Safe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa Script

Safe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa Script

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The openwork inscription on this circular plaque has been filled with silver to the extent that the characters project from the surface of the plaque on both sides; the inscription on the reverse is thus inverted. The type of script—used early on to write the Mongol language—is named for its inventor, Phakpa (1235–1280), the Tibetan monk and scholar who served as the imperial preceptor for the Mongol court during the reign of Khubilai Khan (1215–94). The inscription reads, “By the strength of Eternal Heaven, an edict of the Emperor [Khan]. He who has not respect shall be guilty.” The form of the pass (paiza), with its animal mask decoration, is similar to that of a Tibetan mirror for reflecting evil.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Safe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa ScriptSafe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa ScriptSafe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa ScriptSafe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa ScriptSafe Conduct Pass (Paiza) with Inscription in Phakpa Script

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.