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Four Leaves from a Gandavyuha Manuscript

late 11th–early 12th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This early Mahayana text recounts the devotee Sudhana’s search for ultimate truth. On his quest, he meets many teachers and bodhisattvas, including the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, shown in the second leaf. The style is distinctly Nepalese, especially in its saturated, solid backgrounds and omission of secondary details. The manuscript lacks wear, suggesting it was not read but instead created to generate merit and to be revered as an object imbued with doctrinal power.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Four Leaves from a Gandavyuha Manuscript
  • Period: Transitional period
  • Date: late 11th–early 12th century
  • Culture: Nepal
  • Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on palm leaf
  • Dimensions: Each, approximate: H. 2 in. (5.1 cm); W. 21 1/2 in. (54.6 cm)
  • Classification: Manuscripts
  • Credit Line: Lent by Asia Society, New York, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection of Asian Art, 1979.54.1-4
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art