Text, Folio 80 (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 80 (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 rows of tiny, carved text. The letters are evenly spaced, packed tight in lines, and look like they’re meant to be stamped. The wood has a smooth, worn surface with two small metal pins on either side—maybe to hang it up. The text is part of a Buddhist scripture, written in an old style that’s hard to read today. It’s not a painting but a printing block, used to make copies of the same words over and over. If you want to see more like this, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.