Nepal.- Pancaraksa [Five Protective Goddesses], manuscript in Sanskrit, on paper stained yellow with haritala, 130 leaves, Newari script, 5 paintings, occasional chipping to edges, some staining, leaves loose in wooden covers, ink sketches to inside of covers, housed in a custom drop-back box, each leaf 85 x 332mm., [Nepal], [c.1700].*** The five paintings in this well-preserved Pancaraksa (a collection of rituals invoking the protection of the five protective goddesses) are excellent examples of high-quality Nepalese painting of the late 17th/early 18th century. In this period, the influence of both Tibetan and Mughal traditions combined to form a style that was simultaneously soft and lively. The calligraphic quality of the script, unusual in Nepalese manuscripts, is also probably influenced by luxury Tibetan manuscripts. The scribe, who has added some ornamental features, is also probably responsible for the drawings of a Sakyamuni Buddha and various caityas (shrines) on the interiors of the wooden covers.