Artwork
Text, folio 168 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 168 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The object is a long, narrow wooden block bearing rows of finely incised characters.
About this work
Overview
The object is a long, narrow wooden block bearing rows of finely incised characters. Every line of text is filled with sharp, uniform letters that cover the entire surface, giving the block the appearance of a giant stamp. The wood shows signs of age, including small holes and wear where the carved letters have fractured over time.
Subject & Meaning
The engraved script reproduces a passage from the Buddhist scripture known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, or the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra. This text is a central Mahayana treatise that expounds the concept of emptiness and the path to enlightenment, and the block was intended to disseminate its teachings.
Technique & Style
Carvers used a fine, pointed tool to cut each character into the wood, creating a uniform, block‑letter style suited for repeated impression. The precision of the incisions allowed for clear, legible prints on paper or fabric, while the block’s narrow shape facilitated the production of long textual passages in a single impression.
History & Provenance
The block originates from a tradition of woodblock printing in East Asia, where such devices were employed to reproduce religious texts for monastic and lay audiences. It is currently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s collection of printed media and Buddhist artifacts.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Text, folio 160 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 146 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 86 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 36 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 17 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 167 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)