Open AccessTales of saviours and iconoclasts. On the provenance of "the Dead Sea Scrolls of Buddhism"
Author(s) -
Josephine Munch Rasmussen,
Årstein Justnes
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.101
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 2611-3686
pISSN - 0065-0900
DOI - 10.5617/acta.9023
Subject(s) - buddhism , provenance , dead sea scrolls , narrative , christianity , majesty , art , allegory , judaism , saint , meditation , excavation , archaeology , literature , history , classics , ancient history , art history , hebrew bible , biblical studies , geology , paleontology
Academic research on newly discovered ancient Buddhist manuscripts is largely based on objects that come from the antiquities market and to a much lesser degree on objects coming from documented and controlled archaeological excavations. Despite their being unprovenanced, collectors and scholars often present such objects with narratives mimicking provenance. The use of the label "Dead Sea Scrolls" attached to archaeological material without connections to Judaism or early Christianity is a prevalent example of this scholarly praxis. In this article, we deconstruct provenance narratives associated with the undocumented Buddhist manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection and discuss their implications for research on these manuscripts and beyond. On cover:ANNIBALE CARRACCI (BOLOGNA 1560 - ROME 1609), An Allegory of Truth and Time c. 1584-1585.Oil on canvas | 130,0 x 169,6 cm. (support, canvas/panel/str external) | RCIN 404770Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021.