Text, Folio 144 (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 144 (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 block with rows of tiny, sharp metal edges. The edges form raised letters in a grid, all evenly spaced. The wood is light brown, and the metal looks dark and worn. These edges were used to stamp ink onto paper, creating identical copies of Buddhist texts. The text is dense and repetitive, filling every inch of the block. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.