Text, Folio 72 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
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From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
14
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This looks like a wooden block with carved text running across it in neat rows. The lines are tight and even, like tiny squares packed together. There’s a small circular mark near each end, and the wood shows some wear. This is actually a printing block used to stamp pages for a Buddhist text. The text is in an old script, and the block was made over 900 years ago. If you’re curious about how old books were printed, check out chiaroscuro.
