[INDOLOGY] question about some objects

[Matthew Kapstein]

Hi Brendan, 

The form suggests dharani rolls, but they are all labeled JA ཇ་ on the end. This is the Tibetan word for "tea" but,
unless these are cylindrical tea bricks (?!), it must have some other significance here. It stands for 7
when the alphabet it used for numerical ordering, but I can't see any sense to that here.

Probably the rolls have to be opened to find out. This of course should only be done
by a qualified antiquities specialist.

good luck,
Matthew

Matthew Kapstein
Directeur d'études,
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes

Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies,
The University of Chicago

________________________________________
From: INDOLOGY [indology-bounces at list.indology.info] on behalf of BG via INDOLOGY [indology at list.indology.info]
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2017 8:18 AM
To: indology at list.indology.info
Subject: [INDOLOGY] question about some objects

Dear colleagues,

I just came into possession of 11 cylindrical objects, 1 about 9 cm long
and 1.5 cm in diameter, the other 10 about 5 cm long and 1.25 cm in
diameter. I do not know what they are. Perhaps, someone knowlegeable
can suggest to me how I can find out what they are.

The person who gave these items to me reports that they were
discovered when a statue of the Buddha broke. The statue was part of a
collection held somewhere in the state of Michigan.

Cordially yours,
Brendan Gillon


--

Brendan S. Gillon                       email: brendan.gillon at mcgill.ca
Department of Linguistics
McGill University                       tel.:  001 514 398 4868
1085, Avenue Docteur-Penfield
Montreal, Quebec                        fax.:  001 514 398 7088
H3A 1A7  CANADA

webpage: http://webpages.mcgill.ca/staff/group3/bgillo/web/