The Archaeology of Tibetan Books (Brill's Tibetan Studies Library)

Agnieszka Helman-Ważny's Archaeology of Tibetan Books provides a comprehensive guide to the making of Tibetan books. Concerned with the relation of papers, inks, and layout to questions of provenance and dating, this work is a must-have companion to any textual analysis. In The Archaeology Of Tibetan Books, Agnieszka Helman-ważny Explores The Varieties Of Artistic Expression, Materials, And Tools That Have Shaped Tibetan Books Over The Millennia. Digging Into The History Of The Bookmaking Craft, The Author Approaches These Ancient Texts Primarily Through The Lens Of Their Artistry, While Simultaneously Showing Them As Physical Objects Embedded In Pragmatic, Economic, And Social Frameworks. She Provides Analyses Of Several Significant Tibetan Books--which Usually Carry Buddhist Teachings--including A Selection Of Manuscripts From Dunhuang From The 1st Millennium C.e., Examples Of Illuminated Manuscripts From Western And Central Tibet Dating From The 15th Century, And Fragments Of Printed Tibetan Kanjurs From As Early As 1410. This Detailed Study Of Bookmaking Sheds New Light On The Books' Philosophical Meanings--provided By Publisher. 1. Introduction. The Starting Point ; Borrowing The Term Archaeology ; Books Written In Tibetan ; Statistics In Book History ; My Fieldworks, Sources, And Experiments -- 2. Methods : An Uneasy Alliance Of Science And History. Many Typologies Of Book Features ; Tools To Read What Is Not Written ; Survey Of Disciplines Used For Dating ; Study Of Paper In Books -- 3. Tibetan Books : A Craft And Artistry -- 4. Indigo, Gold, And Human Blood : Tibetan Illuminated Manuscripts. Manuscripts Versus Prints ; Patronage And Ownership ; Gold Manuscripts ; Format And Book Binding Style ; Illuminations And Decorations ; Calligraphy ; Page Layout ; Ink ; Writing Tools ; Paper -- 5. Tibetan Woodblock Printing Culture. Origin Of New Technology And The Early Tibetan Woodblock ; Prints ; Production Of The Tibetan Buddhist Canon ; Edition, Re-edition, And Reprint : Technical Identity Of Hundred-volume Sets ; Early Editions Of Tibetan Kanjur Produced In Beijing ; Mongolian Kanjurs ; Tibetan Kanjurs Produced In Tibet And Tibetan Borderland ; Patterns Of Physical Features In Selected Editions Of Tibetan Kanjur In A Regional And Temporal Perspective -- 6. A Survey Of Tibetan Paper. History Of Paper In Central Asia And Tibet ; Himalayan Papermaking Plants And The Localization Of Tibetan Paper And Book Origins ; Papermaking Methods In Tibet Traceable In Books ; Papermaking Tools And Technology -- 7. Conservation. Typical Damage To Tibetan Books ; Selected Procedures Of Conservation Treatment -- Appendix 1. Descriptions Of Studied Books From The British Library -- Appendix 2. Features Of Paper In Particular Sets Of Tibetan Kanjur -- Appendix 3. Transcription Of The Yongle Covers Inscriptions -- Appendix 4. List Of Studied Items From The Berlin State Library, Tibetan Collection -- Appendix 5. List Of Studied Items From The Library Of Congress, Washington, Dc, The Asian Reading Room, Tibetan Collection. By Agnieszka Helman-ważny. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 1. Introduction The starting point Borrowing the term "archaeology" Books written in Tibetan Statistics in book history My fieldworks, sources, and experiments 2. Methods : an uneasy alliance of science and history Many typologies of book features Tools to read what is not written Survey of disciplines used for dating Study of paper in books 3. Tibetan books : a craft and artistry 4. Indigo, gold, and human blood : Tibetan illuminated manuscripts Manuscripts versus prints Patronage and ownership Gold manuscripts Format and book binding style Illuminations and decorations Calligraphy Page layout Ink Writing tools Paper 5. Tibetan woodblock printing culture Origin of new technology and the early Tibetan woodblock Prints Production of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon Production of the Tibetan Buddhist canon Edition, re-edition, and reprint : technical identity of hundred-volume sets Early editions of Tibetan Kanjur produced in Beijing Mongolian Kanjurs Tibetan Kanjurs produced in Tibet and Tibetan borderland Patterns of physical features in selected editions of Tibetan Kanjur in a regional and temporal perspective 6. A survey of Tibetan paper History of paper in Central Asia and Tibet Himalayan papermaking plants and the localization of Tibetan paper and book origins Papermaking methods in Tibet traceable in books Papermaking tools and technology 7. Conservation Typical damage to Tibetan books Selected procedures of conservation treatment Appendix 1: Selected items from the Tibetan Collections of the British Library Appendix 2: Features of paper in selected sets of Tibetan Kanjur Appendix 3: Transcription of the Yongle covers inscriptions Appendix 4: Selected items from the Tibetan Collection of the Berlin State Library Appendix 5: Selected items from the Tibetan Collection of the Library of Congress, Washington DC, the Asian Reading Room. "In The Archaeology of Tibetan Books, Agnieszka Helman-Waz+јny explores the varieties of artistic expression, materials, and tools that have shaped Tibetan books over the millennia. Digging into the history of the bookmaking craft, the author approaches these ancient texts primarily through the lens of their artistry, while simultaneously showing them as physical objects embedded in pragmatic, economic, and social frameworks. She provides analyses of several significant Tibetan books--which usually carry Buddhist teachings--including a selection of manuscripts from Dunhuang from the 1st millennium C.E., examples of illuminated manuscripts from Western and Central Tibet dating from the 15th century, and fragments of printed Tibetan Kanjurs from as early as 1410. This detailed study of bookmaking sheds new light on the books' philosophical meanings"--Provided by publisher