Text, Folio 6 (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

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 6 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 14
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This looks like a wooden board with three narrow sections of text carved into it. The text is packed with tiny, repeating symbols—dots and lines—arranged in rows. The wood is light brown and worn, with two small metal rings at the ends, like it could hang up. The symbols are likely a script from an old Buddhist text, written in a style meant to be copied by hand over and over. It feels like a page from a book, but the wood makes it look more like a scroll or a plaque. If you’re curious about where to see more like this, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.