Cover for an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra

A long, narrow painted wooden board shows a row of small seated and standing Buddhist figures in red, gold, and green against a dark ground. Metal insets punctuate the panel, and the figures are arranged in separate framed scenes along its length. The surface shows wear and flaking, consistent with a manuscript cover of great age.

Artist

Unknown

Date

10th–11th century

Medium

Ink and color on wood, with metal insets

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 1888 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of John and Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Findlay, 1979