Artwork

Text, Folio 74 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

Text, Folio 74 (verso), 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

The object is a wooden printing block, identified as folio 74 (verso) from a manuscript of the *Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines* (also known as the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra). The block measures roughly a long rectangle and is divided into three distinct rectangular panels, each bearing a dense array of tiny, uniformly spaced perforations that form a regular grid across the surface.

Technique & Style

The perforated panels served as a means of reproducing Buddhist script through block printing. Ink was applied to the holes, and the block was then pressed onto paper, transferring the inked characters in a consistent, repeatable pattern. This method allowed for the efficient copying of extensive sutras before the advent of movable type in the region.

Context

The *Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines* is a central Mahayana Buddhist text, widely circulated in East Asia from the early medieval period onward. Printing blocks like this one were integral to the dissemination of the sutra, reflecting the broader development of woodblock printing technology that began in China during the Tang dynasty and spread throughout the Buddhist world.

History & Provenance

The block is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, which holds a range of similar printing blocks and related artifacts. Its inclusion in the museum’s holdings underscores its value as a representative example of the material culture associated with Buddhist textual transmission.