Qur'an leaf, in Kufic script on vellum. The script is in dark brown ink on parchment, with seven lines per page. The vocalization is rendered in red dots, and single verse divisions are marked with triangular clusters of six gold discs. Fifth verse divisions are marked with a solidly coloured Kufic letter ha in gold (representing the number 5 in the abjad system), outlined in black. Tenth verse divisions are marked with an illuminated cusped roundel formed by interlacing gold and white bands decorated with elegant scrolls and dots containing the exact verse count – in this case thalathun (thirty) – on gold Kufic script on a reserved central space.

Multiple pages of Buddhist scripture written in Tham script. Scripture is etched into long rectangular palm leaves which are tied between two wooden covers with carved diamond and X designs. Book is joined together by a long string of twine that threads through two holes in the wood and through the palm leaves.

Book of St. Matthew written in Tamil. Pages are made of palm leaf with a hole through which string is threaded to wrap around the book. Nine pages have writing on both sides, one page has writing on one side and one outer page is blank.

Long rectangular book with dark brown wooden cover held together by a piece of string that is strung through the pages, is wound around one end, and is secured by a coin attached to a string. Pages inside are made of palm leaf and are covered with light black Sinhala script.

Long thin panels linked together with a string and two metal coin-like pieces at both ends. The coin-like pieces are inscribed with characters. There are seven flat inner panels with the top one lighter in colour than the rest and the bottom one upside down. One side of each inner panel has a line of writing characters. The other side of each inner panel is decorated with two pictures of dancing figures in costume with a landscape backdrop. In between these two pictures, there is a square with a diagonal floral design. At either ends of each inner panel is a w-shaped floral design separated from the picture by vertical lines. There are two outer panels with are more rounded on one side which has a rhombus pattern around which there is a floral design. The outer panels are red-brown with the design etched out to reveal a light brown. The pictures on the inner panels are black on brown.

Multiple pages of Sinhala script etched into palm leaves between wooden covers painted with red and yellow leaf designs. Book is joined together by a long string that goes through a hole at one end of the book. There is a clear glass bead at one end of the string.

Multiple pages of script etched into palm leaves between black and red painted wooden covers. Edges of the pages are gold. Yellow and blue string connects some of the pages through holes. There is a painted wooden cover (part a), another painted wooden cover with peeling paint (part b), and groups of palm leaves (parts c-e).

Pages of script written on palm leaf. The pages are joined by a string that goes through a hole in the middle of the pages and then wraps around the book with a small circular wood knob. Two smaller notes are also wrapped with the book. The book is part a; parts b-c are loose pieces of leaf with script.

Manuscript leaf. Long, horizontally rectangular strip of handmade paper with coloured Dongba pictographic script. Pictographs are sectioned off in smaller rectangular compartments, running horizontally in a storyboard-like layout. A vertical strip on the left side reveals a seated man in traditional costume. Discernible pictographs include several seated figures, a horse, a deer, a fish, various stick figures, a rain cloud, and a dove. Pictographs are drawn in a black crayon material, and filled in with various colours including yellow, green, pink, and blue. The paper has raw, uneven edges.

Palm leaf manuscript with red wood covers and a long red cord. There is a decorative ivory rosette securing one end of the red cord fastener. The inside pages are covered in script and held in position by the threaded cord.