Text, folio 53 (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 53 (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 block with rows of tiny, carved letters. The letters are evenly spaced, arranged in three long sections. The wood has a smooth, polished look, and there are two small metal rings on the sides. This is actually a printing block—not a painting. It was used to stamp text onto paper, like a giant stamp for books. If you want to see how this was used, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.