Prajnaparamita book cover c. 1200

gold, sculpture

natural stone pattern

naturalistic pattern

loose pattern

pattern

gold

geometric pattern

abstract pattern

sculpture

repetition of pattern

intricate pattern

pattern repetition

layered pattern

This 13th-century book cover, crafted in an anonymous workshop, showcases the intricate artistry of Tibetan Buddhist art. The cover is adorned with rich, gilded detail and depicts the central figure of Prajnaparamita, the personification of wisdom, flanked by two additional figures. The elaborate, floral motifs and stylized figures contribute to the cover’s overall aesthetic and underscore the importance of the text it protects. The cover, housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a significant example of religious art from this era.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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This elaborately carved cover once protected the Buddhist manuscript known as the Prajnaparamita sutra, or The Perfection of Wisdom. The Mahayana Buddhist text articulates the impermanence of all phenomena, including the notion of selfhood. Personifying this transcendent wisdom is the multiarmed goddess Prajnaparamita, the mother of all Buddhas, shown at center; she is seated in a grand throne, lifted by a half-man, half-bird kinnara. The goddess holds a book in her upper-left hand and a vajra (the ritual implement that signifies awakening) in her upper-right hand. She gestures reassurance with her front- right hand and meditation with her front-left hand. Even in miniature, the deity exudes a calm awareness and noble cultivation. Prajnaparamita is flanked by Avalokiteshvara (right) and Green Tara (left), two bodhisattvas (enlightened deities who forgo paradise to guide earthy beings) associated with the virtues of compassion.