Arkivism
Buddhist Manuscript
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Buddhist Manuscript

c. 1700 · Covers: Gum tempera on wood; pages: charcoal on palm leaves

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

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.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineBuddhist Manuscript, c. 1700. Sri Lanka. Covers: Gum tempera on wood; pages: charcoal on palm leaves; overall: 6.4 cm (2 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund, 1949.227
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