Palm Leaf Manuscript
Bound manuscript on palm leaf base, possibly made in India, Burma, or Siam. Palm leaves were an early type of writing material. The scribe scratched characters into the leaves using a sharp pointed instrument or stylus, then applied soot mixed with oil or pigment into the incised lines to make the writing visible. Holes were punched in the leaves, which were then strung on cords to hold them together.
This manuscript has cords with decorative coins, and is “bound” between two wooden boards. Date unknown, provenance unknown (likely purchased by library as a teaching resource, circa 1960s)
“From ancient times up to early 19th century the palm leaf was the main writing material in Sri Lanka. The art of palm leaf book making was a unique feature of Sri Lankan religious and academic culture. Buddhist sacred script (Tipitaka) and related literature as well as works on other mundane subject fields such as medicine, art and crafts were committed to writing on palm leaves.” (Source: Palm Leaf Manuscript Study and Research Library, University of Kelaniya http://www.kln.ac.lk/socialsciences/units/plmsrlJ/index.php/resources)
“Many of these documents are Buddhist religious texts, though other subjects are also found. Palm leaf manuscripts originate predominantly from the southern and south-eastern areas of Asia, including India, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.” (Source: University of Southern Mississippi Special Collections http://www.lib.usm.edu/spcol/exhibitions/item_of_the_month/iotm_nov_08.html)