Text, Folio 39 (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 39 (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 strip with three rectangular panels. Each panel has rows of tiny, carved letters arranged in neat lines. The wood looks worn, with small metal rings on either side of the middle panel. These aren’t painted letters—they’re cut into the wood, almost like a puzzle. It’s a page from a very old Buddhist text, made over 900 years ago. If this kind of carved text interests you, look up chiaroscuro to see how shadows and light create depth in other artworks.