Text, Folio 70 (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 70 (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 looks like a wooden board with three long, narrow panels. Each panel is covered in tiny, evenly spaced holes arranged in rows. The wood has a warm brown color, and the holes create a grid pattern across the whole thing. These aren’t for decoration—they’re part of an old tool used to copy text. Scribes would place ink on one side, press paper against the holes, and rub it to transfer letters neatly. Check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see this up close.