Episode 12Written Artefacts of Nepal

19 August 2024

Nepal is home to exceptionally diverse manuscript collections, both in terms of scripts and languages as well as materials used. In the new episode of his video series, Bidur Bhattarai’s shows manuscripts are traditionally wrapped in lokta paper.

The video series on the ‘Written Artefacts of Nepal – Preservation and Documentation’ shows how valuable manuscripts can be cared for, and how they should be stored and protected in order to preserve them. The previous episode showed how the manuscripts can be cleaned to protect them from dust. But cleaning alone is not enough, as the new episode shows. After cleaning, the manuscripts should be wrapped in a piece of locally-produced acid-free lokta paper. Wrapping the manuscript in this paper adds an extra layer of protection, buffering the fragile manuscript edges. Moreover, the wrapping gives support to loosely bound sheets of the manuscript or sheets that have not been bound at all.

‘Written Artefacts of Nepal – Preservation and Documentation’ is a series of short films that offer brief and accessible introductions to a range of aspects of the preservation of Nepalese written artefacts. The videos showcase their diversity and uniqueness in terms of writing, supports, materials, forms, and texts. The CSMC has been engaged in safeguarding the valuable manuscript collections of Nepal since 2018. The project entitled ‘Preserving the Written Cultural Heritage of Nepal’ is generously supported by the German Foreign Office and the Gerda Henkel Foundation.