Monks in Mountain Caves Copying Sacred Texts

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Monks in Mountain Caves Copying Sacred Texts

Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay region, Mingun, circa 1791
Architecture; Architectural Elements
Glazed ceramic tile
9 1/4 x 9 1/4 x 1 1/2 in. (23.4 x 23.4 x 3.8 cm)
Christian Humann Asian Art Fund (M.86.298.1)
South and Southeast Asian Art
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

...
The last kings of Burma (Myanmar) undertook ambitious building projects, including the massive Mingun Pagoda near their capital at Mandalay that was begun by King Bodawpaya (r. 1781-1819). Although the monument was abandoned after the king’s prophesied death in 1819, many ceramic tiles survive that were made for decorating its stepped terraces above the pagoda’s exterior base. Here, two monks seated in mountain caves are writing on tablets. The inscription beneath them identifies the scene as, The copying onto palm leaves. (Translation by Patricia Herbert.) See also AC1994.234.6.1 and AC1994.234.6.2.
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