Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Boxes

What is a scripture storage box?

A scripture storage box is a box for storage of the pages of a Tibetan Buddhist Sutra, or other complete text. These pages are loose pages; some times they are bound by a wood manuscript cover on the top and bottom and other times they are bound by a square piece of cloth with a ribbon attached to it. The pages remain loose and are not bound like books in the west. Occasionally the scriptures are looped together with a string or leather tong, but this is the rare exception. The storage box would keep these scriptures safe that were bound using the cloth and ribbon method; additionally they would be used to transport multiple books. The size of the pages varies greatly: the smallest that I have seen are 3" x 7" the largest are 11" x 44". The pages are many times painted black and then paint made from pure silver or gold is used to letter them. The Sange Monasteries also used carved wood blocks to print the scriptures on; we have a complete set of wood blocks used for this purpose that contain the Manjushri Sutra. The wood block prints are sized perfectly to fit into these scripture boxes as well as the 5 books written in silver lettering from the Labrang Lamasery that we have in our possession.

The artistic and stylistic progression.

The oldest Scripture Storage Box we have dates to the mid 16th century. The newest dates to the early 1950s. The very early boxes had a mantra in kyungbur on the top and a mongoose or two on the sides. The wood was crafted from a single board with the only extant joinery at the corners to make the box. The ends were curved and absent the mantra that is noted on the 19th century boxes. Our one example from the 17th century still has the the mongoose, however it has a design probably incorporated from a silk brocade, this design feature using fabric designs incorporating Buddhist elements lasted until the early 19th century. The mantras on the tops disappeared, giving way to pastoral and Buddhist iconography on the tops with a 3 syllable mantra on the ends done in gold. The gold mantra gave way to black in the second half of the 19th century. During the 20th century the kyungbur and fabric inspired designs disappeared and scenes with dragons, snow lions and precious horse and elephant became the norm.

All scripture boxes come with a Certificate of Authenticity brush-signed by a monk at the Sange Monastery.

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Scripture Box SPT02PS	Scripture Box SPT01PS

Dimensions: W= 19.75" D= 6.25" H= 7.0" Age: 1950-1952 Materials: Unknown hardwood, possibly birch PRICE $587.00 SOLD	Dimensions: W= 26" D= 6.75" H= 7.38" Age: 1933-1940 Materials: possibly birch and Asian cedar combination PRICE $564.00 plus $38.00 shipping SOLD
Scripture Box SPT03PS	Buddhist Scripture Box SPT04PS

Dimensions: W= 23.63" D= 7.38" H= 8.0" Age: 1920-1935 Materials: Asian cedar SOLD	Dimensions: W= 26" D= 6.88" H= 7.63" Age: 1933-1945 Materials: Asian cedar PRICE $677.00 SOLD
Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SPT05PS	Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SPT06PS

Dimensions: W= 23.5" D= 7.75" H= 8" Age: 1920-1935 Materials: Asian cedar PRICE $687.00 SOLD	Dimensions: W= 26" D= 6.75" H= 7.5" Age: 1933-1945 Materials: Asian cedar PRICE $720.00 plus $38.00 shipping SOLD
Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SPT03GS	Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SPT02GS

Dimensions: W= 23.5" D= 7.38" H= 8.0" Age: 1816-1837 Materials: body=Asian cedar and possibly cypress top= unknown hardwood possibly cypress PRICE $1554.00 SOLD	Dimensions: W= 23.63" D= 7.5" H= 7.75" Age: 1880-1900 Materials: body=Asian cedar: top= unknown hardwood PRICE $949.00 SOLD
Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SST02	Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SPT04GS

Dimensions: W= 26" D= 7.38" H= 6.75" Age: 1760-1800 Materials: body=Asian cedar and possibly cypress top= Asian cedar SOLD	Dimensions: W= 23.5" D= 7.38" H= 7.88" Age: 1816-1837 Materials: body=Asian cedar and possibly cypress top= unknown hardwood possibly cypress PRICE $2169.00
Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SST01GS	Tibetan Buddhist Scripture Box SST03GS

Dimensions: W= 25.25" D= 6.75" H= 7.75" Age: 1543-1588 Materials: body=Asian cedar PRICE $2714.00 SOLD	Dimensions: W= 25.75" D= 7.38" H= 6.75" Age: 1589-1616 Materials: body=Asian cedar PRICE $3134.00 SOLD

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What is a scripture storage box?

The artistic and stylistic progression.