Text, folio 177 (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 177 (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, evenly spaced holes arranged in neat rows. The holes are filled with black ink, forming lines of text that stretch across the surface. Two small metal rings are attached near the top, likely for carrying. This looks like an old printing block, used to stamp text onto paper. The careful spacing suggests it was meant for copying long religious writings. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.