Text, Folio 62 (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 62 (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 board with three rectangular sections. Each section holds rows of tiny, evenly spaced holes arranged in a grid. The wood looks worn, with a few small white dots marking the middle of each section. The holes are filled with dark, woven threads or strings, forming a dense pattern. The board is likely part of an old writing tool—something like a braille-like system for writing in another language. It’s not a painting but a physical text aid, probably used to create or preserve writing in a different script. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this from their collection.