Text, Folio 18 (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 18 (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 block with carved text. The surface is covered in tiny, precise lines forming characters—like rows of stamps. Two small circles mark the middle sections, and the edges show wear. The block was used to print Buddhist scripture. Each character is hand-carved, showing how books were made before printing presses. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more ancient printed works.