Description:

South Asia, Southern India / Sri Lanka, ca. early 20th century CE. A Sinhalese palm (ola) leaf book contains approximately 100 leaves bound by a cotton cord between a pair of wood slat covers. The drawstring binding allows the reader to tightly bind and sandwich the palm leaves together when in storage to keep their flattened shape. The writing is made by impressing a nub tip into the page, a black ink made from charcoal and resin was then rubbed into the impressions - which is why the peripheries of these leaves are stained and dark. These manuscripts were usually religious texts made for use in Hindu-Buddhist monasteries . Interestingly it is believed that the scripts from southeast Asia such as Sinhalese, Tamil, Burmese, etc. were adapted into curving and rounded forms because angular writing would tear up the horizontal leaf fibers. Size: 22" L x 1.75" W x 3.25" H (55.9 cm x 4.4 cm x 8.3 cm)

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003; ex-private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s

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#177410

  • Condition: Missing one cotton cord. Some tears and fraying to palm leaves. Chips and losses to peripheries of wood covers. Discoloration and staining, with some fading to text.

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September 1, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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