Text, folio 43 (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 43 (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 panel covered in tiny, neat rows of text. The letters are carved or stamped in black, filling every inch of the surface. There are three sections, each with a small circular mark near the top. This looks like an ancient Buddhist scripture, written in a language with curved, flowing characters. The precision suggests it was made by hand over a long time. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more works like this.