Text, Folio 128 (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 128 (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, raised dots arranged in neat rows. The dots form lines of text, like pages from a book—but instead of letters, it’s all patterns. The wood has two small holes at the ends, maybe for hanging or storage. The dots aren’t ink; they’re carved into the wood, so you’d press ink onto them to print. This was likely used to copy Buddhist scriptures by hand, long before printing presses. If you want to see more of this kind of object, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.