Re: Burmese mss ?

This is a strange piece for a number of reasons. I just
looked at it a few minutes ago, since I had never seen the
original message (thanks for sending it to me Jim).It is in
Pali (Kammavaca), clearly written in Yuan script. However, it
was produced probably no earlier than the 1930s on Pap Saa
paper (the insect holes in the Pap Saa paper came after the
writing as the cracks and holes run through the writing).
These insects can eat through the paper pretty quickly. You
often see it on Pap Saa and woodpulp paper more than 40-50
years old. This type of black Pap Saa was first used in the
1830s. The famous Thong Noi edition produced under the
direction of Raama III and later promoted by Raama IV was the
well-known edition composed on this black paper in gold
script. However, the Thong Noi, finished about 1843 (by Mae
Chi scribes actually) was in Khom script. This piece seems to
be a Northern Thai adaptation of the Thong Noi edition. Or
perhaps held that as an ideal. There are three very good hai
books on the history of these manuscripts, editions, paper
quality, etc. Sadly, all three are out of print and hard to
find now. I can send the citations if anyone is interested.

Reproducing famous Siamese editions in Yuan script became
popular in the 1930s (Chiang Mai officially became a
Changwat/Province in 1929). With the condition of the Pap Saa
paper and the gold writing (actual flecks of gold used to
produce it and it lasts a long time), I would guess (and this
can only be a guess without actually feeling the paper and the
script) it could be as old as 1935ish. There was another
period of Northern Thai repoduction of Siamese manuscripts in
the 1990s (around time of 700 anniversary of CM and the
"Amazing Thailand" tourist campaign). But, of course mss. for
ceremoninal purposes were produced regularly. However, this
paper is evenly eaten and the script was not added to old paper.

Phra Dhammanando is absolutely correct, Kammavaacaa are the
most popular texts on the tourist market (this is because the
Mon and Burmese Kammavaacaa are so elaborate and became very
popular for collectors (as far back as the colonial period in
Burma -- Noel Singer has written about this). The Thai
followed this popularity. However, this was not necessary a
tourist production. Just as Burmese Kammavaacaa were not
tourist productions, but were just produced in such great
numbers they flooded the market. They are easy to find at
River City in Bangkok and to a lesser extent on Chaloen Krung,
The Old Siam Mall, the book section of Chatuchak market and
sometimes in the small amulet market near Wat Thidawanaram on
Thanon Mahachai. Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar has an older
section near the Mae Ping hotel which also has some Burmese
manuscripts for tourists.

The Paali is clear, the writing is
well-done (usually tourist pieces are poorly written and based
on vernacular Kammavaacaa Nissaya mss. which are much more
common in the area to copy). Moreover, most "fakes" are
produced on wood-pulp paper soaked in coffee (to age it) and
then the edges are burnt slightly. Moreover, the text of most
fakes in the region of Northern Thailand, is Tibetan! This is
because Manali people (from North Central Nepal) are the
biggest tourist market traders (mostly semi-precious gems, but
also other items like fake manuscripts) and move and trade
from Katmandu to Singapore to Melacca to Chiang Mai to Bangkok
and now even to Siem Reap, Luang Phrabang and Hoi An. That is
why you can largely find the same tourist items in Katmandu
and Chiang Mai. Prista Ratanapruck has written about this.
Tourists will buy almost anything fake, it doesn't take this
much work to fool them. This manuscript is a little too
well-produced in my opinion to be produced for tourists.
Instead, I guess that it was produced as ceremonial gift
(probably in honor of an ordination) and then sold later by a
lay family in control of a monastic library.  The paper is old
(and doesn't seem to be unnaturally aged). Maybe 1935ish. Its
a common text though of course, hundreds of copies, but black
pap saa with gold writing in Yuan is odd. Thanks for the photo.

Best,
justin

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 12:45:09 -0000
>From: "dhammanando_bhikkhu" <dhammanando@...> 
>Subject: [palistudy] Re: Burmese mss ? 
>To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
>
>Hi Jim,

> If the passage is in Pali, is there any chance you could
transliterate the first line or two into Velthuis? We could
try and
identify the passage.

This is my second attempt to post this... The text is the standard
kammavaacaa formula recited by the sangha when imposing 6-day
maanatta
on a bhikkhu who has committed a sanghaadisesa offence.
Kammavaacaa
collections seem to form a very high proportion of the bai
laan that
end up in the tourist markets.

Best wishes,
Dhammanando

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______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm@...