NLT OFFERS VIRTUAL VERSIONS OF OLD MANUSCRIPTS
The National Library of Thailand (NLT) is holding an online exhibition titled “10 Books From The Valuable Ancient Documents Of The National Library”, to help conserve manuscripts of ancient documents.
As home to the country’s important information and a learning place for people of all levels, the library has developed a new channel that offers easy access to interesting content in the manuscripts of ancient documents that have been kept there.
Available in an electronic format, the 10 books are digital versions of original manuscripts and printed books, including:
* Tamra Maew is a treatise on cats, featuring painted illustrations of 17 auspicious breeds of cats, accompanied by descriptions in Thai poetic verse; * A pictorial manuscript of the Royal Barge Procession during the reign of King Narai the Great; * A pictorial manuscript of the Royal Land March during the reign of King Narai the Great; * Samutphap Sat Himmapan featuring mythical creatures of Himmapan forest, based on an ancient book written during the reign of King Rama III; * Samutphap Traiphum, based on the manuscripts dating back to the late Ayutthaya and Thon Buri periods; * Manuscripts Of Krua In Khong featuring the story of a foremost artist living during the reign of King Rama IV; * Samutphap Khlong Ruesi Dat Ton, a 154-page book containing 80 traditional Thai exercise postures; * Phra Samut Tamra Phaen Khotchalak is a treatise on the characteristics of elephants; * Supriti Dhammaraj Jataka Khamluang, Buddhist literature believed to be written during the Ayutthaya period; and * Samutphap Pritsanatham, a pictorial manuscript on Buddhist meditation to enlightenment.
The virtual exhibition allows viewers to witness ancient documents in all dimensions and also learn about the wisdom of our ancestors without having to leave home.