Text, folio 43 (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 43 (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 looks like a wooden board covered in tiny, neat rows of black marks. The marks form long lines of text, packed closely together. Two small circular holes appear near the top, like pegs. The text is likely Sanskrit, a language used in old Buddhist writings. The board’s shape and holes suggest it might have been used for teaching or copying scripture. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.