Catalogue Of Tibetan Manuscripts And Xylographs

Due to the efforts of a number of collectors in the earlier part of this century, the collection of Tibetan texts held by the Danish Royal Library is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Apart from complete original versions of the Lhasa Kanjur and the Narthang Tanjur, it offers a valuable cross-section through virtually all genres of Tibetan literature, such as canonical and apocryphal texts, texts of hagiographic and historiographic relevance, astronomy and astrology, medicine, linguistic sciences, sacro-geographical guide books, narrative literature, Gesar epos, songs, philosophical and exegetical treatises, a very large and differentiated spectrum of texts thematising spiritual practices and liberating techniques, ritualistic performances and prayers. This collection has been analysed and described in more than 1,800 catalogue entries by Tibetologist Hartmut Buescher in collaboration with the Royal Library's area specialist for Tibet, Tarab Tulku. The two-volume set will be of use to Tibetan scholars, librarians and curators worldwide not just because of the breadth of the Royal Library's collection but also because the catalogue follows the standards established in earlier volumes of the Library's COMDC series: to augment concise descriptions of the physical appearance and contents of the documents including additional information as related to the manuscripts and block prints so that the catalogues serve as reference works in a wider sense.

This visually stunning catalogue presents c. 300 iconographical materials and texts from the Tibetan collections of the Royal Library and the National Museum of Denmark. Most of the entries describe such iconographical materials as mandalas, elemental divination paintings, ritual "tsakli" cards and prayer flags. Unique handwritten meditation manuals, a Mongolian Book of the Dead, illuminated manuscripts as well as philosophical and medical works are also featured. These remarkable materials, which represent rare and unique forms of communication between man and nature in written and iconographical forms, play a central role in the performance of Buddhist and shamanistic rituals. In line with other volumes in the COMDC series, this catalogue is intended as a reference tool for scholars. It also supplements the Catalogue of Tibetan Manuscripts and Xylographs, COMDC 6.1 & 6.2. The catalogue includes over 250 colour illustrations.