Accession no.: 55.121.36.4
Credit line: Rogers Fund, 1955

About this work

You see a small, bright painting on a palm leaf, golden figures, a red-robed monk, and a tree with curling branches.

You see a small, bright painting on a palm leaf, golden figures, a red-robed monk, and a tree with curling branches.

This was made around 1090 in Bengal, long before paper was common. Artists used palm leaves like pages in a book, painting scenes from Buddhist stories. The colors are still vivid because they used minerals and plant dyes that don’t fade.

If you like this, look up Buddhism to see more palm-leaf paintings from the same time.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a Buddhist subject, consistent with works from the Pala period in eastern India. The iconography centers on a standing Buddha figure, identified by the characteristic ushnisha, elongated earlobes, and monastic robe. The figure is shown in a frontal pose with hands positioned in a gesture of teaching or exposition, framed within a narrow vertical format typical of palm-leaf manuscripts.

The restrained palette and linear style emphasize clarity and devotional focus, aligning with contemporary religious practice and manuscript traditions.

Technique & Style

Created in 1090, this religious painting is executed in opaque watercolor on a palm leaf support. The work originates from India and depicts Buddhist iconography. It measures 5.4 cm in height and 57.2 cm in width, reflecting the elongated format typical of palm-leaf manuscripts from this period.

The medium and support indicate a portable devotional object, likely intended for ritual use or personal contemplation within a Buddhist context.

History & Provenance

The work dates to 1090 and was produced in India, executed in opaque watercolor on palm leaf. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as MET 55.121.36.4. The sources do not provide further detail on the chain of ownership prior to the museum's acquisition, nor on any commissioning circumstances or intermediate provenance.

Overview

This untitled painting, executed in opaque watercolor on a palm leaf, originates from Bengal around 1090. The small, vibrant composition features golden figures alongside a monk clad in red robes, set against a tree with distinctively curling branches. It represents an early form of manuscript illustration, predating the widespread use of paper in the region.

Context

Created in Bengal around 1090, this piece exemplifies a period when palm leaves served as the primary surface for written and illustrated works. Before paper became widely accessible, artists and scribes meticulously prepared and painted on these leaves, assembling them into book-like formats. This practice was integral to the dissemination of religious texts and visual narratives.