Artwork Page for Colophon, folio 188 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Details / Information for Colophon, folio 188 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Colophon, folio 188 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Sunday, September 14, 1119 (year 239 of the Newar Samvat in the month of Ashvina)

Eastern India, Bihar, Vikramashila Monastery. Painting: Nepal, Kathmandu

View all records in artwork set
Medium
gum tempera and ink on palm leaves
Measurements
Leaf: 5.4 x 56.2 cm (2 1/8 x 22 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1938.301.188.a
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This manuscript was commissioned by a Nepalese monk named Aryashrimittra in the year 239 of the Nepalese lunisolar calendar. This date corresponds specifically to 1119. Monks and laypeople alike became patrons of books in order to accrue religious merit, or punya, for themselves, their families, and their teachers. Doing so not only showed the patron’s piety and status, but also assisted them in the cycle of reincarnation by excising bad karma. Commissioning books was also favorable because doing so disseminated the Buddha’s teachings, as books are portable, unlike large stone monuments.
A horizontally oriented palm leaf strip of a tan hue features dark ink script arranged in a single line. Two circular holes puncture the surface, dividing the text into three distinct clusters that flow across the length of the material. Faded orange and gray marks drift between the apertures, contrasting with the irregular, frayed edges. The strip narrows toward its ends, maintaining a grounded horizontal composition against the neutral background.

Colophon, folio 188 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Sunday, September 14, 1119 (year 239 of the Newar Samvat in the month of Ashvina)

Eastern India, Bihar, Vikramashila Monastery. Painting: Nepal, Kathmandu

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork