The Catalogue of the Rig 'dzin Tshe dbang nor bu rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum
Missing volumes
The text of this volume is missing. Any information on its possible whereabouts would be gratefully received. The title folio, gcig, is at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Modern library pagination and markings
Victoria & Albert Museum accession numbers are written in ink, upside-down on the upper left corner of the recto side of gcig, on the inner sheets where the top layer has come away.
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gcig, is a laminate of about 13 sheets, 569 x 120 mm.
The recto side is plain azure blue lacquer, but with gold margins ruled and the collection, volume, and folio identifications given at the left border, in gold writing. The box made by the ruled lines measures 440 x 65 mm, with the vertical lines not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, but coming down slightly to the left. The blue sheet is torn slightly, especially at the edges and corners, and the blue lacquer is rubbed off in parts. There is a single tear through the whole sheet, from top to bottom, to the left of the centre. There are also a few holes and little tears elsewhere in the top layers of the sheets. Thick crossed stitches attach the folio together, two along the top, five along the bottom, and one to the left and the right of the folio. Victoria & Albert Museum accession numbers are written on the upper left corner (see above).
Decorated first folios: frames [ TITLE PAGE]
The verso side of gcig (1b) is blue lacquer, with elaborate intertwining straight gold lines around the outside of the page, outlining exactly the same interlocking key design as we find in other volumes. The upper sheet has a rectangular window cut out for the text, 447 x 73mm, outlined (around the frame) with a red paint line.
There are some tears in the blue lacquer area outside the window, including one tear through the centre of the upper window frame, and one tear through the lower window frame to the right. However, none of the frame is entirely cut away; nor is any of the writing affected.
Decorated first folios: window curtain
There is a silk cover fitted over the window, with three layers sewn together. The yellow layer is at the top, with gold thread around the outside, and it measures 420 x 61mm visible (the upper part tucks under the blue frame above). A blue layer is the middle layer, with white thread around the outside, measuring 431 x 66mm visible. The third and final layer beneath is orange, slightly torn on the right, with green thread around the outside, measuring 444mm (below)/ 439mm (above) x 74 mm visible. They are not exact rectangles of material, the lower edge of the orange layer forms a slightly wavy line, the right-hand edge bulges out slightly at the bottom, and neither the right nor the left edges quite cover the entire window frame.
Decorated first folios: window layout
Beneath the cover is a double lined gold rectangle drawn on black lacquer, with 3 lines of gold writing, split across two sides of the page. There are miniatures to the left and right, besides which the areas for writing are bounded by vertical strips with a regular pattern of gold lines, in this case, the wavy line and spiral design (see "General Information on Volumes"). The larger miniature in the centre, which breaks up the page, is bounded to the left and right by a thin double vertical gold line, outlining a rectangle, 80mm (above)/ 83mm (below) x 69mm. The lefthand miniature is within a rectangle 52mm (above)/ 51mm (below) x 69mm, the righthand miniature's rectangle is 50mm (above)/ 53mm (below) x 72mm. The legends for the miniatures are written below each, within the border of gold lines outside the window. Each legend, except for the one on the right, is within double ornamenal brackets:
[first, to the left:] {{[yig mgo x 1]//rig 'dzin tshe dbang nor bu la na mo//}} [second, to the left of centre:] {{//lha lcam man dha ra ba// [yig mgo x 1]//sangs rgyas gnyis [Then continued to the right of centre, on the other side of the gold vertical strip transversing the text. Much of this is smudged out and barely readable but the remnants of the syllables appear to suggest a reconstruction in line with other volumes:] pa oyan rje// mkha'gro yees mtsho rgyal}} [third, to the right:] [yig mgo x 1]//spang sangs rgyas