Text, Folio 74 (recto), 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 74 (recto), 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 wooden block with three long, rectangular panels. Each panel is covered in tiny, evenly spaced dots arranged in horizontal lines. The dots form a grid, and the wood itself looks worn and slightly dark. There are two small metal circles near the top, maybe for handling. The dots here aren’t random—they’re used to print text. When inked, they’d create letters or images, like a stamp. This was likely part of a religious book, printed in an old method. If you want to see more like this, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.