Text, Folio 90 (verso), 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 90 (verso), 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 rows of tiny carved letters. The letters are packed tightly, like typewriter keys, and the wood shows wear around the edges. Small round marks appear between each section, maybe for alignment. The block was used to print Buddhist scriptures over 900 years ago. The text is in an old script, and the carving looks precise but worn from use. Check out *The Cleveland Museum of Art* to see more ancient printed materials like this.