This is a beautifully decorated cover from a 19th century Burmese Kammavaca, a Buddhist ordination text. This cover is made of lacquered and gilt teak wood with bevelled edges. The cover is decorated with panels of lively free-hand gold leaf drawings from the Burmese fantasy world of the Deva. The cover protected the leaves of the book that were written on lacquered cloth and is pierced on the left side for the binding ribbon. Kammavaca were usually commissioned as works of merit to be presented to the monastery when a son entered the Buddhist Order as a novice or became ordained as a monk. Kammavaca reached their apogee during the Konbaung dynasty (1752-1885).

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Condition: A

Minor rubbing, still very good.