Antique Thai Buddhist Prayer Manuscript Sheet

Description

Buddhist prayer manuscript sheet
samut khoi 
17th - 18th Century
Thailand

An individual leaf of a richly illustrated two sided … more Buddhist prayer manuscript sheet
samut khoi 
17th - 18th Century
Thailand

An individual leaf of a richly illustrated two sided document with Buddhist prayers and deities adorning them. These pages embody the word of the Buddha and are considered sacred. The Tibetan script is hand-written and printed by hand from bank-carved wood blocks. The durable paper is made from "lokta" daphne bark. Lokta paper is made from the bark of daphne shrubs in Nepal.

The use of samut khoi in Thailand dates at least to the Ayutthaya period (14th–18th centuries). These texts were used in monasteries for religious rites and as teaching material.

Approximately 11” x 28”.
Exquisite when framed

Some soiling, damage and water stains from age and usage.
Condition as seen in the photo’s

Provenance
Estate of Diplomat/Thailand/1970

Reference

Igunma, Jana and San San May, "Buddha embracing nature – nature embracing Buddha. The Buddha and his natural environment in Southeast Asian manuscript art",  Arts of Asia, Jan/Feb 2020, pp.114-124.

San San May and Jana Igunma, Buddhism Illuminated: Manuscript art from Southeast Asia. London, British Library, 2018.

Shravasti Dhammika, Nature and environment in early Buddhism. Singapore, Buddhist Research Society, 2015.

Jana Igunma, Henry Ginsburg Curator for Thai, Lao and Cambodian Collections less