that do not require using precious hand-made paper.
The two painted covers enclose three double-sided blank boards
that would have been used for sending formal messages
between officials and noble house-holds.
Prior to a message being written,
the boards were preased with butter
and coated with a fine layer of ash or white chalk;
then they were written on with a bamboo pen.
The boards were stacked together --
their raised borders protecting the message
from being scratched --
and placed in an elegant case.
They were carried by a servant to the recipient,
who, after wiping off the first message, inscribed a reply.
Tibetan Message BoardsTibet, approx. 1875-1925
Lacquer, ink, and colors on wood
Gift of an anonymous friend of the Asian Art Museum
This past Saturday, I visited the Asian Art Museum in SF for the Samurai exhibit. It was very busy because of the Labor Day Weekend, and b/c the exhibit is about to close, but it was worth every minute. Because we were forbidden to photograph the special collection, I had to make do with the permanent collections. My previous visits to the museum were with other people and I did not have the luxury of several quiet hours to myself, just walking from one artifact to another, leisurely reading, viewing and contemplating without being rushed. This time, I spent as much time as I could (12:30-4:45pm!). Today's post about the Tibetan message boards is the first of a small series.
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