Included in this lot is a Rare Hand-written Cambodian Buddhist Palm Leaf Manuscript Book, circa 18th - 19th Century. Provenance: the Owen D. Mort, Jr. Collection. Owen David Mort was an American engineer who amassed an impressive collection throughout his worldwide travels. His collection has included art, artifacts and other historical items from which he has donated to museums at the University of Utah and the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame. In 1975, when the communist Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia, they tried to completely destroy Buddhism and very nearly succeeded. By the time of the Vietnamese invasion in 1979, nearly every monk and religious intellectual had been either murdered or driven into exile, and nearly every temple and Buddhist temple and library had been destroyed. It is believed that the initial durability and toughness of palm leaves made them ideal for Buddhist monks and others to use them as a writing surface, and, unlike wood and bamboo, palm leaves require a simple manufacturing process of boiling and drying to render them suitable for writing. Unfortunately, due to the high humidity of the climate in Southeast Asia, palm leaves decay rapidly, and therefore it is rare to find examples of these delicately constructed manuscripts that are more than 200 years old. In fact, it was common practice to copy the manuscripts to new palm leaves as the old ones weakened and began to disintegrate. This practice only came to an end relatively recently, in the 19th century. The handwriting is beautifully clear, with little decorative flourish. This manuscript is bound on each side with a wooden board, the edges of the two protective boards have been painted in maroon as well as the the edges of the manuscript leaves. The whole piece is held closed with a center fabric cord which pierces the leaves and wood in the middle and allows the reader to open the manuscript like a fan. The manuscript leaves have holes on either end most likely for the use of two cords. Amazingly preserved, the manuscript has not been opened due to the fragility of the palm leaves, edges exhibit some scuffing and minimal tears. Covers and text paint exhibit fading. Measures 11.5"L x 5.5"W x 1.25"D approximately.*

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