Text, folio 156 (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

Byzantine icon painting Classical Antiquity Religious

Dominant colour

Text, folio 156 (verso), 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, narrow wooden board covered in tiny, precise holes arranged in neat rows. The holes form patterns of text, like blocks of writing stacked vertically. There’s a faint pencil mark near the top left corner, and two small white paper triangles hold the board together in the middle. The text looks like it’s from an old Buddhist scripture, carefully copied by hand. The board’s age shows in the worn wood and faded marks. If you like this, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art—they hold the original.