Text, folio 178 (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 178 (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 wooden block with rows of tiny, sharp-edged characters carved into it. The surface looks worn, and the letters are packed tightly in three long sections. Small diamond-shaped marks separate the sections, and the wood has a warm, slightly faded tone. These blocks were used to print Buddhist texts—each character is a stamp for ink. The date on the block (1119) shows it’s very old, but the artist’s name is lost. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.