One of the most sacred Burmese religious texts, the 'kammavaca' contains the rules for monastic life, conduct and ceremonies. This is a collection of 12 ivory leaves written in black lacquered square Pali script on thinly shaved ivory sheets. The leaves are wrapped and protected in a special mat (shown here) called the 'sapa-lwe' made of thin bamboo strips and woven with coloured silk threads. A complete volume usually comprises nine 'Khandaka' from the Vinaya Pitaka that relates to specific ceremonies associated with the monks of the Theravada school of Buddhism.These scriptures were often commissioned by devout lay persons and donated to a monastery to make religious merit.
