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Goat-Brain Paper and Sutras in Gold Ink craftsmen cannot make it.” This text is the earliest historical
record of how goat-brain paper is made. What is the purpose
In Chinese Buddhism, the practice of copying Sutras in
gold began very early. Typically, a text is copied in gold ink of mixing ink with goat brains? The latter contains a large
on indigo-coloured paper, creating a strong contrast and amount of lecithin, a natural emulsier that binds oil and
a solemn mood. Historical records refer to such paper as water (just as egg white, another natural emulsier, binds oil
gan (red-tinted blue) or bi (jade-blue) paper. Fang Yizhi and water to create tempera pigments). The mixture of goat
(1611-1671) wrote in the late Ming dynasty in his Wuli xiaozhi brains and ink, containing protein, lecithin, and oils, is easily
[Notes on the principles of things], vol. 8, “In the 5th year of applied to the paper to create a thick and reective surface,
the Xuande reign (1430), suqing (plain fragrant) paper was which prevents gold ink from being readily absorbed into the
created, and from it sajin (splashed gold), wusefen (ve- bres underneath. The method of creating goat-brain paper
coloured powder), and ciqingla (porcelain-blue waxed) paper is now lost in Chinese culture, but the Tibetans continue to
was printed.” Because of this, many scholars date the creation practise it to this day, although they tend to use yak brains
of indigo-dyed porcelain-blue paper to the Xuande period instead. Currently, there is no direct evidence for whether this
and suggest that before this point indigo-coloured paper was method of paper-making originated in Han or Tibetan areas,
generically referred to as gan or bi paper. The new name of but Han paper-making traditions generally did not use animal
‘porcelain-blue’ was perhaps because the colour is similar to ingredients. If goat-brain paper was indeed rst seen in Han
Xuande period blue-and-white porcelain. China in the Xuande period as the above document suggests,
then it is likely that it rst originated in Tibet, but this is a
The National Palace Museum in Taipei houses a number matter for further investigation.
of Ming-dynasty Sutras in gold ink formerly in the Qing
court collection. Nine of them are recorded in Midian zhulin The current ten albums of the Prajnaparamita Sutra are an
xubian [Forest of pearls in the secret palace, second series], excerpt from Xuanzang’s 600-fascicle translation. The one-
a catalogue of the Qianlong Emperor’s religious art, as fascicle-per-album format, calligraphic and mounting styles,
having been written on goat-brain paper. In his Xiqing biji frontispiece illustration, and especially the use of goat-brain
[Miscellaneous Notes of Xiqing], Shen Chu (1735-1799) of paper are consistent with Huijin’s copies in gold ink of the
the Qing dynasty writes, “Goat-brain stationery is made from Ratnakuta Sutra (gs 1, 6 and 7) and the Parinirvana Sutra
Xuande porcelain-blue paper. Goat brains and dingyan ink (g. 2) in the National Palace Museum collection, and conrm
are mixed and stored underground for a long time, and then that the ten albums were likewise created by Huijin during the
applied to paper, which is then polished with stone. This paper Xuande reign. The 600-fascicle Prajnaparamita Sutra contains
is as dark as ink and as shiny as a mirror. It was rst made ve albums per case, while the Ratnakuta Sutra and the
during the Xuande period of the Ming for writing in gold. It Parinirvana Sutra, both much shorter than the present one,
is long-lasting and resistant to insects. Now in the capital contain ten albums per case with slightly di¯erent brocade
only one workshop still continues this tradition, and other covers.
THE LOST WISDOM SUTRA A TREASURE FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF XUANDE 55
