Sgd Manichean Letters
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The Sogdian-language Manichaean letter is a Sogdian letter written by Shahryâr Zâdag to Mu Wei (bishop, leader) of the Eastern Diocese, found in Xinjiang Baziklik Thousand-Buddha Caves, selected National Precious Ancient Books. This item is now in the collection of the
Turpan Museum Turpan Museum () is a museum in Turpan, Xinjiang, China. It has items from the Tang dynasty excavated from the Astana Graves which are located outside the town. Items include ancient silks, clothes and preserved corpses. See also * List of museu ...
(item no. 81 TB 65:01).


Introduction

In the summer of 1981, local archaeologists in Xinjiang were on a
stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
when the sand and soil collapsed in Cave No. 65 of the Baziklik Thousand-Buddha Caves in the summer of 1981. The letter is composed of nine pieces of paper glued together, all written in Sogdian. There is a vermilion seal on the paper adhesion and the bottom line, and there is an illustration in the middle of the upper line, depicting a pair of beautifully dressed figures wearing a scarf and crown, one blue and one green
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. Between the gods of music and music, there is a Sogdian "Glory of Mucha" with gold leaf which has become the most eye-catching and unique symbol of the letter. Above the golden halo is a white hat crown exclusively for the Elect. The crown is placed on a gold plate, which is placed on a red shawl floating in the air. There is a circular pool below the title, in which the fragrant flowers are in full bloom, and the flower core just holds up the two gods. The illustration is still brightly colored, and the entire letter glows with gorgeous colors of red, blue, gold, green, and purple. According to the Japanese linguist
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, two of the letters were written to a bishop and one is greetings and religious expressions aimed at the Manichaean lay community.


See also

* '' Veneration of the Tree of Life'' * Manichaean art#Illuminated Manuscripts * Dunhuang Manichaean texts *
Manichaean temple banner MIK III 6286 Manichaean Temple Banner Number " 6286" is a Manichaean monastery flag banner collected in Berlin Asian Art Museum, made in the 10th century AD. It was found in Xinjiang Gaochang by a German Turpan expedition team at the beginning of the 20th ...


References

{{Manichaeism footer Manichaean texts Manichaean art of East Central Asia Sogdian language Turpan