Details

Subjects:

Illumination of books and manuscripts, Thai.
Māleyya.
Buddhism -- Rituals.
Heaven -- Buddhism.
Heaven.
Buddhism.
Hell -- Buddhism.
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Thai -- Specimens.

Form/Genre:

Specimens.
Folded books.
Manuscripts, Thai.
Manuscripts.
Manuscripts, Digital.

Language:

In Pali (Abhidhamma chet kamphi) and Thai (Phra Malai) (Thai Khom).

Summary:

Illustrated manuscript of the Abhidhamma chet kamphi (text chanted at funerals), followed by the popular story of Phra Malai (a monk who visits heaven and hell).

Notes:

Written in 12 lines per folio.
Probably written in the 1890s (Justin McDaniel).
Samut khoi paper, white, with several colored folios; folded concertina- or accordion-style, including upper cover.
Manuscript illustrated with images of hell, Jataka stories, gods and goddesses, and scenes from the Phra Malai.
Covers with a border formed of additional layers of heavy paper.
Written by Nang Sombun, a Lao scribe; the component Nang suggests the scribe was a former novice or monk (Justin McDaniel).

Penn Provenance:

Sold to Konrad and Sarah M. Bekker in the 1950s or 1960s; Konrad Bekker worked for the State Department in Asia and Sarah Bekker was an art historian.
Sold from the estate of Konrad and Sarah M. Bekker at auction at Sloans & Kenyon, 14-16 June 2013, lot 461.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Coll. 990, Item 3

Contributor:

Nang Sombun, scribe.
Bekker, Konrad, died 1981, former owner.
Bekker, Sarah M., died 2013, former owner.

OCLC:

865508787