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One of a Pair of Manuscript Covers from the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra)

A work made of pigments and metallic paint on wood.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of pigments and metallic paint on wood.

Date:

c. 17th century

Artist:

Nepal

About this artwork

This pair of horizontal Buddhist book covers features the goddess of wisdom, Prajnaparamita. At the top she presides in her four-armed golden Nepalese form flanked by male and female devotees; on the bottom she is depicted to the left of the Buddha. Representing dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), she is recognizable by the rosary and book she holds in her upper hands; her lower hands form the gesture of teaching (vitarka mudra). In the lower book cover the three figures symbolize the three jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, dharma, and sangha (the Buddhist community). Prajnaparamita represents dharma at the left, the Medicine Buddha presides at the center, and Shadakshari Lokeshvara represents the sangha at right.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

One of a Pair of Manuscript Covers from the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra)

Place

Nepal (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1601–1700

Medium

Pigments and metallic paint on wood

Dimensions

10.2 × 41.1 × 1.4 cm (4 × 16 3/16 × 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Nancy Wiener; Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Fund

Reference Number

2004.757.4a

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/184668/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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