Artwork
Text, Folio 38 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 38 (recto), 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.
About this work
Overview
The work titled *Text, Folio 38 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines* is a painted representation of a wooden printing block. The block is elongated and narrow, its surface covered with densely packed characters arranged in uniform rows. Two small circular dots run along the upper edge, and the wood shows a warm, weathered brown tone with areas of fading.
Subject & Meaning
The engraved characters correspond to passages from the *Ashtasahasrika Prajñāpāramitā*—the Buddhist “Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.” By depicting the block, the image foregrounds the transmission of sacred text, emphasizing the material means by which Buddhist doctrine was reproduced and disseminated in manuscript culture.
Technique & Style
The piece is executed as a painting that faithfully reproduces the texture of a wooden block. Fine brushwork renders the repetitive script, while subtle shading conveys the grain and wear of the wood. The uniformity of the characters and the precise alignment of the rows reflect the disciplined craftsmanship of traditional block‑printing tools.
History & Provenance
The object is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Although the original block is a functional printing tool, the painted version was created to document or commemorate the block’s role in the production of Buddhist sutras. Its acquisition by the museum places it within a broader assemblage of Asian religious artifacts.
Context
Block printing was a pivotal technology for spreading Buddhist texts across East Asia from the Tang dynasty onward. This particular block, associated with the *Perfection of Wisdom* sutra, illustrates the convergence of religious practice and early mass‑production techniques, highlighting how doctrinal teachings were made accessible to monastic communities and lay readers alike.
Artist & collection
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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 106 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 39 (recto), 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 179 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 11 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 110 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 104 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)