Dear Mark,

As Prof. Salomon already wrote, it is indeed a script very common in Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts (from my experience up to the 15h-16th century; it is used also in some earlier Pala manuscripts). The picture has a relatively good resolution, but still it is difficult to read the first part of the text (it might begin with the akṣaras kama). I believe that the last part reads vakaddhitvād. It is interesting to note that many Nepalese scripts were used as ornamental scripts in Tibet, and also that the writing material in the depiction seems to be paper (as to be expected in Tibet), since the folio bends.

Best wishes,

Camillo Formigatti

Dear friends,
A colleague of mine who works in Indo-Tibetan art contacted me for
help deciphering some writing on a mural he’s studying. I include
here the information and image he provided:
I wonder if I might trouble you to take a look at a detail of mural
depicting the learned 17th century Tibetan scholar Taranatha
(attached). He is shown holding the stems of two lotuses, one lotus
bearing a sword, the other a text, the attributes of Manjushri. The
detail I send you is of the text, which I fancy aims at depicting
Sanskrit (it is not Tibetan, either cursive or otherwise). Is this
pseudo-Sanskrit (on par with pseudo-Kufic), or is it possible that it
is indeed readable Sanskrit? Much obliged if you have a moment to
glance at it.
I am not able to make sense of the writing, and this is far afield
from my areas of expertise. Thanks in advance for any help.
Best,
Mark

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