Nepal developed its art forms in parallel with India, and was an important source of inspiration for Tibetan art during the Yarlung dynasty (7th-9th century). This followed the marriage of Songtsen Gampo (d. 649 or 650) with the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti. Politically and artistically, Nepal initially held less sway during the second introduction of Buddhism to Tibet, beginning in the 11th century, when India was the predominant foreign influence. However, by the second half of the 13th century, the Sakya order was offered patronage by Khubilai Khan (r.1260-94), the Mongol ruler of China. Phakpa, the head of the Sakya Order, in turn looked to Nepal for the artists that would help shape the next phase of Tibetan, and indeed some areas of Imperial Chinese art history. The manuscript cover presented here is Tibetan, but reflects strong ties with Nepal The divine image at its centre is the epitome of the sensual movement that is quintessentially Nepalese. The entwined foliage of the central field has the freedom of movement typical of Nepalese art, in contrast to the more precise shapes seen in previous entries. The hanging jewels that surround the border have no precedent in the Indo-Tibetan genre, but may be found in the glorious art which developed under Sakya patronage in the 14th century.1 A close comparison may be made between this example and a fine cover in the Staatsbibliotek, Munich, which offers further evidence of this Nepalese-inspired style, provenance and date.2