 Tibetan script, from a passage of Buddhist scripture "Rite of Praying for Long Life." |
The Department of Special Collections does not have a formal collection of Oriental or Middle Eastern manuscripts, nevertheless a few examples of manuscript writing from there regions have been donated to the University Libraries over the years.
These are housed among our manuscript collections and include:
Qu'ran
For more information on the three nineteenth century manuscripts of the Qu'ran, please write to Louis Jordan, Head of Special Collections.
Coptic Psalter
A Coptic manuscript containing 151 Psalms of David (see A. Rahlfs, Septuaginta, 5th ed., vol. 2, p. 163), 15 biblical canticles (see Rahlfs, under "Odes"), the Song of Solomon and several poetical praises, lamentations and hymns to the Virgin Mary.
Description: |
166 folios on parchment; text written in Ge'ez, the classical language of Ethiopia, in one column with 21-22 lines per page; bound in thick wood boards, the front outside cover inscribed with a Greek cross. For further description, see James A. Corbett, A Catalogue of the Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts of the University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, 1978), s.v. Ms. 38). |
| Date: | 18th century? |
| Origin: | Bengal |
| Size: | 215 x 195 mm |
Palm Leaf Manuscripts
A palm leaf tablet making reference to the birth of a child.
Description: |
7 lines of Pali text inscribed on one side of a palm leaf. Tablet is composed of 5 leaves sewn together along the margins of the text. |
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| Date: | 19th century | |
| Origin: | Bengal | |
| Size: | 50 x 145 mm | |
From the verso: |
"Kindly (?) D…y(?) him …? on the 8th December 1887 on Thursday" "An astrological tablet in reference to the birth of a child given by the Phongyies (priests) on the occasion of the birth of a child. The language is Pali sacred language of a Buddhist." |
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Gift of Bishop Peter Hurth, C.S.C. of Dacca, Bengal |
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A palm leaf manuscript on tribal medicine.
Description: |
8 lines of text inscribed on 2 sides of palm leaf sections, numbering about 80 in total, held together by two woven cotton cords inserted through holes in the leaves and two outer teak boards. |
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| Date: | 16th or 17th century? | |
| Origin: | monastery in Sri Lanka | |
| Size: | 450 x 55 mm, 41 mm thickness | |
Gift of Chamindra Dassanuyke to Fr. Theodore Hesburgh |
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Tibetan Buddhist Fragment
Tibetan manuscript, a passage from Buddhist scripture, "Rite of Praying for Long Life"
Description: |
5 lines of Tibetan script on 2 sides of oblong paper. Black ink, with two words on reverse in brownish red ink, margin rulings also in brownish red ink. Text contains many abbreviations. Fold marks indicate document was once folded into thirds. |
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| Date: | unknown | |
| Origin: | unknown | |
| Size: | 75 x 372 mm | |
Gift of Rev. Charles L. Meeus, Kungming, China |
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Japanese Scrolls
Certificate regarding secrets of martial arts awarded to a student warrior, Okamoto Yoshiteru by his teacher, Ogino Moto-no-shin.
Description: |
A paper scroll. |
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| Date: | 14th era of Meiji (19th century) | |
| Origin: | unknown | |
| Size: | 48 x 18 cm | |
Gift of Boleslaw B. Szczesniak |
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Ogino Moto-no-shin (author). Explanation of the spiritual mentality of the Japanese warrior and the secret art of Jujitsu, the traditional martial art of Japan.
Description: |
A paper scroll with green woven silk casing and tie thread. |
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| Date: | 14th era of Meiji (19th century) | |
| Origin: | unknown | |
| Size: | 290 x 18 cm | |
Gift of Boleslaw B. Szczesniak |
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