A Buddhist Tantric Text with Extensive Illustration of Mudras

NEPAL, DATED SAMVAT 957 (1845)

Details

A Buddhist Tantric Text with Extensive Illustration of Mudras
Nepal, dated samvat 957 (1845)
Leporello manuscript of native paper, with five blank leaves at the end, written in black ink in Devanagari between double red margins, opening with illustration of Vajrasattva and depicting 107 line drawings of hands in various mudras; inscribed on outer folio Taha Samadhi, the meditative attainment of Taha (probably a Newari term), and saptu (perhaps saptu seven)
3 3/8 x 8½ in. (8.7 x 21.5 cm.)

Lot Essay

The classic Nepalese text describes rituals and mantras to accompany the mudras. The colophon states that the manuscript was completed in 1845 (samvat 957) on Saturday (Shanishcavar) the fifth day of the bright half of Ashadha (June-July). It was commissioned by the Vajracarya Shri Cakrapani, of the Shri Ratnadhatu Mahavihara.

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