Manuscript storage cabinet

19th century

Not on view

This gilt lacquer storage cabinet served to house and protect Buddhist manuscripts in monastic libraries. Such cabinets were gifted to monasteries by lay devotees, typically to mark the ordination of a family member as a novice. These cabinets are known under the general title of tu pra thom, "library furniture to house the holy scriptures." This cabinet likely housed a large format concertinaed manuscript, most typically an illustrated edition of the Phra Malai. That legend that recounts the adventures of a meritorious monk, the Venerable Malai, who journeys to the many Buddhist hells and heavens, so gaining an understanding of the true nature of the Buddhism. The text was popular for recitation at funerals. This cabinet is decorated front and back with combatant scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Indian epic, the Ramayana.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Manuscript storage cabinet
Period: Rattanakosin period
Date: 19th century
Culture: Thailand, Bangkok
Medium: Hardwood with black lacquer and applied gold
Dimensions: H. 14 in. (35.6 cm); W. 24 in. (61 cm); D. 12 in. (30.5 cm)
Classification: Furniture
Credit Line: Gift of Kathleen Haines Gotschlich, in memory of Emil Claus Gotschlich, 2026
Object Number: 2026.288.7a, b
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Sō Sām Sāi, Coconut, skin, ivory, mother-of-pearl, Thai — Sō Sām Sāi
Thai
19th century

Manuscript Storage Cabinet, Lacquer on wood and gold on black ground, Thailand — Manuscript Storage Cabinet
Thailand
18th century

Pī Chawā (ปี่ชวา), Ivory, Thai — Pī Chawā (ปี่ชวา)
Thai
late 19th century

Manuscript Storage Cabinet, Wood with gold and lacquer, Thailand (Bangkok) — Manuscript Storage Cabinet
Thailand (Bangkok)
late 18th–early 19th century

Saw U, Coconut shell, ivory, wood, twine, Thai — Saw U
Thai
late 19th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.