19th Century Gold & Lacquer Kammavaca Sutra Framed Burmese Manuscript Folio

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Framed Antique Burmese Kammavaca Buddhist Manuscript Folio, c. 1800s
(Pali Buddhist text)

Myanmar, Mandalay period, 19th century.

Kammavaca is a … Read more Framed Antique Burmese Kammavaca Buddhist Manuscript Folio, c. 1800s
(Pali Buddhist text)

Myanmar, Mandalay period, 19th century.

Kammavaca is a Pali term describing an assemblage of passages from the Tipitaka – the Theravada Buddhist canon – that relate to ordination, the bestowing of robes, and other rituals of monastic life. A Kammavaca is a highly ornamental type of manuscript usually commissioned by lay members of society as a work of merit, to be presented to monasteries when a son enters the Buddhist Order as a novice or becomes ordained as a monk. The novitiation ceremony of a Buddhist monk is an important family ritual, the main purpose being to gain merit for their future life. A novice may remain a monk for as long as he wishes, whether for one week or one season of lent or even for life, and he may undergo the initiation ceremony as many times as he likes. The most important Kammavaca were prepared for the upasampada (higher ordination), the ritual for the ordination of a Buddhist monk. Kammavaca manuscripts are written on a variety of materials, primarily on palm leaf but also on stiffened cloth, or gold, silver, metal or ivory sheets in the shape of palm leaf. Thickly applied lacquer or gilded decoration appears on the leaves themselves and also on the cover boards. The Pali text is written in black lacquer in ornate Burmese characters known as ‘tamarind-seed’ script, also refered to as ‘square’ script, which differs from the usual round Burmese writing. Some attractive and unusual Kammavaca may be made from discarded monastic robes thickly covered with black lacquer, with inlaid mother-of-pearl letters. PALI (/ˈpɑːli/; Pāli), or Magadhan, is a Middle Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Pāli Canon or Tipiṭaka, and is the sacred language of some religious texts of Hinduism and all texts of Theravāda Buddhism. The earliest archaeological evidence of the existence of canonical Pali comes from Pyu city-states inscriptions found in Burma dated to the mid 5th to mid 6th century CE.

Made of lacquered cloth in red and black with gold leaf. This Kammacava manuscript is ornamental with thickly applied lacquer and gilded shwe zawa decorations including dewa figures on both covers and some of the leaves. The Buddhist ordination text is in Pali written in ornate black “tamarind seed” Burmese square script. A Kammavaca of this type is commissioned by the devout, as a work of merit to be presented to monasteries when a son enters the Buddhist order or becomes ordained as a monk. The text usually is the monastic code of discipline.

I particularly love the way this artwork begins to shine as the sun begins to go done in the late afternoon. It is breathtaking and magical; a golden symphony. See less