The Catalogue of the Rig 'dzin Tshe dbang nor bu rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum
Modern library pagination and markings
In this volume, the western numbering is written in blue pencil numbers. There is a long rectangle of coarse red cloth at the front of the volume, on which is stuck a rectangular IOL paper sticker, which is white with red borders (as in other volumes, with a heart-shaped decoration in each corner). We find red handwriting, "281 pages"; blue writing, "MISC. COLLN. GYUT 25", and in large Tibetan writing, "rgyud ra".
Paper composition
Most sheets in this volume are quite thick, apparently consisting of at least two layers of paper, although occasional folios (eg. 42, 60, 98, 112) are rather thinner. 236 is so thin the ink from the other side of the folio shows through in places.
Size of folios
The size of the plain sheets is 575 x 125mm. There is some size variation (eg. 59 is 567 in length), and some sheets are not cut very straight (eg. the left-hand sides of 166 and 224 come down to the right; the left-hand edge of 198 bulges at the bottom and the bottom edge is cut in a slightly wavy line; the bottom edge of 221 is ragged, as are the upper 3 edges of 227; the top and bottom edges of 246-7 are cut in wavy lines).
Sheet numberings
As in other volumes, many of the sheets have tiny Tibetan numerals written sideways, some of which are missing or partially cut off, and where they do occur, they do not seem to correspond to the page numbering in words.
Pagination
Page details are given in words written sideways in black ink, to the left of the writing on each recto side.
Page settings
Most sheets, as in other volumes, have 7 lines of black ink writing, with double red vertical lines to the sides of the writing. The lines are ruled with faint (diluted?) reddish ink. The writing is not always exactly square on the page.
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
Double yig mgo are found in the upper left corner of all recto sides, apart from 1-4. gNyis, gsum and bzhi each have a triple yig mgo, and the verso side of gcig also has a triple yig mgo. The regular double yig mgo usually start on or to the right of the red vertical margin delineators. There are some slight differences in style, with some larger or more elongated than others.
Handwriting
The writing in this volume seems to vary a little in style, with variations in size and thickness of the ink, and small variations in shape. The letters are mostly clear and distinct.
Corrections and interventions
There are interesting features to some of the corrections in this volume. There are 2 additions inserted into 38a at the bottom of the sheet. The first is attached by dots (as usual for corrections) to the final line. The second is to be inserted into line 5: there is a clockwise pointing swastika in the appropriate place, and before the addition at the bottom of the sheet. The same swastika mark is also used for a correction on 39a, which is written above the writing area after the mark and attached to line 2 (which does not repeat the mark) by dots. We also find another addition written at the bottom of the sheet on 51, marked in front and in the appropriate place in the text by an anti-clockwise pointing swastika. Elsewhere, most additions simply use the usual dots, or a simple cross (146a, 160a, 161b, 166b) to indicate inserted text. The insertions given on 160a, 161b, 166b, 179b, appear to be in a different hand from that of the original scribe.
Marks and blemishes
29b has two brown stains over part of the writing, but the words remain clearly legible. Some folios have ink smudges which may slightly obscure the writing, eg. 72, 84. 85 has a thin ink line extending across over half the second line. It appears to have been made accidentally. There is a brown blotch outside the writing area on 188b.
State of preservation
The writing in this volume is rarely obscured by tears and rips. Most sheets are in a reasonable state with few holes or tears. Occasional sheets have small holes outside the writing area - eg. 7, 22-25, 52, 58, 110, 112, 181, 192, 216, 222-3, 225-6, 258-260, 274, 276-7. Some sheets have small edge indentations: 42-3, 52, 82, 96, 98, 125, 127-132, 164, 181, 193-6, 204, 206, 215, 217-225, 229-230, 233, 236, 241-2, 248, 256, 268-9, 274-281 or edge tears: 74, 134, 159, 204, 216, 238. Some sheets have small edge pieces torn off, eg. a top right corner 48, a top left corner 271, a bottom left corner 71, 160, 195, a bottom right corner 189. There are some repairs of tears: 34 and 49 each have 2 small pieces of paper stuck to either side of sheet as a repair of an edge tear; 96b and 182a each have a small piece stuck to one side of the sheet as a repair of an edge tear, and 230 has two such pieces; 63b has a piece stuck to the right of the writing area, possibly to strengthen the sheet where there is a crease; 258 has several small pieces stuck to both sides of the folio. There is some water damage to a small number of folios. The final two folios are badly affected; elsewhere, only small areas are affected - part of 153b has stuck to 154b, leaving ink smudges and spots where part of the top layer of one sheet has stuck to the other, but the writing is mostly legible. 157b is missing a small piece of the top layer, perhaps due to water damage; 2 syllables are affected.
