Text, Folio 143 (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

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 143 (verso), 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 panel with rows of tiny, carved squares. The squares form letters in a language you might not recognize. The wood is light brown, and the carving looks precise, like someone spent a lot of time making it. The text is arranged in neat columns, with small circles marking the start of a new section. This kind of careful carving was often used for important religious writings. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more examples of this kind of ancient text.