Text, Folio 130 (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 130 (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 is a long wooden block with rows of tiny metal pins. The pins are arranged in neat, repeating patterns across three sections. Each section has a small hole near the top, and the wood has a warm, aged look. The pins likely held wax or ink to create text—this was a printing block for Buddhist scripture. The precision suggests it was used to copy sacred writings carefully. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.