prayer roll

Tibetan printed prayer roll. The first three lines are repetitions of Om Mani Pad Me Hum - the six syllable mantra symbolizing the power and blessings of Avaloketisvara, the God of compassion. The fourth line is a repetition of the 100-syllable mantra for protection against all kinds of harm.

This roll, which has been printed with mantras was probably placed inside a hand-held prayer wheel. In Tibetan Buddhism prayer wheels are spun in order to activate the mantras they contain. Whilst spinning the wheel the devotee maintains a focused mindset and may also recite mantras in order to fully realise the merit gained from the spinning the wheel.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
nn12727
PLACE
COLLECTION
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
paper (fiber product); ink
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
LOCATION
In storage
SHAREABLE LINK

Continue exploring anthropology

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk