Text, Folio 19 (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 19 (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 covered in tiny, neat rows of carved text. The letters are uniform and packed closely together, like a grid. The wood has a light, warm color, and the carving looks precise but not fancy—just clear and steady. The text is part of an old Buddhist scripture, written in a style meant to be copied by hand. It’s not a painting but a carved page, likely used for study or ritual. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see this up close—they have it in their collection.