Print Item Number: N4.4 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Rectangle of paper with written prayer printed inside, in black. Round red seal near lower right corner. Paper has raw edges along one long edge and one side.

Iconographic Meaning

A red circular seal on the bottom shows the vajra (thunderbolt or diamond) emblem of Vajrayana Buddhism.

Cultural Context

This woodblock print bears a Tibetan calligraphic inscription of the mantra **||Om mani padme hum hrih, which includes the six sacred syllables of the mantra followed by a seventh tantric syllable at the end. This print was likely produced by hand from a hand-carved woodblock, as one can see the patterned wood grain coming through the pressed ink. The calligraphic text is written in the “headed” or uchen (also transliterated as dbu can) Tibetan script, which is characterized by upright block letters and short horizontal lines (heads) along the tops of many letters. Historically, this type of crisp and angular calligraphy would have been written with a stylus bamboo pen rather than a brush. The bold and graphic script was suitable for formal text and mass printing. The sharp lines are also easily transferred into wood or stone, as is the case here and for many other stone carvings of the same mantra. Such printed images were displayed inside temples and homes, or as framed tourist souvenirs.

Item History

What

Name
Print
Identification Number
N4.4
Type of Item
print
Manufacturing Technique
block printed
Overall
height 25.2 cm, width 57.1 cm
Image
height 12.0 cm, width 44.0 cm

Who

Culture
Himalayas
Previous Owner
Jion Ince
Received from
Jion Ince (Seller) and Ruth Read Bequest (Funding source)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Nepal

When

Collection Date
during 1971
Ownership Date
before July 22, 1972
Acquisition Date
on July 22, 1972

Other

Item Classes
works on paper
Condition
fair
Current Location
Case 76
Accession Number
0230/0001