Text, Folio 84 (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 84 (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, narrow wooden block with three rectangular sections. Each section is filled with tiny, raised characters—like a stamped pattern of dots and lines. The wood looks worn, and there are two small holes near the ends, as if it might have hung somewhere. The characters are likely part of an old Buddhist text, written in a script used in Nepal. These blocks were used to print pages by hand, like a giant stamp. Check out how this connects to The Cleveland Museum of Art, where it’s kept.