Untitled

Created in 1149, this anonymous religious painting depicts Mañjuśrī in ink and color on palm leaf and originated in India as a Buddhist devotional object. The identity of the original patron is unrecorded, the work being attributed to an unknown painter active in the mid-twelfth century. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the available records do not assign a specific accession number or document an exhibition history for the piece.

This untitled painting, created over eight centuries ago, utilizes ink and color on a slim palm leaf. It depicts a radiant golden figure seated upon a lotus blossom. The figure holds both a book and a sword, elements that often carry symbolic significance within religious iconography.

This delicate work exemplifies the artistic practices of its time and region, offering a glimpse into ancient manuscript illumination.

Originating from eastern India over eight centuries ago, this artwork reflects the material constraints and artistic ingenuity of its period. Palm leaves served as the primary writing and painting surface in the region, predating the widespread introduction of paper. Each individual leaf formed a page, which was then carefully stitched with others to create compact, hand-held books, facilitating the dissemination of religious texts and imagery.