Text, folio 180 (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

Dominant colour

Text, folio 180 (recto), 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 long, narrow wooden block covered in tiny, sharp letters carved into it. The letters are packed tightly in rows, filling almost every inch of the surface. Two small metal rings sit near the ends, like handles. This looks like a printing block—used to stamp text onto paper. The dense, uniform letters suggest it was made to copy a long religious text. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see how this fits into their collection.