Papers by Michela Clemente
This paper analyses immortality through the hagiographies of the Tibetan
master lHa btsun Rin che... more This paper analyses immortality through the hagiographies of the Tibetan
master lHa btsun Rin chen rNam rgyal (1473-1557). His autobiography with songs (vol. 657/5) recounts the extraordinary bond of Rin chen rNam rgyal with his main master, gTsang smyon Heruka (1452-1507), who continued to teach his heart-son after his death, passing his legacy to him and becoming ‘immortal’ through his teachings, songs, works and relics. Rin chen rNam rgyal’s biography (vol. 657/6) describes instead this master’s funerary rituals, when different kind of relics appeared in the gdung khang and were distributed among people and sacred places to be worn in amulets, placed in temples and shrines, mixed with inks and pigments to be used for statues, paintings or books. In Tibetan culture, amulets—besides protecting people—encapsulate the memory of deceased masters. Equally, ashes and
corporal fluids empower and sanctify statues, paintings and books and, by emboding religious masters and their teachings, make them immortal.
This essay has the aim of presenting a preliminary analysis on a specific codicological element w... more This essay has the aim of presenting a preliminary analysis on a specific codicological element which has been neglected thus far, namely title frames, found on manuscripts and xylographs included in the Bon po corpus of the Tucci Tibetan Collection, currently preserved at the Central National Library of Rome (BNCR) in a dedicated room called “IsIAO Library” – African and Oriental Collections Room. In order to reach a comprehensive understanding of Tibetan book culture, it is necessary to gather information on each and every aspect of a manuscript or a xylograph. Any element may help narrowing down its place of provenance and/or dating but it is also essential from care and conservation viewpoints since it contributes to preserve scriptures as long as possible.
This article has the aim of discussing a relatively new development of the study of Tibetan manus... more This article has the aim of discussing a relatively new development of the study of Tibetan manuscripts and xylographs, that is to say, the combination between traditional research and modern technologies. In particular, it will present one of the tools created thanks to the collaboration between Tibetologists, Anthropologists, and IT experts, namely, a map of ancient printing houses located in South-western Tibet. This essay intends to share methods and difficulties faced in building this map, and to briefly discuss future developments and their technological implementation.
This article is a joint effort of four people involved in the AHRC Project entitled "Transforming... more This article is a joint effort of four people involved in the AHRC Project entitled "Transforming Technologies and Buddhist Book Culture; The Introduction of Printing and Digital Text Reproduction in Tibetan Societies" and the Marie Curie Project entitled "Tibetan Book Evolution and Technology". It recounts how the database of manuscripts and xylographs called "Indo-Tibetan Books and Technology" was created by the authors of the article, and describes the content of this digital tool. The database contains entries of about 250 xylographs from South-western Tibet dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
Religions. Special Issue: Old Texts, New Insights: Exploring Buddhist Manuscripts , 2025
Buddhist books have always played a central role in the lives of Tibetan people. This is evident ... more Buddhist books have always played a central role in the lives of Tibetan people. This is evident by looking at the hundreds of thousands of manuscripts and xylographs produced by Tibetans, and then copied, multiplied, worshipped, spread, and transmitted uninterruptedly from religious masters to disciples over the centuries. Tibetan manuscripts and xylographs have started to be studied in their entirety only recently, and the interest for their visual aspect, material features, and social life has exponentially grown, becoming crucial to progress in different fields of study, to deeply understand the way in which Tibetan Buddhist people interact with such artefacts but also to preserve a disappearing cultural heritage. This essay will focus on a so far neglected element of Tibetan Buddhist manuscripts, namely, decorations of writing frames. Any element found in a Tibetan scripture is essential from care and conservation viewpoints since it contributes to preservation for as long as possible. This is fundamental to spread Buddha’s word and to accumulate spiritual merits to progress on the path towards Enlightenment. The numerous elements exhibited in manuscripts may help locating their provenance and/or narrowing down their dating. This will also lead to a better understanding of the spread of certain scriptures within the various Tibetan areas. This essay attempts to provide a preliminary analysis of decorated writing frames found in Buddhist manuscripts produced in different periods with the twofold aim of tracing their use and codicological aspects and investigating the type of texts that were mostly chosen to be decorated as such.
