A LARGE TIBETAN GILT AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED MANUSCRIPT COVER

A LARGE TIBETAN GILT AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED MANUSCRIPT COVER
15TH/16TH CENTURY

Carved in high relief, depicting Adi-Buddha Vajradhara seated on an elaborate throne, holding a ghanta and a vajra, surrounded by acolytes and mythical beasts, including Garuda, makara, and elephants, and accompanied by another ninety-four Buddhist deities seated within circular aureoles, the reverse is carved with scrollwork containing further Buddhist figures and mythical animals, encircled by a border of foliate scrolls with chaktsen, the Tibetan Buddhist emblems, together with a metal stand, 26 cm x 76.5 cm. (2)

Provenance: from the collection of Mr Nicholas Squire (1949-2024), Suffolk, England.

Cf. Spink, Light of Compassion: Buddhist Art from Nepal and Tibet, 1997, pp.70-73, pl.38-39 for two comparable manuscript covers dated to the 15th century.

In the late 10th century, Tibetan monks undertook the monumental task of translating thousands of Indian Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan. This effort, spanning the 11th and 12th centuries, highlights their dedication to preserving Buddhist philosophy. Sacred texts were treated with great reverence, often adorned with ornate, painted wooden covers featuring protective divine figures. These decorative covers exemplify the meticulous care and artistic devotion Tibetans applied to their sacred manuscripts.

十五/十六世紀 彩繪漆金木雕千佛圖護經板
來源: 英國薩福克郡Nicholas Squire先生（1949-2024）收藏。