Text, Folio 146 (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 146 (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 three rectangular panels carved into it. Each panel has tiny, repeating patterns—like rows of dots and lines—that look like text or symbols. The wood is light brown, and the carving is shallow but precise. The block was used to stamp ink onto pages, creating identical copies of Buddhist scripture. This was a common way to spread texts before printing presses. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.