Text, Folio 116 (verso), 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 116 (verso), 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 is a long wooden block with rows of tiny, carved letters. The letters are arranged in neat columns, all facing the same direction. Two small white dots sit near the ends, like bookmarks. These blocks were used to print Buddhist texts by pressing ink onto the carved letters. The date carved into the wood—September 1119—tells us when it was made. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.