Correspondence

摘要

This book aims to introduce textile enthusiasts and art lovers to a little-known but fascinating textile art form. Sazigyo are Burmese woven bands that were used for binding palm-leaf manuscripts which were donated to Buddhist monasteries. As the donations were to assist the donor to gain merit in this life and their passage through reincarnation, the tapes name the donors of the manuscripts, and the text is often interspersed with miniature images. They were tablet woven in cotton or silk, up to 6 metres long but only about 2 cm wide. You do not have to be a weaver or textile expert to appreciate the wonderful images on the tapes. The book explores the history of the sazigyo, the text woven into them, the motifs used and their symbolism.