Text, Folio 38 (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 38 (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, repeating characters. The letters are arranged in neat rows, all the same size, with two small circular dots spaced evenly along the top. The wood looks worn, with a warm brown color that’s faded in spots. These blocks were used to stamp text onto pages—like a giant rubber stamp for books. The characters are likely from an old Buddhist scripture, printed in ink. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see this up close.