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Image Not Available for Set of Buddhist manuscript covers, possibly from a Pancharaksha manuscript
Set of Buddhist manuscript covers, possibly from a Pancharaksha manuscript
Image Not Available for Set of Buddhist manuscript covers, possibly from a Pancharaksha manuscript

Set of Buddhist manuscript covers, possibly from a Pancharaksha manuscript

Artist
Date1686
MediumGilt copper over wood
DimensionsEach: 4 × 14 1/2 inches (10.2 × 36.8 cm)
CultureNepalese
ClassificationsManuscripts
Credit LineGeorge and Mary Rockwell Collection
Terms
  • Manuscripts
  • Nepalese
Object number98.122 a,b
Label CopyThis pair of book covers exemplifies the supreme skill achieved by Newari craftsmen working in repoussé, a technique with a long history in Nepal. The front (upper) cover consists of depictions in high relief of a pantheon of gods and goddesses placed in two beaded registers within a lotus petal border. The main deities of the upper register include five Buddhas surrounded by attendants and bodhisattvas; the lower register presents five multi-armed and multi-headed goddesses known as the Five Protectresses, or Pancharaksha, suggesting that these covers might have been made for a Pancharaksha Manuscript, one of the most commonly copied and illustrated Buddhist manuscripts. The ritual text consists of five charms or spells, typically accompanied by hieratic illustrations of Buddhist deities. The back (lower) cover has elegant low-relief repoussé designs that contrast the sculptural qualities of the front cover by their linearity. The long inscription around the edges of each include a dedication and prayers along with the date, which is equivalent to 1686.
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