East and West n.s. 2 (61), 2, 2021
This paper stemms from two correlated projects, namely "Tibetan Book Evolution and Technology" an... more This paper stemms from two correlated projects, namely "Tibetan Book Evolution and Technology" and "Transforming Technologies and Buddhist Book Culture: The Introduction of Printing and Digital Text Reproduction in Tibetan Societies", both based at the Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit (University of Cambridge), which were carried out between 2010 and 2015. This paper focuses on the illustrations of Mi la ras pa (1040-1123) found in Mang yul Gung thang xylographs printed in the 16th century. This study analyses 16 representations of Mi la ras pa produced in four printing houses of the kindgom between 1540-1541 and 1581, subdividing them into two stylistic types. Illustrations have been investigated individually and comparatively through the analysis of some recurring elements.
This essay stems from two correlated projects, namely Tibetan Book Evolution and Technology (TiBE... more This essay stems from two correlated projects, namely Tibetan Book Evolution and Technology (TiBET) and Transforming Technologies and Buddhist Book Culture: The Introduction of Printing and Digital Text Reproduction in Tibetan Societies, both based at the Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit (University of Cambridge) between 2010 and 2015. This essay focuses on Mi la ras pa’s illustrations found in xylographs printed in the Mang yul Gung thang kingdom (South-Western Tibet) in the 16th Century. It examines sixteen images of Mi la ras pa produced in four different printing houses between 1540-41 and 1581, and divides them into two stylistic types, the former of which is in turn divided into two subtypes. Illustrations are analysed according to some recurrent elements.
The 'Phags pa lha khang temple located in the Mang yul Gung thang kingdom (South-Western Tibet) w... more The 'Phags pa lha khang temple located in the Mang yul Gung thang kingdom (South-Western Tibet) was renovated several times over the centuries. This article is devoted to the restoration supervised by Lha btsun Rin chen rnam rgyal (1473–1557) according to one of the biographies of this latter master. This essay recounts the circumstances that brought Lha btsun to accomplish this task and provides, for the first time, the translation of the dkar chag placed in the circumambulation corridor of the temple during the ceremony made on the occasion of the completion of the restoration.
Michela Clemente, Mapping fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Buddhist printed works in south-weste... more Michela Clemente, Mapping fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Buddhist printed works in south-western Tibet. A historical and literary reading Chiara Ghidini, "Not of this world, nor parted from this world". The multivalent dreamscape of Myōe Shōnin Filippo Lunardo, The iconography of Tsong kha pa in the Bla ma mchod pa tshogs zhing, the spiritual field for the accumulation of merits by offering and devotion to the Guru Francesco Maniscalco, The Mother Tantra (Ma rgyud) in the Bon tradition. Introduction to the Ye shes thig le'i mchan 'grel (Commentary and notes on the essence of Primordial Wisdom) Donatella Rossi, Transcendence and immanence. A brief exposition of the View (lTa ba'i stong thun) from the rDzogs pa chen po yang rtse klong chen cycle G. Aurora Testa, The Zenrinji Mikaeri Amida. Some notes and considerations
This article presents some preliminary results of the study of the drawn frames found in the titl... more This article presents some preliminary results of the study of the drawn frames found in the title pages of 16 th-century Tibetan xylographs from the kingdom of Mang yul Gung thang (Southwestern Tibet). Usually the title pages of Gung thang prints have very similar and characteristic drawn frames, which are typical of xylographs printed in this area in the 16 th century. They may vary from a simple to a more elaborated design, which may differ even in xylographs produced at the same printing house. Title pages have been examined by the authors with the aim of understanding whether the different designs of drawings could be associated with a certain artist or a certain printing house. A description of identified types of drawings and minor variations is provided in the article. An appendix with information on artists working on title frames is also included.
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Papers by Michela Clemente
master lHa btsun Rin chen rNam rgyal (1473-1557). His autobiography with songs (vol. 657/5) recounts the extraordinary bond of Rin chen rNam rgyal with his main master, gTsang smyon Heruka (1452-1507), who continued to teach his heart-son after his death, passing his legacy to him and becoming ‘immortal’ through his teachings, songs, works and relics. Rin chen rNam rgyal’s biography (vol. 657/6) describes instead this master’s funerary rituals, when different kind of relics appeared in the gdung khang and were distributed among people and sacred places to be worn in amulets, placed in temples and shrines, mixed with inks and pigments to be used for statues, paintings or books. In Tibetan culture, amulets—besides protecting people—encapsulate the memory of deceased masters. Equally, ashes and
corporal fluids empower and sanctify statues, paintings and books and, by emboding religious masters and their teachings, make them immortal.