After its discovery the block was purchased by Mâconnais printer and collector Jules Protat (1852–1906), and came to be called ("the Protat block"). Jules Protat made some test prints on China paper, one of which he exhibited at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. The block is not in a state to withstand repeated printings, as three-quarters of the original has been lost to damage from humidity and insects; the reverse especially has not held up well, and is not in a condition suitable for making impressions. The curator of prints at the National Library of France Henri Bouchot published a study on the block in 1902 called ("An Ancestor of Wood Engraving"). Though some contested his conclusions, Bouchot dated the work to the 14th century based on technical details such as the style of art, the Uncial script of the centurion's speech, and the costumes and weapons of the centurion and soldiers. No historical impressions (prints) made from the block are known, but other early woodcuts have been attributed to the same artist.