Text, Folio 101 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Byzantine icon painting Classical Antiquity Religious

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 101 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, a Byzantine icon painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 14 · Byzantine icon painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This looks like a long, wooden block covered in tiny, carved dots. The dots form neat rows across the surface, like a grid of seeds or braille. Two small circles are punched into the wood near the edges—maybe for hanging or handling. The block is labeled with numbers and letters, which suggests it might be part of a larger set. The dots could be used for printing or stamping text, like an early kind of movable type. If you’re curious about how this was made, look up chiaroscuro—though that’s not quite it, it’s a start. For the real deal, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see the full piece.