Presented in this lot are Three Historic Tablet-Woven Thai Buddhist Manuscript Sazigyos, Binding Ribbon. Provenance: the Owen D. Mort, Jr. Collection. Owen David Mort was an American engineer who amassed an impressive collection throughout his worldwide travels. His collection has included art, artifacts and other historical items from which he has donated to museums at the University of Utah and Snite Museum of Art, the University of Notre Dame, including of Afghani artifacts. Sazigyo are fine, tablet-woven cloth tapes used to bind the palm-leaf manuscripts of an earlier era. Tiny images and extended texts were deftly woven into the long, colourful bindings. These Buddhist "textile texts" were commissioned by donors to make merit in the hope of attaining a better rebirth and ultimately nirvana. Each sacred manuscript bundle had its own binding tape. The long, narrow sazigyo was wound many times around the manuscript, and tied by a loop and cord. The weaving often included the text of a prayer, and a number of images, many with religious significance. In addition to holding the manuscript securely, the sazigyo also recorded the deed of merit. These sazigyos are woven with fine cotton, and consist of text with several pictorial and geometric images. Six colours woven include pink, red, cream white, black, mint green, and yellow. The coloured warp threads are plaited together at one end. The sazigyo are in nice condition, colours look clean and distinctive, weave appears tight, no marring observed. Excluding the loop and tie, it is approximately 1/2" wide and over 210" long.