Sutra Book Covers
Ming dynasty, 14-17th centuries
L: 36.8cm, W: 13cm
Book covers for Buddhist sutras are known as “sutra wrappers” which are used for both the front and back of a book. Usually pasted center front onto the cover is a stripe of yellow paper for inscription, indicating the title and volume number of a book. This piece of book cover is gold brocaded satin in material which was in a variety of applications during the Ming dynasty and overwhelmingly so as a chosen material for sutra covers, with frontal lotus among fret pattern on a red ground.
