Artwork
Text, Folio 95 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 95 (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 wooden printing block measuring roughly a foot in length, its surface covered with a dense grid of uniformly carved squares.
About this work
Overview
The object is a wooden printing block measuring roughly a foot in length, its surface covered with a dense grid of uniformly carved squares. Within each square a line of ancient script is incised, forming continuous rows of text. Two minute white marks near the centre function as reference points, akin to bookmarks, indicating the block’s use in a larger textual work.
Subject & Meaning
The incised characters represent a portion of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita‑sutra, a central Mahayana Buddhist scripture known as the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. This segment, identified as Folio 95 (verso), contains doctrinal verses that articulate the concept of emptiness and the path to enlightenment, serving both devotional and instructional purposes.
Technique & Style
Crafted by hand, the block exhibits a meticulous woodcut technique: each character is cut into the wood with a fine burin, producing crisp, regular squares that ensure even ink transfer. The uniform spacing and consistent depth of the incisions reflect a standardized approach to mass‑producing sacred texts in the pre‑printing era, facilitating reproducibility across multiple copies.
History & Provenance
The block originates from a manuscript tradition that circulated in East Asia during the medieval period, likely between the 9th and 12th centuries.
The block originates from a manuscript tradition that circulated in East Asia during the medieval period, likely between the 9th and 12th centuries. It was part of a larger set of printing blocks used to produce complete copies of the Prajnaparamita sutra. The piece entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art through acquisition in the early 20th century, where it remains as evidence of early woodblock printing practices.
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 120 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 92 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 160 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 45 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, folio 170 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 150 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 80 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 151 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Text, Folio 128 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)