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Manuscript Cover Tibet 14th c. Wood, gilded and polychromed 24.5 cm x 70.5 cm |
Tibetan manuscript covers occupy a significant place in Asian art history. They are important vehicles for the transmission and development of Buddhist teachings. Tibetan Buddhism has emerged as one of the most vital and influential schools of Buddhism; its teachers have preserved and continued the unbroken lineage of their spiritual, philosophical and literary knowledge. Manuscripts were made with paper leaves stacked one on top of another, and these became fragile with age. To protect the sacred Buddhist texts, they were given hardwood covers. The images carved or painted on these covers illustrate the religious world and mystery of Tibetan Buddhism within. The present manuscript cover is carved with five cosmic Buddhas, who can be distinguished by their mudras. Aksobhya is the embodiment of consciousness and with his right hand makes the bhumisparsamudra; Amogasiddhi represents adaptation and holds his right hand in abhayamudra; Rathnasambhava, his right hand in varadamudra, is the embodiment of sensation. The meditating Amithabha is the oldest of the Buddhas and the embodiment of the cosmic element Sanjna (perception). Vairocana, in the centre, is depicted with four faces; he is the embodiment of ideal knowledge and makes the dharmacakramudra. Adorned with crowns and jewellery, the Buddhas sit in vajrasana on single lotus thrones. Fine dhotis covers their bodies, and each has elongated earlobes and an ushnisha. Each is encircled by a large nimbus and the movement of the foliate motifs that frame the nimbuses is repeated in the border. In the border of lotus leaves and pustakas around the central panel sit four dharmapalas, marking the four cardinal points of the universe. On the left edge of the cover Manjusri, Sakyamuni and Sadaksari sit between open lotus flowers. With the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet in the seventh century, Tibetan monks travelled across the Himalayas and into India to study and develop the teachings of the Buddha, and they began the translation of Sanskrit works into their own language. Gradually the Tibetan Buddhist canon was assembled, and by the fourteenth century hundreds of monasteries had been founded, each with its own library. The primary artistic inspiration was derived from the Pala style of north-eastern India, which had an important influence on the artistic development of Tibet. The pronounced foliate motifs, the style of the nimbuses, the large-leaved lotus throne, the three-leaf crowns and the shape of the ornaments on this early central Tibetan manuscript cover are all typical stylistic traits [1]. The present manuscript cover is a fine example of an early Tibetan style which still evinces the superiority of the Pala craftsmanship combined with the mythical religious contents. All features are masterfully carved in a pure and confident way, with powerful lines, natural volumes and fine movements. The cover is imbued with a consistent rhythm, the Buddhas being positioned delicately in the central panel, and with fine gilding and paint complementing the lively and serene representation. [1] Rossi and Rossi, Early Tibetan Manuscript Covers, 12th-15th Century, London, 1996, no. 25. Book cover with the five tathagatas, 14th century. H. Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Museum Rietberg Zürich, Zurich, 1995, p. 199, pl. 145. Book cover with the five tathagatas, 14th century. |