Burmese Tattoo Manuscript, Book

Antique Burmese Tattoo Book

The art of tattoo in Southeast Asia, especially in Burma, encompasses ritual as well as decoration. Acquiring tattoos at the Buddhist Temple would ensure the owner of protection, a permanent talisman, or give the warrior further courage in battle, as well as be a culturally decorative adornment.

This wonderful tattoo manuscript is from the early 20th century and covered on both sides of the foldout mulberry (saa) paper with sacred symbols of the zodiac and mythology, as well as numerology and sacred Buddhist texts. The book has 20 pages all illustrated on both sides with white steatite and white ink. The tattoo book has some expected age deterioration to the pages from time and the back cover has become detached, but not interfering with the integrity of this wonderful manuscript. Only a few of the exceptional illustrations are shown below!

Measurements: Closed: 14" x 4 7/8", Open: 14" x 96 "

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