Sudhana and a parrot, folio 20 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array) (1000–1100s): Art, History and Details

Sudhana and a parrot, folio 20 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array) (1000–1100s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

On his quest to find teachers to guide him to enlightenment, the pilgrim Sudhana traveled alone through the wilderness. The tree and parrot indicate the forests of southern India. Graceful lines and vibrant color contribute to the enduring visual appeal of the paintings of this manuscript. In a stylistic convention of the time, the artist extended the "farther eye" beyond the contours of the face.

Object facts

• Title: Sudhana and a parrot, folio 20 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
• Date: 1000–1100s
• Culture: Nepal
• Type: Painting
• Technique: gum tempera and ink on palm leaf
• Dimensions: Average: 4.2 x 52.4 cm (1 5/8 x 20 5/8 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1955.49.1.a

A detail from the museum

The parrot is actually an Indian ring-necked parakeet, with red beak and long tail.

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.