Page from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Manuscript: Vairochana (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Some of the earliest surviving Indian paintings are found in 11th- and 12th-century illuminated manuscripts from Buddhist monasteries in Eastern India. Made from palm leaves, the long, horizontal pages of these manuscripts were arranged in a pile, strung together with cords passed through holes in each page, and enclosed in wooden covers for protection.
This palm-leaf page comes from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita (The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses) that originally contained over two hundred leaves. Iconic images of Buddhist deities are centered between elegantly copied lines of text. These small, highly animated paintings do not illustrate the text, but their presence ensured that the gods depicted would protect the manuscript and reward the pious layman who commissioned it.
This leaf features Vairochana, Cosmic Buddha of the Center. White in complexion and six-armed, he sits on a lotus throne with an elaborate arched back. His principal hands are crossed in front of his chest and hold a bell and a discus. His other hands hold a lotus (upper right), thunderbolt or vajra (lower right), sword (upper left), and double lotus bearing a gem (lower left). His three visible faces are blue, white, and red.
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