Untitled

Unknown

early 12th century · Opaque watercolor on palm leaf · Asian Art

These two illuminated palm leaves are from a now-dispersed manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra, a text understood to contain the totality of Mahayana ideology in eight thousand verses. Above is Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara, a four-armed manifestation of the bodhisattva, which is associated with his six-syllable mantra popular across Tibet. Below, Avalokiteshvara is shown with six arms and sitting with one leg pendant in the posture of a god, referring to his accessible presence in a celestial sphere.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 12th century

Medium

Opaque watercolor on palm leaf

Culture

India, West Bengal or Bangladesh

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2001