The “Traiphum”, book of the “Three Worlds”, is one of the oldest and most beautiful illuminated manuscripts of Thai book art. Made in Thonburi (today part of Bangkok) in 1776, the 33-metre-long leporello manuscript at the Museum für Asiatische Kunst features richly coloured illustrations of Buddhist cosmology on the front and back sides.
Collaboration with a Thai manuscriptologist
Thai manuscriptologist Dr Peera Panarut and curator Martina Stoye have been working together on the illuminated manuscript since October 2023. They selected a six-metre section of the manuscript for the pilot project, showing the idyllic yet secluded world of the Himavanta Forest with its magnificent lakes, animals, and plants, the course of the southern stream from Himavanta Forest into the human realm, and many embedded jatakas (pre-birth stories of the Buddha). Only the expert decoding of the inscriptions by the Thai project partner provides a sound understanding of the countless illustrations and revitalises the manuscript.
Presenting the research results to the public and experts
For the presentation of this outstanding work, a display case of six metres in length was specially made; it is located on the third floor of the Humboldt Forum, Room 311, “Southeast Asian Religious Art”. In each object rotation, a new six-metre section is made visible and is researched collaboratively beforehand.
The results of this research are first communicated in a series of short texts, which are exhibited in the display case alongside the manuscript. In a next step, results are also presented in exhibition talks, specialist lectures, and research publications.
The project has been receiving third-party funding from the University of Hamburg since early 2025, enabling the Museum to feature further six-metre sections of the Traiphum. The decoding of the entire manuscript should be completed by the end of 2025 and then be made available online to interested parties worldwide.
Project Key Info
Region: Thailand
Kooperationspartner*innen: Dr Peera Panarut (until 12/2024 research associate at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Cluster of Excellence “Understanding Written Artefacts”), from 01/2025 researcher at Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, financed by third-party funds of the University of Hamburg
Projektleitung: Martina Stoye (Curator for the Art of South and Southeast Asia, Museum für Asiatische Kunst)
Forschung: Patrick Held (freelancer digitisation)
Projektförderung: CoMuse, from 01/2025 also third-party funds of the University of Hamburg
Projektlaufzeit: scientific research in an interdisciplinary collaboration with Dr Peera Panarut: Phase 1 (“Six Metres of Traiphum”): October 2023 to June 2024; Phase 2 (“Decoding the Berlin Traiphum”): January 2025 to December 2025 ( third-party funds); digitisation with Patrick Held: January 2025 to December 2025 (funded by CoMuse)