Artwork
Text, Folio 40 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 40 (verso), 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
Its formal qualities reflect a restrained compositional structure and subtle gradation of tone characteristic of early medieval Indian manuscript painting.
The folio, painted on paper support, depicts a verso scene from the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra. Executed in pigment and ink, the work measures 29.2 x 20.8 cm and dates to 1119. Its formal qualities reflect a restrained compositional structure and subtle gradation of tone characteristic of early medieval Indian manuscript painting. The piece is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
History & Provenance
The folio originates from a 12th-century manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, commissioned within the Buddhist tradition and produced in a South Asian artistic context. The work was created in 1119 and later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view in the Indian and Southeast Asian art galleries. Its attribution to an anonymous painter reflects the common practice of unattributed works in medieval manuscript production.
The manuscript leaf was acquired by the museum through a donation that established its presence in the Cleveland Museum of Art's Indian and Southeast Asian art collection in the early 20th century. The folio's provenance is documented through the museum's acquisition records, which trace its ownership from an unidentified private holder to the institution in 1916.
The painting exemplifies early Buddhist manuscript illumination, characterized by restrained composition and symbolic use of line. Its creation history is situated within the broader tradition of Mahāyāna Buddhist textual patronage, where scribes and artists collaborated to produce illuminated sutras for monastic use.
Overview
The object is a narrow wooden strip, likely a folio from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a Buddhist text known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. The surface is light‑brown wood, smooth to the touch, and bears black ink calligraphy arranged in three distinct sections, each with its own layout and decorative framing.
Subject & Meaning
The inscription contains passages from the Prajnaparamita sutra, a key Mahayana scripture that expounds the concept of emptiness and the perfection of wisdom. The division into three parts may reflect a structural division within the sutra, emphasizing different doctrinal themes or liturgical functions.
Context
Manuscripts of the Prajnaparamita were used for study, recitation, and ritual transmission of Buddhist teachings. The use of wood as a writing support reflects practical considerations in regions where paper was scarce or where durability for repeated handling was required.
Artist & collection
- Text, Folio 41 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 42 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 35 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 9 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 66 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 49 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 8 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 6 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 36 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 38 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 101 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 37 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)