Artwork
Text, folio 178 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 178 (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. This wooden printing block, dated 1119, bears densely packed, sharply incised characters arranged in three elongated columns.
About this work
Small diamond-shaped marks separate the sections, and the wood has a warm, slightly faded tone.
This is a wooden block with rows of tiny, sharp-edged characters carved into it. The surface looks worn, and the letters are packed tightly in three long sections. Small diamond-shaped marks separate the sections, and the wood has a warm, slightly faded tone.
These blocks were used to print Buddhist texts—each character is a stamp for ink. The date on the block (1119) shows it’s very old, but the artist’s name is lost.
Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more objects like this.
Overview
This wooden printing block, dated 1119, bears densely packed, sharply incised characters arranged in three elongated columns. The wood shows signs of wear and a warm, slightly faded hue, while small diamond-shaped markers delineate the sections. The block served as a stamp for reproducing a portion of the Buddhist Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra, a key text of the Perfection of Wisdom tradition.
Subject & Meaning
The carved text corresponds to folio 178 (verso) of a manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, a seminal Mahayana sutra that expounds the concept of emptiness. By providing a means to mass‑produce this scripture, the block facilitated the dissemination of its philosophical teachings across monastic communities.
Technique & Style
Artisans employed precise, sharp-edged carving tools to incise each character individually, creating a uniform, high‑relief surface suitable for ink transfer. The layout groups characters into three continuous bands, separated by diamond‑shaped punctuation marks, reflecting standardized printing conventions of early 12th‑century East Asian woodblock production.
History & Provenance
The block originates from a 12th‑century Buddhist workshop, though the carver’s identity remains unknown. Its survival offers insight into the material culture of Korean or Chinese printing practices of the period. The object is now part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection, where it is displayed alongside related printing artifacts.
Context
During the early 1100s, woodblock printing emerged as a primary method for reproducing religious texts in East Asia, supporting the spread of Mahayana Buddhism. This block exemplifies the technical and devotional efforts that enabled large‑scale circulation of sutras, reinforcing doctrinal cohesion among monastic institutions.
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 6 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 41 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 14 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 18 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 157 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)