Manuscript Illustrating the Last Ten Birth Stories (Thotsachat) of the Buddha and the Tale of Phra Malai

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Manuscript Illustrating the Last Ten Birth Stories (Thotsachat) of the Buddha and the Tale of Phra Malai

Thailand, circa 1860-1880
Manuscripts
Opaque watercolor and ink on paper; Covers: gilded and lacquered paper
5 1/2 x 26 7/8 x 2 1/2 in. (13.97 x 68.26 x 6.35 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Neustatter (M.76.93.2)
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

This Buddhist manuscript combines some tales of the past lives of the Buddha (Jatakas) with the account of the Sri Lankan monk Arhat Maliyadeva (2nd century BCE), who is known as Phra Malai in Thailan...
This Buddhist manuscript combines some tales of the past lives of the Buddha (Jatakas) with the account of the Sri Lankan monk Arhat Maliyadeva (2nd century BCE), who is known as Phra Malai in Thailand. The monk is said to have attained supernatural powers through his accumulated merit and meditation. His story was one of the most popular themes in 19th-century Thai Theravada literature and was often recited at funerals.
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Bibliography

  • Little, Stephen, Tushara Bindu Gude, Karina Romero Blanco, Silvia Seligson, Marco Antonio Karam. Las Huellas de Buda. Ciudad de México : Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2018.
  • Anderson, D.  The Aesthetics of Calligraphy.  Los Angeles: University of Southern California, 1977.