A Preliminary Analysis of Title Frames in Bon po Manuscripts and Xylographs: Examples from the Tucci Tibetan Collection

This essay has the aim of presenting a preliminary analysis on a specific codicological element which has been neglected thus far, namely title frames, found on manuscripts and xylographs included in the Bon po corpus of the Tucci Tibetan Collection, currently preserved at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma (BNCR) in a dedicated room called “Biblioteca IsIAO” – Sala delle collezioni africane e orientali. In order to reach a comprehensive understanding of Tibetan book culture, it is necessary to gather information on each and every aspect of a manuscript or a xylograph. Any element may help narrowing down its place of provenance and/or dating but it is also essential from care and conservation viewpoints since it contributes to preserve scriptures as longer as possible.