Vol 1, No 2 (2015)

Articles

A Further Fragment of the Old Uighur Qianziwen

Umemura H., Zieme P.

Abstract

In this paper the authors edit one fragment of the Old Uighur Qianziwen that belongs to the Serindia Collection of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg. This fragment is joined with some others that were already published by M. Shōgaito. The Qianziwen belonging to the classical scriptures is an old Chinese primer for learning Chinese. Rarely translated into other languages the Old Uighur version confirms the strong relationship between Chinese and Uighur scholarship in the Medieval period.
 
 
Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):3-13
pages 3-13 views

Greek Manuscript D-227 from the Collection of IOM, RAS. An Archeographical Analysis

Fionin M.

Abstract

This paper deals with an archeographical analysis of the Greek minuscule manuscript D-227 kept in the collection of the IOM, RAS. The author reviews its present condition and deciphers the inscriptions left on its binding by the staff of the Winter Palace Imperial Library when it was delivered there and notes made by the staff of the Asiatic Museum (forerunner of the IOM). The contents of the parts are established, as is, wherever possible, their numbering. Inscriptions in Greek, including one written by Hierotheos, Patriarch of Antioch (1850-1885), are deciphered and translated.

Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):14-20
pages 14-20 views

On the Design of a “Trebuchet” in the Tangut Manuscript of IOM, RAS

Shintaro A.

Abstract

The paper focuses on a unique Tangut manuscript (Tang. 46 inv. No. 156(2006), old inv. No. 5217) kept in the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences. In previous studies, it has been taken to be a constructional diagram of musical instrument. The writer concludes that the manuscript is the design for a pao 砲 (stone launcher, trebuchet, sling).

Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):21-30
pages 21-30 views

Fragments of Dhāraõī Blockprints from Khara-Khoto (Serindian Fund of IOM, RAS) With Appendix by Alla Sizova

Lundysheva O., Sizova A.

Abstract

The paper focuses on a blockprinted dhāraõī from Khara-Khoto belonging to the group of unidentified and unpublished fragments in the Serindian Fund of the IOM, RAS. The characters used in the text of the print have much in common with the pāla script that was widespread in the North-Eastern India and associated with the Pala Empire. The print exists in several fragments. Judging by the content, it comprised two independent parts. Their relationship to each other, as well as the total number of pages, remain unknown. The first block of text has survived in its entirety. It has five lines of text. The first four lines are a triple repetition of the Akùobhya Buddha Dhàraõã. The fifth line consists of five bija mantras and the well-known “Buddhist creed”, the Ye dharmà mantra. Only half of the second block of text has survived but still it can be identified and is presumed to be the målamantra, hçdaya and upahçdaya from the Bodhigarbhàlaïkàralakùa dhàraõã. Part of the print is also half of an engraved image. Features of the image and its stylistic peculiarities make it very similar to the printed engravings in the Tangut and Dunhuang collections. It is assumed that the entire blockprint could have been a compilation of selected prayers used in common Buddhist ritual practice. The type of paper, image and script suggest a date for the blockprint around the 12th c.
 
 
Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):31-47
pages 31-47 views

Ritual Funeral Text Tang 665 from the Tangut Collection of IOM, RAS

Bogdanov K.M.

Abstract

This paper represents a brief study and a translation of a ritual funeral text dated to the 11th-13th сc. Despite its brevity, the manuscript is a consistent and complete fragment describing the ritual and proving the doubtless similarity between the Tangut and Tibetan religious traditions. The very age of the text attests to the fact that this tradition has survived down to the present day in unaltered form.
 
 
Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):48-60
pages 48-60 views

The First Tibetan Leaves Acquired by the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences: Conservation Issues, Contents and Paper Analysis

Helman-Ważny A., Kriakina L.I., Zorin A.

Abstract

The paper presents the first results of the study of 204 folios from the legendary Ablaikit monastery recently identified within the IOM, RAS Tibetan collection. The three main aspects touched upon are 1) the condition of the folios and the conservation treatment applied to make the study of their contents possible, 2) identification of texts that turned out to be fragments of an independent version of the Tibetan Buddhist canon, and 3) paper analysis.

Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):61-76
pages 61-76 views

Examples of Buddhist Letters from A.M. Pozdneev Archives Collection

Sabrukova S.

Abstract

Buddhist letters represent official documents that were issued by the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas to prominent political or religious figures as a sign of recognition of their achievements. They appeared at the end of the 16th c. when Buddhism was recognized as a state religion among Mongolian peoples. Three copies of such letters have been kept in the A.M. Pozdneev (1851-1920) collection in the Archives of the Orientalists at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, RAS. The earliest letter, which was written in Tibetan semi-uncial script and included a translation in the Oirat language, was given by the 5th Panchen Lama (Lobsang ye shes dpal bzang, 1663-1773) to a Torghut Yogochari Tsordji. Two other scrolls were written only in Tibetan semiuncial script and were given by the 13th Dalai Lama (1876-1933) and the 9th Panchen Lama (1883-1937) in 1903 to a Dörbet Lama Ngag dbang sangs rgyas. From a practical point of view, these letters can be seen as certificates of completed education and obtaining a title that enabled the holder to engage in teaching activities. Their language and style have a formal structure and are of scholarly interest to researchers as examples of Buddhist documents.

Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):77-84
pages 77-84 views

The St. Petersburg 19th c. Collection of Materials on the Babi and Baha’i Faiths: Primary and other Sources

Ioannesyan Y.

Abstract

The article is concerned with one of the richest collections of materials related to the Babi and Baha’i faiths, the St. Petersburg collection. The large amount of primary sources flowing into pre-revolutionary Russia was distributed between three scholarly and learning centers: the Asiatic Museum, presently the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences (the bulk of the sources), the St. Petersburg State University and the Russian National Library. These materials either in Persian or Arabic take the form of manuscripts and lithographs. The article describes these materials and gives briefly the history of studies of these sources.

Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):85-107
pages 85-107 views

Dmitriev S.V. Fond etnograficheskogo otdela Russkogo muzeia po kul’ture narodov zarubezhnogo Vostoka: Istoriia formirovaniia i sud'ba (1901-1930-e gg.). St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University, 2012

Shearer D.R.

Abstract

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Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):108-110
pages 108-110 views

Schneider J. Eine buddhistische Kritik der indischen Götter. Śa -karasvāmins Devātiśayastotra mit Prajñāvarmans Kommentar. Wien: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien, 2014. (Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde)

Zorin A.V.

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Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):111-113
pages 111-113 views

Mandschurische Handschriften und Drucke im Bestand der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Bearbeitet von Hartmut Walravens. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2014. 560 S

Pang T.A.

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Written Monuments of the Orient. 2015;1(2):114-117
pages 114-117 views

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