Text, Folio 85 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
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unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
14
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This is a long wooden block with three rectangular sections. Each section is covered in tiny, evenly spaced dots arranged in neat rows. The dots are dark against the lighter wood, creating a grid-like pattern. The block looks old and worn, with a few small marks or holes here and there. The dots here aren’t just decoration—they’re used to print text. When ink is applied, the dots transfer letters onto paper, a method called woodblock printing. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more examples of this kind of printing.
