Artwork
Text, Folio 109 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 109 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The wood has three sections, each packed with uniform characters, and small white dots mark the edges.
This is a long wooden block with carved text. The surface is covered in tiny, precise squares of inked lines—like a grid of tiny windows. The wood has three sections, each packed with uniform characters, and small white dots mark the edges.
This block was used to print sacred Buddhist texts. The date carved into the wood (1119) shows it’s over 900 years old.
Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.
Overview
This 1119 CE wooden block, carved with text, is a printing tool from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a key Buddhist scripture. Its surface features a grid of tiny, inked squares, divided into three sections of uniform characters, with small white dots marking the edges.
Subject & Meaning
The block was used to print the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, a foundational Buddhist text emphasizing wisdom and enlightenment. Its purpose was to disseminate sacred teachings through printed copies.
Technique & Style
The block exhibits meticulous craftsmanship, with intricate, uniform characters arranged in a precise grid. The inclusion of small white dots along the edges may have served as alignment guides for printing.
History & Provenance
Carved in 1119, this over 900-year-old block is a rare, well-dated example of early Buddhist printing technology. Its provenance is tied to The Cleveland Museum of Art, with similar objects in the collection.
Context
Created during a period of significant Buddhist textual production, this block reflects the importance of disseminating sacred writings. It predates the widespread use of movable type, highlighting the labor-intensive nature of early printing.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Text, Folio 10 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 44 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 90 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 22 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 120 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 49 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)