Sutra Cover
ClassificationsPrinted Materials-religious texts-sutra coverings
Date19th Century
Made AtTibet Autonomous Region, China, Asia
MediumWood
Dimensions7 3/4 × 27 1/2 × 1 in. (19.7 × 69.9 × 2.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih
Object number2021.8.34
DescriptionRectangular wooden scripture covers such as this one would have been used along with silk cloth wrappings and leather bindings to protect folded paper sutras. In Buddhism, sutras are canonical scriptures believed to be a record of the teachings of Buddha, and manuscripts were used by Buddhist monks, or lamas, to read, recite, and meditate over their teachings. Wood was a scarce commodity on the Tibetan plateau, so its use for these covers, combined with the elaborate carvings and paintings which decorated them, conveys the sacred nature of the texts within.On View
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19th Century
19th Century
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