Artwork
Text, Folio 71 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 71 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. A wooden printing block carved with three sections of text, used to print a Buddhist scripture.
- Accession no.
- 1938.301.71.b
- Credit line
- Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
About this work
The block was used to print Buddhist texts, each line is part of a huge scripture.
This is a long wooden block with three carved sections. Each section is packed with tiny, sharp letters arranged in neat rows. The wood looks worn, and the carving is precise, almost like a stamp.
The block was used to print Buddhist texts, each line is part of a huge scripture. The date carved in is 1119, written in a different calendar system.
Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more of this kind of printing block.
Overview
A wooden printing block carved with three sections of text, used to print a Buddhist scripture. The block is worn, with precise carvings of tiny letters in neat rows.
Subject & Meaning
The text is part of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra, a Buddhist scripture known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. The carvings represent a significant Buddhist text.
Technique & Style
The carvings are precise and uniform, suggesting a high level of craftsmanship. The text is arranged in neat rows, indicating a systematic approach to the carving process.
History & Provenance
The block is dated 1119, according to a non-Western calendar system. It is an example of early printing technology used for Buddhist texts.
Artist & collection
Text, Folio 132 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 8 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 98 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 112 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 64 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 69 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 71 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 57 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)