In the Buddhist tradition, copying the holy texts is a praiseworthy deed; so nothing can be too beautiful to bear Buddha’s word. In Burma all the boys must enter the monastery, even if only symbolically. The child is arrayed like a prince, recalling Buddha’s princely status.
On arriving at the monastery he is given the shaven crown and dons the saffron robe of monks during a ceremony of the utmost importance for his family. This type of manuscript is offered to the monastery on the occasion of the boy’s initiation as a novice, or the ordination of a novice for his entry in the sangha, the monks’ community.
Burmese manuscripts use a variety of supports, from palm leaves for the most common, which however may be lacquered and gilded, but also nobler materials, gold or silver sheets, here, thin ivory lamina. Manuscripts on ivory, that come later, appear towards the mid-18th century, when the crafting of that material developed in Burma. Added to the difficulty of finding enough ivory for a manuscript that requires several sheets, this support is drawn from living creatures that craftsmen dislike using. Its text is in pâli, the language of the Buddhist canon, in square Burmese script known as “Tamarind seeds” written on both sides with a thick black lacquer. The margins are lacquered in red and gilded, lacquer and gilt also enhancing the narrow boards or wooden “ais” that enclose the sheets to hold them together. The ensemble is wrapped in a protective cloth called “robe”, like the monk’s robe and held by a rope or “belt”.
