What is a scripture storage box?
A scripture storage/transport box is a box for storage and transport 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/transport Box we have dates to the mid 16th century. The newest dates to the early 1950s. The artistry and skill evident in their crafting is breathtaking. They are beautiful, with delicately applied kyungbur, vibrant colors and icons. 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 and 20th 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 and reappeared in the early 20th. 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 Senge Monastery.
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Dimensions: W= 26 " D= 8 " H= 8 "
Age: early 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
Price $729
SOLD
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Dimensions: W= 25.75 " D= 7.75" H= 8 "
Age: early-mid 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
SOLD SHIPPED TO WINSTON-SALEM, NC
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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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Dimensions: W= 26 " D= 8 " H= 8 "
Age: early 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
Price $729
SALE PENDING
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Dimensions: W= 25.5 " D= 7.75" H= 7.75"
Age: early 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
SOLD
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Dimensions: W= 25.75 " D= 7.75" H= 8.12 "
Age: circa 1930
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
Sold shipped to Truro, MA |
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Dimensions: W= 26.5 " D= 7.25" H= 7.5"
Age: early-mid 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
SOLD |
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Dimensions: W= 26.5 " D= 7.25" H= 7.5"
Age: mid 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
SOLD SHIPPED TO NEW YORK, NY |
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Dimensions: W= 26" D= 6.88" H= 7.63"
Age: 1933-1945
Materials: Asian cedar
PRICE $677.00
SOLD |
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Dimensions: W= 26" D= 6.75" H= 7.38"
Age: 1933-1940
Materials: possibly birch and Asian cedar combination
SOLD
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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 |
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Dimensions: W= 26" x D= 8" x H=8"
Age: early 20th century
Materials: Unknown hardwoods
PRICE $649.00
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Dimensions: W= 23.5" D= 7.25" H= 8"
Age: circa 1820
Materials: Asian cedar AKA juniper
PRICE $1487.00
SOLD SHIPPED TO SINGAPORE
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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
SOLD |
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Dimensions: W= 25.25" D= 6.75" H= 7.75"
Age: 1543-1588
Materials: body=Asian cedar
PRICE $2714.00
SOLD |
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