The text in this piece comes from the famous 823 CE treaty pillar standing outside the sacred Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. The inscription commemorates a peace agreement between the Tibetan Empire and the Tang Dynasty of China after generations of warfare and shifting borders across Central Asia. Carved in both Tibetan and Chinese, the treaty speaks of peace, mutual respect, and recognized frontiers between the two great powers of the time.
I was especially drawn to the passage stating that “Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet and Chinese happy in the land of China”. To me, it captures a rare historical moment in which two neighboring civilizations formally acknowledged one another and expressed the hope that each people could live peacefully in their own land. More than twelve centuries later, the inscription remains one of the most important surviving records of Tibetan history and diplomacy.
The extract featured in this piece is the following:
“This great treaty, established so that Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet and Chinese happy in the land of China, shall never be changed. The three Jewels, the assembly of noble ones, the sun and moon and the planets and stars are invoked as witnesses.”
Frame not included.
Size: 30″ x 22″
Medium: Calligraphy Pen
Please note that each work is made to order which makes each one unique. Your piece could show some slight variation from the one which is pictured here.
