Text, Folio 76 (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 76 (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 long wooden block with three raised sections of tiny, evenly spaced dots. The dots form neat rows, like a grid of braille or a woven pattern. The wood looks worn, with two small metal rings on either side. These dots aren’t random—they’re part of an old Buddhist text written in a script used long ago. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds this piece, which is over 900 years old. If you’re curious about how ancient texts were preserved, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.