12020-05-06T15:15:47-07:00A Thirteenth Century Buddhist Manuscript18image_header2022-01-19T14:54:35-08:00Kongōkai nenju shidai is a thirteenth century Shingon Buddhist manuscript. It is made with high-quality ganpi paper, known for being expensive and having a characteristic sheen. Both black and red ink was used to brush this text: the black text is the main content; with red ink being used for notations, and markings (small dots) that indicate how to vocalize portions of the text. The use of an expensive paper reflects the importance of the religious text that it carried, as does the wooden box in which it was enclosed for safekeeping.
It is bound in the pasted-paper leaf (detchōsō) format in which each leaf of paper is folded in half and bound to the next leaf using glue at the fold. Every second two-page spread cannot be opened completely as the glue leaves a thick, stuck-together portion in the middle. We can see damage to the pages and particularly the spine of the book, where the pages are glued together, from insects who feed on the glue. Although this format was not widely used after the thirteenth century (with binding formats using thread rather than glue being favored for their durability), it remained in use among the Shingon sect of Buddhism, which is related to the fact that founder of Shingon, Kūkai, brought important books bound in this style back from China. As a Shingon text then, Kongōkai nenju shidai is a good example of the pasted-paper leaf binding format.
