More Leaves from a Deconstructed Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript

April 10, 2021 in Manuscript Studies

More Leaves of a Deconstructed
Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript

with Stringing Holes

Part 2

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’31’, Side 1, Detail: Left-hand Side. Reproduced by Permission.

[Posted on 10 April, with updates, as Mildred Budny continues the quest, and the owner supplies the full series of images.]

Following Part 1, we continue the display of the leaves — or rather bisected half-leaves — in a Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript now in a private collection. The fragment apparently presents a single Buddhist text, albeit in a disordered sequence with some gaps.  The text is not yet identified.

The manuscript is written, from left to right, in Sinhalese script (see Sinhala_script) upon palm-leaves.  The language is mostly likely Pali (a guide: Pali).  At present, the 33 half-leaves are strung on string or cord through a single stringing hole, ending in a simple beveled rectangular cover.  The text is written in single columns of 5 to 8 lines per column.

A match for the specimen in terms of script appears here, with transliteration of its text:

Some half-leaves have Letter/Number Marks in the left-hand margin.  They correspond with one of the systems for Sinhala Numerals.

The Kaṭapayādi or Katapayadi System uses Sinhala consonants to depict Numbers 1 to 9 and 0, “for easy remembrance of numbers as words or verses”.  The numeration “is known as Katapayadiya since number one is allocated with the Sinhala letters ‘Ka’ (ක), ‘Ta’ (ට), ‘Pa’ (ප ) and ‘Ya’ (ය)”.

Some archaic Sinhala Numerals are shown in A Comprehensive Grammar of Sinhalese Language by Mendis Gunasekera (1891), Plate III.

Mendia Gunesekera (1891), Plate III. Image via Creative Commons.

By such guides, as well as other material and textual features of the half-leaves, a conjectured reconstruction might be assembled.

A Full Leaf Reconstructed

An example, showing the full leaf on one of its sides, combines its fragmentary half-leaves photographically.  Part 1 already showed one side. Now in Part 2 we show both.

One Side (30A + 26A Upright)

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Reconstructed View of Former Leaf ('30A' + 26A').

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Reconstructed View of Former Leaf (’30A’ + 26A’).

The Other Side (30 + 26 Upright)

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Book. Reconstructed View of Former Leaf (’30’ + 26′ upright). Reproduced by Permission.

A Case Study

The goal here is both:

  • to show the book as a case study, or cautionary tale, for materials from foreign lands and languages, and
  • to gather feedback and suggestions for reconstructing its original order, recognizing its text, and identifying its probable date and place of production.

You can join the quest even if you do not (yet) know the language, because material features and pattern recognition offer useful guides for solving the puzzle.

Part 1 considered:

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End-Leaf 01, Left, with Letter/Number Ka..

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End-Leaf 01, Left.

That first Post presented, with the owner’s permission, images of some leaves out of the full set in the book at present.  The full set of images encompasses Sides 1–30A, plus the cover.

The numbering was adopted by the collector for photographing the half-leaves in their current series within the book. Numbers 1–30 for the leaves, and suffix A for their second sides:  1, 1A, 2, 2A, and so on.  Let’s call them “Sides”.  Note that the current assembly of the leaves, and the photographs made in consecutive sequence turning its leaves one by one, sometimes show the text on them upside-down.

The first post displayed images in several groups:

  • Beveled Rectangular Cover

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Cover.

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Cover.

  • Numbers 1–8A

    To Start the Show

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End Leaf '01a' =Side 1.

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End Leaf ’01a’ =Side 1.

  • Numbers 9–11A and 23–24A

    To Exhibit the Half-Leaves which have Doubled (or Repierced) Sets of Stringing Holes

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf 9A.

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf 9A.

  • Numbers 30A + 26A:

    To Demonstrate the Virtual Reconstruction of the Originally Conjoined Halves of one Full Side (front or back) of a Single Leaf

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Reconstructed View of Former Leaf ('30A' + 26A').

    Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Reconstructed View of Former Leaf (’30A’ + 26A’).

That virtual reconstruction of 1 former side of 1 full leaf vividly demonstrates the reshuffling of the half-leaves in producing a newly reconstructed ‘deck’ for the sequence.

Now we show more of the manuscript.

The Rest of the Set

Starting with:

Side 12, with Letter/Number Mark

This piece has a Letter/Number at the left, showing its position as part of a Verso.  (On the numbering system, see Part 1.)

rivate Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf 12, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf 12, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 12A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf 12, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf 12, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 13

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’13’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 13A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’13’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 14, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’14’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 14A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’14’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 15, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’15’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 15A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’15’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 16, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’16’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 16A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’16’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 17, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’17’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 17A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’17’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 18, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’18’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 18A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’18’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 19, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’19’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 19A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’19’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 20, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’20’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 20A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’20’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 21

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’21’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 21A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’21’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

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Sides 22–24A with Doubled Stringing Holes, and also 26A (formerly conjoined with Side 30A) are shown in Part 1.

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There remains to show Sides 25–26 and Sides 27–30.

Although Side 26A and Side 30A appeared in g Part 1 and above, in the virtual reconstruction of the same side on both halves of the original leaf, we show them again here, in the consecutive sequence at present.

Remember, some of the ‘Sides’ show the text upside-down.  The orientation of the photograph is easily remedied.

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Side 25

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’25’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 25A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’25’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 26

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’26’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 26A

(Formerly conjoint with 30A)

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’26’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 27

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’27’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 27A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’27’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 28

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’28’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 28A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’28’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 29, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’29’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 29A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’29’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 30, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’30’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 30A

(Formerly conjoint with 26A)

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’30’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 31, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’31’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 31A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’31’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 32, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’32’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 32A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’32’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 33, with Letter/Number Mark

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’33’, Side 1. Reproduced by Permission.

Side 33A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’32’, Side A. Reproduced by Permission.

*****

End Pages or ‘Sides’ (Half-Leaves)

A recap about the present front and back of the book.

1) ‘End Side’ at Front = Side 1 with Letter/Number Mark ‘Ka’ (ක)

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End Leaf '01a'.

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End Leaf ’01a’.

2) ‘End Side’ at Back = Side 33A

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End-Leaf and End-Board.

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, End-Leaf and End-Board.

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The Manuscript

Do these half-leaves, now strung in partly shuffled order, represent the full extent of the original manuscript?  By the uneven numbers, the 33 half-leaves of the strung book at present have lost 1 half-leaf.  The former covers for the leaves in their full original widths are lost.

Other leaves also might be missing.  Among them might be a colophon and title, or the like.  As it stands, the book and its photographs offer scope for virtual reconstruction, without needing to deconstruct the sequence yet again.

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An Invitation

We invite you to join the challenge of helping to reconstruct the original sequence of the ‘Sides’ shown here.

Can you identify the text?  Do you know where other leaves from this book, including the opening and closing leaves, might survive?

Do you recognize the work of the scribe(s) in other manuscripts?  Do you have advice about the dating and origin?

Please let us know.  We invite you to place your Comments here, Contact Us, and visit our Facebook Page.

Private Collection, Sinhalese Palm-Leaf Manuscript, Leaf ’31’, Side 1, Detail: Left-hand Side. Reproduced by Permission.

A full leaf, virtually reconstructed, showing one of its sides:

 

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