Text, Folio 44 (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 44 (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 strip covered in tiny, evenly spaced holes arranged in rows. The holes form patterns that look like text, but it’s not letters—just precise dots in neat lines. Two small circular marks sit near the top, like bookends for the sections. This isn’t a painting but a tool for printing Buddhist texts. The holes let ink pass through to create prints, a clever way to copy words without handwriting each one. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.