Artwork

Text, folio 169 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, folio 169 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 14 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This object is a wooden binding strip, originally part of a Buddhist manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā, the “Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.” The strip measures several centimeters in length and is divided into three narrow panels, each perforated with rows of uniformly spaced holes that once secured the parchment pages of the scroll.

Context

The perforated holes served a practical purpose: they allowed cords or ribbons to be threaded through, holding the delicate paper leaves steady during reading or copying. By keeping the text flat, the strip facilitated accurate transcription of the sutra, a central text in Mahayana Buddhism that expounds the concept of emptiness.

Technique & Style

Crafted from light‑brown wood that has darkened with age, the strip shows evidence of hand‑carving. The holes are uniformly punched, indicating the use of a simple drilling tool. Metal rings affixed at each end reinforce the wood and likely provided attachment points for the binding cords.

History & Provenance

The strip originates from a manuscript of the Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā, now housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art. The museum’s collection includes several related objects that illustrate the material culture surrounding Buddhist scriptural practice.