Page from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Manuscript: Yamantaka (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, and enclosed in wooden covers for protection. The cords passed through holes in each of the pages, which were flipped up as one read through the text.
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.
The fearsome, blue-skinned figure at the center of this page is Yamantaka, one of the Dharmapalas (Protectors of the Law). Surrounded by an aureole of flames, this dwarfish being stands in an aggressive pose on a lotus base. He has three visible faces (blue, white, and red), bulging eyes, and terrific fangs. His six hands hold a variety of ritual implements.
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