"Shui Manuscript Collection at the Libo Archives, Guizhou, China [16th - 20th Century]"

This collection consists of digitised copies of 395 Shui manuscripts from the permament collection and Pan Yushan collection held at Libo County Archives in Guizhou.

The manuscripts are written in the Shui language and script, one of the few remaining hieroglyphics in the world. The manuscripts include Shui works of astrology, folklore, ethics, philosophy, history, art, geography and theology, religious practice and ritual. The original texts date from the 16th to 20th centuries.

It is a tradition that scribes do not identify themselves in Shui manuscripts, and therefore information concerning the creators of these manuscripts is mostly unknown. Similarly the exact dates of the majority of these manuscripts are unknown.

All traditional Shui manuscripts are written on cotton paper in black ink; illustrations are often written in red ink. Bamboo sticks and brushes are commonly used to create the manuscripts. Most manuscripts are bound with cotton thread, and a few have cloth covers. The paper, ink and covering cloth are made locally.