COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
ASIA.1979.053.1-4
amicoid
ASIA.1979.053.1-4
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Drawings and Watercolors
oty
Drawings and Watercolors
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Indian Sub-Continent; Indian
crc
Asian; Indian Sub-Continent; Indian
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Dates/Places:
Eastern Indian
cdt
Eastern Indian
Creator Dates/Places
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Eastern Indian
crt
Eastern Indian
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Four Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Manuscript. Leaf A: Manjushri. Leaf B: Prajnaparamita. Leaf C: Tara. Leaf D: A Dharmapala
otn
Four Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Manuscript. Leaf A: Manjushri. Leaf B: Prajnaparamita. Leaf C: Tara. Leaf D: A Dharmapala
Title
false
View:
Full view
rid
Full view
View
false
Creation Date:
c. 1151-1200
oct
c. 1151-1200
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
1151
ocs
1151
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1200
oce
1200
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
Ink and opaque watercolor on palm leaf
omd
Ink and opaque watercolor on palm leaf
Materials and Techniques
false
Creation Place:
India, Bihar or Bengal
ocp
India, Bihar or Bengal
Creation Place
false
Dimensions:
Each 3 x 17 1/4 in. (7.6 x 43.8 cm)
met
Each 3 x 17 1/4 in. (7.6 x 43.8 cm)
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
Asia Society
oon
Asia Society
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
New York, New York, USA
oop
New York, New York, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1979.053.1-4
ooa
1979.053.1-4
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
ooc
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
Credit Line
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.asiasociety.org"target="_new">http://www.asiasociety.org</a>
Rights
false
Context:
The four leaves of this eastern Indian manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra can be dated to about 1151-1200 by the rather static and stylized positions of the deities, the sketchy treatment of their faces, and the decorative background details. The ends of the leaves, as well as areas around the string holes, are decorated with geometric patterns or small images of lotuses, stupas, and animals. The deities illustrated are Manjushri, Prajnaparamita, Tara, and a dharmapala, or guardian of the law. The last named is blue, wears a tiger skin, and has four arms. He holds a ritual implement known as a vajra (thunderbolt) and a lasso in two of his hands. These implements and the tiger skin are attributes generally associated with Mahakala, and it is possible that this is an early image of this important deity.
Protective deities such as Mahakala, as well as female divinities such as Prajnapramita and Tara, play important roles in the branch of Buddhism known as Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana. This school, which is best known today as the religion practiced in Tibet and other Himalayan regions, flourished in eastern India under the rule of the Pala kings, and it has been suggested that the development of illustrated manuscripts during this period may reflect that of Vajrayana Buddhism, which makes greater use of images in its practices and has a more complicated pantheon that includes female deities. Since the images of deities in manuscripts such as this one have no illustrative relationship to the written text, they may have been intended for use in meditation as well as for protecting the manuscript and his owner. The commissioning of such manuscripts was a meritorious act intended to enhance the spiritual well-being of the donor of the manuscript, the artist and the scribe who created it, and all who saw and used the book.
cxd
The four leaves of this eastern Indian manuscript of the <I>Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra</I> can be dated to about 1151-1200 by the rather static and stylized positions of the deities, the sketchy treatment of their faces, and the decorative background details. The ends of the leaves, as well as areas around the string holes, are decorated with geometric patterns or small images of lotuses, stupas, and animals. The deities illustrated are Manjushri, Prajnaparamita, Tara, and a <I>dharmapala</I>, or guardian of the law. The last named is blue, wears a tiger skin, and has four arms. He holds a ritual implement known as a <I>vajra</I> (thunderbolt) and a lasso in two of his hands. These implements and the tiger skin are attributes generally associated with Mahakala, and it is possible that this is an early image of this important deity.<P>Protective deities such as Mahakala, as well as female divinities such as Prajnapramita and Tara, play important roles in the branch of Buddhism known as Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana. This school, which is best known today as the religion practiced in Tibet and other Himalayan regions, flourished in eastern India under the rule of the Pala kings, and it has been suggested that the development of illustrated manuscripts during this period may reflect that of Vajrayana Buddhism, which makes greater use of images in its practices and has a more complicated pantheon that includes female deities. Since the images of deities in manuscripts such as this one have no illustrative relationship to the written text, they may have been intended for use in meditation as well as for protecting the manuscript and his owner. The commissioning of such manuscripts was a meritorious act intended to enhance the spiritual well-being of the donor of the manuscript, the artist and the scribe who created it, and all who saw and used the book.</P>
Context
false
Related Document Description:
Asia Society. Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 27.
rdd
Asia Society. <I>Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection</I>. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 27.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Pal, Pratapaditya, and Julia Meech-Pekarik. Buddhist Book Illuminations. New York: Ravi Kumar, 1988, pp. 69, 72, 80.
rdd
Pal, Pratapaditya, and Julia Meech-Pekarik. <I>Buddhist Book Illuminations.</I> New York: Ravi Kumar, 1988, pp. 69, 72, 80.
Related Document Description
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
ASIA.1979.053.1-4.a.tif
ril
ASIA.1979.053.1-4.a.tif
Related Image Identifier Link
false