Manuscript

Native Name	Parabeik
Object Number:	29-130-181
Current Location:	Collections Storage
Culture:	Burmese
Provenience:	Burma
Period:	Mandalay
Date Made:	Late 19th Century
Early Date:	1875
Late Date:	1900
Section:	Asian
Materials:	Paper
Technique:	Watercolor
Iconography:	Royal Amuseuments Tiger Elephant Ramayana Boat Procession Wrestling Dancing
Inscription Language:	Burmese Language
Length:	39.7 cm
Width:	17.6 cm
Credit Line:	Bequest of Maxwell Sommerville, 1904
Other Number:	O 305 - Sommerville Oriental Number M31 - Levitt Number LO-1868-11 - Old Museum Number

Description

Manuscript. Picture book depicting sixteen scenes of royal amusements in sets of six, four, and two folios. It was probably created for King Mindon (1853-1878 CE) of Yadanabon Mandalay, the second to last king of the Konbaung Dynasty. On the back of the front cover in Burmese round script: "thahkin biya bulumyu" (his lordship's parabeik). These paintings were done as a record of royal amusements. Scenes: 1. At ubot zayat (pavilion used at sabath, like dhamma sala). 2. King going out to the city. 3. Ploughing ceremony (Lehtun Mingala) 4. Chinlon game. 5. Cock fight 6. Wrestling 7. Procession of royal barge in the moat 8. Peformance on ground (myay waing a ka) and Ramayana drama (Yama Zataw). 9. Dance entertainment (male dancers). 10. Polo game. 11. Tiger Hunt (Sintaik Kyataik). 12. Contest of arms (Dahyeh/hlanyeh). 13. Performance of tamed elephants (Sinyeh-pya). 14. Elephant Corral (Rounding up wild elephants) 15. Consecration ceremony (Beik-theik). 16. Procession to royal garden. Heavy Shan paper, 34 folios, folded in accordion style.

Bibliography:

[Catalogue] Levitt, Stephan H. 1980. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Indic and Greater Indic Manuscripts in the Collection of the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania.. Philadelphia. The Library Chronicle. pg. 97-152 Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: 137