Text, Folio 36 (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

Byzantine icon painting Classical Antiquity Religious

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 36 (recto), 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 wooden block covered in tiny, evenly spaced holes arranged in rows. The surface looks worn, with two small circular marks near the edges. The wood has a warm, earthy tone, and the holes create a grid pattern across the whole piece. This isn’t a painting—it’s a printing block used for text. The holes would hold ink to stamp out Buddhist scripture, letter by letter. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.