Cover folios
The blue lacquered front folio, measuring approximately 560 x 112mm, has its top right corner torn off. The lacquer has come away in parts. It is plain blue in colour, with margins ruled in red on the recto side, making a box, measuring 460 x 42mm (left)/ 39mm (right). No index leaves are attached to the verso side, although there are stitch holes where index leaves would presumably once have been attached.
There are no index leaves in this volume.
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gcig, is a laminate of about 12 sheets, 572 x 124 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 410 x 68 mm; it is not an exact rectangle, with both horizontal lines curving in towards the centre. The blue sheet is torn slightly at the edges and missing pieces at the edges. The blue lacquer is rubbed off in parts. 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.
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, 450 x 73mm, outlined (around the frame) with a red paint line. There is a piece missing in the upper right blue lacquer window frame.
Decorated first folios: window curtain
There is a silk cover fitted over the window, with three layers sewn together; a single line of red horizontal stitches attaching the cover to the folio are visible where a section of the window frame is missing. The yellow layer is at the top, with gold thread around the outside, and it measures 426 (above)/ 429 (below) x 62mm visible below the window frame (the upper part tucks under the paper above, reaching to the top of the folio). A blue layer is the middle layer, with white thread around the outside, measuring 437 x 67mm (left)/ 65mm (right) visible. The third and final layer beneath is orange, with green thread around the outside, measuring 446 x 75mm (left)/ 71mm (right) visible. The hem of the orange layer which should be sewn up under the other layers has come loose in the central bottom section and is fraying at the edges. The layers are not exact rectangles of material; the bottom of the orange layer forms a slightly wavy line, to the bottom left it bulges out, and it does not 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 diamond and swastika 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, 80 x 69mm. The lefthand miniature is within a rectangle 51 x 70mm, the righthand miniature's rectangle is 49 x 70mm. The legends for the miniatures are written below each, within the border of gold lines outside the window. Each legend 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 da' ra ba/ [yig mgo x 1]//sangs rgyas gnyis pa oyan [Then continued to the right of centre, on the other side of the gold vertical strip transversing the text:] rje// mkha'gro ye shes mtsho rgyal//}} [third, to the right:] {{ [yig mgo x 1]//dpal kye'i rdo rje la na mo//}}Size of folios
The second folio, gnyis, measures 575 x 126 mm.
Decorated second folios
The recto side of gnyis is blue lacquer, with 4 lines of gold writing, within a double gold rectangular box, the outer measuring 485 x 79 mm, the inner, 468 x 66 mm. The margins are ruled as usual, with the collection, volume and folio identification to the left. The boxes are not exact rectangles; the vertical lines are not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, coming down slightly to the left. The folio is a laminate of about 5 thick layers, with thick cross stitches visible on both sides, two to the top and bottom, one to the left and right. One of the inner sheets has writing on one side and it appears to be a discarded sheet from Volume Nga. The verso side is ordinary paper.
Page settings
As mentioned above, 2a has 4 lines of gold writing. 2b is ordinary paper. 2b - 5a have double red lined rectangular boxes and margins; in the case of 2b and 3a, with an inner double red lined rectangular box. 2b and 3a each have 4 lines of black writing; 3b - 4b, have 5 lines of slightly smaller writing, and 5a, 6 lines of writing. The boxes are not very exact rectangles, and the ink sometimes is of variable thickness. The boxes measure as follows. 2b: 491 x 85 mm; 3a: 495 x 84 mm; 3b: 494 x 75 mm; 4a: 479 x 80 mm; 4b: 485 x 80 mm; 5a: 500 x 82 mm. 5b starts the usual style of red margins down each side and 7 lines per side.
Microfilm
The British Library microfilm has 2 copies of 31a and is missing 31b.
Modern library pagination and markings
Note that 152 is incorrectly marked 153 in the blue pencil Western figures.
Microfilm
On the microfilm, 210a is repeated and 210b is missing.
Page settings
281a is the final page. The text is within a red rectangular box, 500 x 80 mm with 6 ruled lines, which are all used. 281b is otherwise blank.
State of preservation
This final folio 281 has some tears around the edges, and the bottom left section has a brown patch, but all the writing is clearly legible. The tears to the top and bottom have been repaired by strips of paper stuck to the verso side.