MARDZONG MANUSCRIPTS

Type of object: Manuscript on paper in loose leaf form

Category/Genre: Buddhist Canon

Find site: Mardzong caves GPS coordinates: 29°10’08.7″N 83°59’27.1″E / 29.169083, 83.990861 Elevation 3493 m above sea level.

Location (for place name): Choede Monastery Antique Museum

ཆ འཕགས་པ་ གཉིས་

cha ’phags pa gnyis

cha ’phags pa gnyis

cha mdzes pa bcu tham pa

rgya gar gyi mkhan po ‘dzi na mi tra dang/ da na shi la dang / zhu chen gyi lo ts+tsha ba de ye shes dhes sgyur cing zhus te/ gtan la phab pa //

cha gzungs nyi shu tham pa

bod skad du/

WRITING/COPYING

Language: Tibetan

Script: dbu can

Text execution: hand written

Writing instrument: bamboo/wooden pen

FORMAT AND LAYOUT

Dpe cha (Pothī format)

Size (h x w): 15.5 × 65 cm

Full frame – (measurements): 11 × 55.05 cm

Lines per page: 4–7

Guidelines: 1.8 cm

Distances in between upper lines of text: 1.8 cm

Measurement from page: 2

Pagination/foliation: Foliation

MATERIALS

Type of paper: Handmade with woven type of mould

Raw material: Steller chameajasme and Daphne/Edgeworthia sp.

Papermaking sieve print (woven, laid lines /3cm, chain line intervals): Woven (textile)

Number of layers: 3–4, possibly more

Thickness of paper:

0.28–0.36 on page 2; 0.21–0.36 on page 3; 0.25–0.34 on page 4

Texture: Polished

Dyes: None

Ink colour: black, red