Text, Folio 148 (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 148 (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 looks like a wooden board with three long, narrow panels. Each panel has rows of tiny, evenly spaced holes punched into it. The wood is light brown, and the holes are dark, almost black. The edges are slightly worn, like it’s been handled a lot. These panels aren’t a painting—they’re a kind of stencil or template. The holes might have been used to trace text or designs, like a guide for copying writing. If you’re curious about old writing tools, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art for more examples.