A pair of the painted cover of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra for a palm-leaf manuscript belongs to the Pala-Nepalese tradition. The manuscript was transcribed in Nepal Samvat 470 (1350 AD) by Vajracharya Bandhugupta during the reign of Jayarjunadeva. The artistic rendition stylistically looks back at the Ajanta murals. The front cover consists of four compositions, in which the middle two panels display the shrine of Mahashri Tara. The two-armed, green-complexioned Mahashri Tara is shown in the preaching gesture (vyakhyana mudra). An assembly of Buddhist monks and lesser deities surround her. The adjacent panel displays an enshrined Buddha in a russet robe, made of strips of cloth sewn together, reminiscent of his renunciation. The two panels at the corners depict two episodes from Buddha’s life, including the mahapariniravana of Buddha on the right, and the left panel shows the Buddha’s sojourn to the mango grove of Ambrapali, the courtesan, at Vaishali.

The rear face of the book cover displays episodes from the Vessantara Jataka, depicting the virtue of charity and generosity (dana), in four successive panels. According to the Jataka, Prince Vessantara donated all his precious belongings to people in need. In the first panel, he is shown gifting the magical white elephant to a brahmin. The subsequent episodes show Princes’ journey to the mountain retreat and his wife Madri and their children Jali and Kanhajina. As they set out from the palace, they encounter four brahmins who asked for the horses. The Prince and his family are shown riding a royal chariot drawn by horses, and the Brahmin Jujaka is shown demanding the horses. Pleased by the generosity of Prince Vessanatara, the last episode shows that the gods transformed themselves into golden deer to pull the chariot, and the god Indra appears bestowing blessings.