Manuscript Storage Cabinet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cabinets of this type were traditionally gifted to monasteries where they served to house and preserve the sacred scriptures written on palm-leaf manuscripts, and associated Buddhist texts often on khoi paper, such as those narrating the adventures of the venerable monk Pra Malai. These cabinets were richly decorated with gold on lacquer ground in a technique known as Lai Rod Nam. Depictions of celestial adorants was a favored subject, as was combatant scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Indian epic, the Ramayana, as seen here. The openwork stand with two drawers is carved in the Chinese manner and is likely of a later date.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art