 A finely coloured Chinese silk scroll - c. 900 - showing Avalokitesvara. The text is in praise to: 'the great merciful, compassionate Bodhisattva. In the hope that the empire may be peaceful and the Wheel of Law turn endlessly therein. |
 A splendid example of woven text - 2.5cm x 3.4m Little is known of the Burmese art of weaving words, a skill once practiced by women but now extinct. The text nearly always gives the donor's name a long with pious wishes, often in verse. |
 A hand painted silk sutra in ink, colours and gold (now mounted on paper). This piece was part of a sutra probably made for a member of the imperial household. The painting depicts the Buddha seated on a throne heavily decorated with gold scrolling foliage. The text proclaims: 'May the empire always be secure, and may the emperor flourish, the Buddha light shine increasingly, the Wheel of the Law turn eternally'. China - c. 1500. |