Phrai Malai.

No date. (Late 19th or Early 20th Century).. Folding manuscript book with 12 coloured paired painted images and many leaves of text in black ink on white samut khoi paper (a type of paper made from mulberry bark), Khom Thai script. 48 folds. 14 x 68.6cm. Some staining and light soiling, worming margins and edges over 17 folds and small section of one cover. Thick card samut khoi paper covers very worn. 14.5 x 64.8cm. A good copy of this classic Thai Buddhist work. This beautiful manuscript copy of the Phrai Malai is written in Thai using the Khom (Khmer) script. Khom script was widely used in the 19th century in central Thailand and southern Laos, although today is used only in Cambodia. The delicate script was written in black China ink using a bamboo pen.

The Phrai Malai was the most popular subject for illustrated manuscripts in Thailand during the 19th century. This story which remains very popular in Thailand to this day, tells the story of a monk who having gain great merit, travels to heaven and hell and then returns to earth to tell the people what he saw there. During the 19th century with the spread of printing these beautiful manuscripts were increasing surplanted by printed editions of the story and by the beginning of the 20th century printed editions of this work had become the norm. (A Monk’s Journeys to Heaven and Hell - Jana Igunma. SEAL Newsletter 2011; Ginsburg, Henry: Thai art and culture: historic manuscripts from Western Collections. London: British Library, 2000). .