Text, Folio 134 (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 134 (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, narrow wooden board covered in tiny, precise holes arranged in rows. The holes are evenly spaced, creating a grid-like pattern. The wood itself looks worn, with a light brown color that shows some age. The holes are likely used for writing or printing text in a language that uses an alphabet with many characters. This kind of tool was often used in ancient times to help create clean, consistent writing. If you’re curious about how this object was used, look up The Cleveland Museum of Art.