Eastern, East Asian, and Islamic Manuscripts
Special Collections does not have formal collections of Eastern, East Asian, or Islamic manuscripts, nevertheless a few examples of manuscript writing from there cultures have been donated to the University Libraries over the years.
These are housed among our manuscript collections and include:
Islamic Manuscripts
Ten bound manuscripts and seven leaves written in Arabic and Persian. For more information please write to Special Collections.
Psalter in Ge'ez (Ms. 38)
See James A. Corbett, A Catalogue of the Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts of the University of Notre Dame, p. 172-174 (Notre Dame, 1978). Description by W. Macomber.
Palm Leaf Manuscripts
A palm leaf tablet making reference to the birth of a child. (Gift of Bishop Peter Hurth, C.S.C. of Dacca, Bengal)
Description:
7 lines of Pali text inscribed on one side of a palm leaf. Tablet is composed of 5 leaves sewn together along the margins of the text.
Date:
19th century
Origin:
Bengal
Size:
50 x 145 mm
From the verso:
"Kindly (?) D...y(?) him ...? on the 8th December 1887 on Thursday"
"An astrological tablet in reference to the birth of a child given by the Phongyies (priests) on the occasion of the birth of a child. The language is Pali sacred language of a Buddhist."
A palm leaf manuscript on tribal medicine. (Gift of Chamindra Dassanuyke to Fr. Theodore Hesburgh)
Description:
8 lines of text inscribed on 2 sides of palm leaf sections, numbering about 80 in total, held together by two woven cotton cords inserted through holes in the leaves and two outer teak boards.
Date:
16th or 17th century?
Origin:
monastery in Sri Lanka
Size:
450 x 55 mm, 41 mm thickness
Tibetan Buddhist Fragment
Tibetan manuscript, a passage from Buddhist scripture, "Rite of Praying for Long Life" (Gift of Rev. Charles L. Meeus, Kungming, China)
Description:
5 lines of Tibetan script on 2 sides of oblong paper. Black ink, with two words on reverse in brownish red ink, margin rulings also in brownish red ink. Text contains many abbreviations. Fold marks indicate document was once folded into thirds.
Date:
unknown
Origin:
unknown
Size:
75 x 372 mm
Japanese Scrolls
Certificate regarding secrets of martial arts awarded to a student warrior, Okamoto Yoshiteru by his teacher, Ogino Moto-no-shin. (Gift of Boleslaw B. Szczesniak)
Description:
A paper scroll.
Date:
14th era of Meiji (19th century)
Origin:
unknown
Size:
48 x 18 cm
Ogino Moto-no-shin (author). Explanation of the spiritual mentality of the Japanese warrior and the secret art of Jujitsu, the traditional martial art of Japan. (Gift of Boleslaw B. Szczesniak)
Description:
A paper scroll with green woven silk casing and tie thread.
Date:
14th era of Meiji (19th century)
Origin:
unknown
Size:
290 x 18 cm
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