Text, Folio 71 (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 71 (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 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.