The most distinctive characteristic of Manichaean book art is probably its system of paintings oriented sideways in relation to the direction of the writing. This special feature connects Uighur Manichaean book art to Mediaeval West Asian book illumination, seen mainly through examples of Eastern Christian (Syriac and Armenian) illuminated Bibles.
This Syriac Gospel-book dates from 932. The first and only illuminated page in the Syriac parchment codex is decorated with a simple ink drawing of a clerical figure identified as 'the bishop of Abba'.
Ink on parchment
The British Library, Add. 14594