Sutra cover with dbU Chen script
Date1736-1795
Maker
Chinese
Label TextThese luxurious book covers were woven when the Qing dynasty court had a close diplomatic relationship with Tibet. DbU Chen is a Tibetan script often used for printing and in manuscripts. The words are mantras—sacred sounds, syllables, or spells—for calling upon Tathagatha Buddha or for paying homage to peaceful and fierce protectors. Their exact meanings are not translatable because mantras are coded invocations that are kept secret except to initiates.
Object number33.559.2
Exhibition HistoryNew York, New York, The Asia Society, The Word and The Image: Illuminated Buddhist Manuscripts, Apr. 9 - June 7, 1987.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Feb. 8, 2020 - Nov. 28, 2021].Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection
Dimensions4 5/16 x 13 5/8 in. (10.99 x 34.61 cm)
MediumSilk tapestry
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