Qing Imperial Palace: Manuscript of the Sutra on Offering Food

CHINA, Beijing; Ming dynasty

This manuscript was created for Emperor Chenghua (reigned 1464–1487) of the Ming dynasty. It was previously in the collection of the Qing Imperial Palace.
The sutra is 30.5 cm long, 11 cm wide, and 13 cm high. On the top cover are relief images, including those of Hevajra, Cakrasamvara, and Kalacakra within a decorated border. There is a scroll leaf pattern engraved on the sides, one of which has an inscription. The lower cover is decorated with images of the five Dharma protectors.
The sutra consists of 342 pages written in gold on deep blue paper in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese on both sides of the paper. At one end, there is an image of Mahakala, while there are various images along the sides.
The sutra relates to the rite for releasing the hungry ghosts, an Vajrayana Buddhist ritual which became popular during the Ming dynasty.