Buddhist Manuscript
Unknown Artist
c. 1700
Medium
Covers: Gum tempera on wood; pages: charcoal on palm leaves
Dimensions
w. 6.4 cm, l. 44.8 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Educational Purchase Fund
Accession Number
1949.227
About this artwork
Palm leaf material is still used for manuscripts in Sri Lanka. The palm leaves are prepared first by boiling them, drying them in the sun, and then rubbing them with oils. Scribes then use a metal stylus to incise the text. Then charcoal powder is wiped across the pages, filling in only the inscribed lines.