Text, folio 160 (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 160 (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, narrow wooden block covered in tiny, evenly spaced holes. The holes form neat rows, like a grid of tiny squares. It’s light brown with a few small metal rings on the sides. Blocks like this were used to stamp text onto paper—each hole stands for a character. It’s a piece of an old Buddhist book. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.