Text, Folio 22 (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 22 (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 three rectangular panels carved into it. Each panel is packed with tiny, sharp-edged characters arranged in neat rows. The wood has a warm, worn look, and the carvings stand out clearly against the background. The characters are part of an ancient Buddhist text, written in a script that looks like it’s been carefully chiseled by hand. This kind of block was used to print pages—like a stamp for books. If you’re curious about how this kind of printing worked, look up chiaroscuro.