Antique Asian Works of Art from Ancient East

Three Burmese Buddhist Kammawasa Manuscripts, 19th C

Three Burmese Buddhist Kammawasa Manuscripts, 19th C


browse these categories for related items...
Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Southeast Asian: Lacquer: Pre 1900: Item # 1283534

Please refer to our stock # LC47 when inquiring.
Ancient East
View Seller Profile
PO Box 462
Truchas, NM 87578
407-234-0153

Guest Book
 $495 
Visa MasterCard American Express Discover
for all three

DESCRIPTION: Four beautifully detailed, red and gold lacquered sheets of Burmese Buddhist manuscripts describing rules of ceremony. Kammawasa are elaborately decorated manuscripts extracted from the Pali Vinaya pitaka, the monastic code of discipline which is generally read aloud at monastic assemblies. Topics covered would include formalities for the ordination of monks and the bestowal of their robes, the consecration of an ordination hall, celebrating the festival of the full moon, and other such ceremonies.

Kammawasa may be inscribed on palm leaf, ivory, copper, or even on pieces of discarded monks’ robes which have been lacquered to provide a rigid surface. The text is composed in the large Burmese square script, known as “tamarind seed script” and are stored in an elaborate lacquer box made specifically for that purpose (see our listing TBS16 for an example). All pages of this group are double sided, one side with script and the other with rich and highly complex scenes in gold lacquer. All sheets are in very good condition and date to the 19th C. DIMENSIONS: Each approximately 23” long (58.5 cm) x 5 ½” (14 cm).