Gold-etched lacquerware Sutra covers with décor of lotus petals and the Eight Treasures, Ming Dynasty, 15th Century. Length: 72.5cm Width: 26.3cm Height: 3.4cm © National Palace Museum, Taipei.

There are two rectangular canon boards as a pair of sutra covers.  The front piece contains inscriptions etched with gold filling within the lotus-petal shaped niche in the center of the reverse side. The Chinese and Tibetan characters “ Lushi jiesin jing di liu pin fenbie jielu pin” on the board annotate: this is one chapter of the set of the bKa’-‘gyur ( Ganjur in Chinese), the Tibetan Buddhist canon, which was printed in Peking in 1410 by order of the Ming emperor Chengzu.  The surface is curved, higher at the center, and the vertical edges are decorated with an animal mask and floral scrolls. On the surface of the boards, the center is a rectangular shape with edging, decorated with lotus branches and petals, while the outer borders are trapezium in shape. On one board is painted three jewels with outward extending rays upon the central precious vase seat; the seat extends its branches to the left and right to two other lotus seats on each side, on which are placed from left to right a Wheel of Dhama, an umbrella, twin fish and treasure vase. The surface of the other board is decorated with umbrella, treasure shell, lotus and entwining snakes. The outer boarders are decorated with lotus petals and floral scrolls.  The lacquer layers are solid, while the gold engraving is neatly done, creating an overall impression of great solemnity.