Text, Folio 121 (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

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 121 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

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

About this work

This is a long, narrow wooden block covered in tiny, evenly spaced holes arranged in straight lines. The wood looks worn, with two small metal rings on either side near the ends. The holes form a grid pattern, repeating across the entire surface. This is actually a printing block used to stamp text onto paper—each hole holds ink to create characters. It’s part of an old Buddhist scripture from Nepal. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see where this block is kept.