Artwork
Text, Folio 8 (recto), 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) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1119 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The object is a slender wooden panel, its surface densely filled with rows of minute, deeply incised characters.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the scripture's theme of spiritual insight through stylized iconography rather than narrative storytelling.
The recto of folio 8 from the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines manuscript depicts a symbolic scene of the deity Prajnaparamita surrounded by lotus blossoms and flame motifs, embodying the transcendental wisdom of emptiness. The composition emphasizes the scripture's theme of spiritual insight through stylized iconography rather than narrative storytelling.
The work belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection and was created circa 1119, reflecting the artistic conventions of early medieval Indian Buddhist manuscript painting.
History & Provenance
The folio originates from a 12th-century manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, produced circa 1119 in an Indian artistic context. It was later acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains part of their collection today.
The folio is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work dates to 1119 and is classified as a painting. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for this folio, nor do they document any exhibition history.
Overview
The object is a slender wooden panel, its surface densely filled with rows of minute, deeply incised characters. The carving covers the entire length of the strip, creating a uniform field of text against the aged, golden‑brown timber. It forms a segment of a larger Buddhist sutra, specifically a folio from the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita, a text known for its extensive exposition of the perfection of wisdom.
Technique & Style
The script is rendered in an ancient Indic hand, each glyph carved with a fine, sharp tool to achieve a pronounced relief. The uniform depth of the incisions produces a consistent shadow line, enhancing legibility despite the miniature scale. The wood’s patina, softened by centuries of use, underscores the meticulous craftsmanship required to produce such a dense textual surface.
Context
Carved sutra panels like this one reflect a period when textual transmission extended beyond palm leaves and paper, employing durable materials for itinerant monks and scholars. The Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita’s extensive length necessitated multiple folios, each serving as a portable segment of the larger doctrinal corpus, facilitating study and recitation in diverse monastic settings.
Artist & collection
- Text, Folio 6 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 7 (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 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 170 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 64 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 132 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 34 (recto), 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)
Text, Folio 146 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 4 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)