Text, Folio 148 (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 148 (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 wooden block covered in tiny, carved squares. The squares form neat rows of text, all facing the same way. Two small white marks sit near the top corners, like tiny bookmarks. The block looks like it was used for printing—each square holds a single character, ready to stamp onto paper. It’s a way to copy texts without hand-writing every page. If you’re curious about how this works, look up chiaroscuro—though actually, this is more about printing techniques. Try searching for *woodblock printing* instead.