painted manuscript page, it combines calligraphic text with illustrative imagery. The long, narrow sheet features three distinct pictorial sections, each depicting a seated figure, interspersed with lines of script. The overall appearance suggests an ancient and well-used devotional or scholarly object.

Subject & Meaning

The central image on the folio portrays a four-armed figure seated cross-legged, encircled by a white halo against a blue ground. This iconography often represents a significant deity or bodhisattva within Buddhist traditions, embodying aspects of wisdom or compassion. Flanking this central image, two additional figures are depicted in similar meditative postures, each set against a red background, contributing to the manuscript's visual narrative related to the Perfection of Wisdom teachings.

Context

Over time, the manuscript folio has acquired visible signs of age and use. The paper itself has yellowed, indicating its antiquity. Furthermore, the surface exhibits several tears and small holes, which attest to its extensive handling and the passage of centuries. These physical imperfections offer a tangible record of the object's long history and its journey through time.