Five Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Illuminated manuscripts of this text, which epitomizes Mahayana Buddhist doctrine, were widely commissioned and donated to accrue religious merit. Though originally produced at Nalanda monastery in India, this manuscript later made its way to Tibet, where it was owned by various prominent individuals. The central illustrations depict goddesses and bodhisattvas, while the vignettes to either side portray the eight great events in the life of the historical Buddha.
Artwork Details
- Title: Five Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra
- Period: Pala period
- Date: third quarter 11th century
- Culture: India, Bihar, Nalanda monastery
- Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on palm leaf
- Dimensions: Each approximately: H. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); W. 22 3/8 in. (56.8 cm)
- Classification: Manuscripts
- Credit Line: Lent by Asia Society, New York, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Acquisitions Fund, 1987.1
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art