Text, Folio 91 (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 91 (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 carved text. The surface looks like it’s been etched with tiny, precise lines forming rows of characters. The wood has a worn, golden-brown color, and there are two small holes near the edges, like it’s meant to be handled. The text is part of an old Buddhist scripture, written in a style that looks carefully planned. The carving suggests it was made by hand, likely as a printing block for books. Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.