Introducing the `Treasures of SOAS' Project

by Anna Contadini, Reader in the Art and Archaeology of Islam, SOAS, University of London.

The author describes the events that led to the current exhibition `Treasures of SOAS' on view at the Foyle Special Collections Gallery, Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London until 15 December. With a generous benefaction from HM the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, the gallery was originally built to house a loan or gift collection but, since its opening in 1995, it has only housed temporary external exhibitions. In 2004, rather than sell particularly important works like the Anvar-I Suhayli (The Lights of Canopus) to raise funds for SOAS, a case was put forward to the Foyle Foundation and the Arts and Humanities Council to support a permanent, rotating display of SOAS' own large collection of objects, extraordinary in variety and quality. 120 pieces were selected for this initial exhibition.

Prince Siddhartha Tibet, 18th/19th century Thangka, gouache on silk Height 130 cm, width 66 cm School of Oriental and African Studies Donated by the 14th Dalai Lama in 1977 This thangka depicts Prince Siddhartha, who gave up his royal birthright. His eventual enlightenment led to his recognition as the Buddha Shakyamuni.

by John T. Carpenter, Reader in the History of Japanese Art at SOAS and Head of the London Office of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures.

The inaugural exhibition of the Foyle Special Collections Gallery has provided an opportunity to rediscover the impressive collection of pre-modern East Asian rare books and manuscripts in SOAS' collection. The author gives an account of how this collection, `the jewel in the crown of SOAS', was formed, including donations from Frederick Anderson, Sir Arthur Waley, George Eumorfopoulos and Sir Percival David, to become the foremost facility in Europe for research in East Asian studies.

Poster advertising Chinese language studies at the School of Oriental Studies Late 1920s Hanging scroll, ink on dyed paper Height 100 cm, width 65 cm (approximate) SOAS Library

by Anna Contadini.

The Anvar-I Suhayli in the collection of SOAS is dated to 23 September 1570 making it one of the first manuscripts to be produced in the imperial atelier of Emperor Akbar and the earliest of the illustrated Mughal copies of the Anvar-I Suhayli text. In addition to giving an account of the moralizing animal narratives depicted in some of the 27 miniatures, Dr Contadini looks at the pictorial decoration and compositional technique of the miniatures and the excellence of the calligraphy. Also revealed is the history of previous ownership and how it came to SOAS.

Folio from the SOAS Anvar-i Suhayli showing the Sultan's mistress being dragged away by the chamberlain (fol. 266v) Text by Husayn al-Wa'iz al-Kashifi (d. 1504) Manuscript, 1570, calligraphy by Muhibb Allah Ibn Hasan Ink, colours and gold on paper Height 33.5 cm, width 21.5 cm (folio) School of Oriental and African Studies (Ms 10102) Donated by Miss Louise Ouseley

by John T. Carpenter.

The author uses examples of SOAS' editions of the Kokin wakashu (Anthology of Poems Ancient and Modern); the Teikin orai (Household Precepts for the Letter Writer); Gozan-ban (`Five Mountains printed editions') and Kirishitan-ban (`Christian editions'); a painted handscroll of the Procession of Korean Ambassadors and illustrated narratives such as the Hogen monogatari (Tale of the Hogen Insurrection) and the Heiji monogatari (Tale of the Heiji Insurrection) to address the issue of why manuscript culture - implying painting as well as calligraphy - involving labour-intensive manual copying remained so pervasive in pre-modern Japan, even after the technology for printing texts and mechanical reproduction of illustrations had become available and economically feasible.

Kokinshu, Book 11, Love Poems I Kamakura period (1185-1333), probably late 13th/early 14th century Ink on sized paper Height 26 cm, width 16 cm School of Oriental and African Studies (MS 85146) Purchase 1950

Front cover of the Kokinshu Probably 16th/17th century Gold pigment on indigo-dyed paper

Detail of Procession of Korean Ambassadors Japan, mid-17th century Handscroll, ink, colour and gold on paper Height 33.3 cm, length 1,246 cm School of Oriental and African Studies (MS86566) Purchase 1950

by Timon Screech, Professor of the History of Art and Chair of the Japan Research Centre at SOAS, University of.

This article looks at how legislation affects the history of a nation and in particular legislation which restricted the size of Japanese ships. An Edo period book Kankai ibunki) (The Strange Tale of Circumnavigation), whose narrative came into being precisely because of this restriction, records the exceptional experiences of sailors whose ship went accidentally astray and was wrecked. Accompanying illustrations show the party meeting the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia and visiting a planetarium in St Petersburg.

Illustration from Kankai ibunki depicting portraits of Alexander I and Elizabeth, the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia Edo period, 1807 Manuscript with hand-painted illustrations, 10 volumes Ink and colour on paper Height 26.1 cm, width 18.2 cm School of Oriental and African Studies Gift of Sir Harold Parlett (MS 55942)

by Crispin Branfoot, Lecturer in South Asian Art and Archaeology at SOAS.

The popular genre known as `Company' paintings represents a pictorial response to the cultural encounter between Europe and South Asia in the mid 19th century. A particularly fine album of 46 watercolours produced in South India during the 1830s or the 1840s is permanently on loan to SOAS from the Council of World Mission archives and library. The author discusses the themes of the paintings, most of which depict a man and a woman engaged in occupations or crafts typical of the period.

Folio 29 showing `A Muhammedan procession from an album of `Company' paintings South India, c. 1830s-40s Watercolours on paper Height 22 cm, width 35 cm London Missionary Society/Council for World Mission Archives (CWML 500)

by Elizabeth Moore, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Art and Archaeology, SOAS.

The author first explains the basic principles of Burmese astrology and then describes the scenes of SOAS' late 19th/early 20th century illustrated manuscript which depicts many other subjects in addition to astrology such as the life of the Buddha, court ceremonies and representations of the cosmos.

Remainder 9 for a horoscope on an illustrated manuscript showing jackfruit tree, monkey asterism and woman Burma, late 19th/early 20th century Ink and colour on paper Height 12.2 cm, width 37.6 cm School of Oriental and African Studies (OS.MS 44729)

by Yoshiko Yasumura, Art, Archaeology and Music Librarian at the SOAS Library.

The author first briefly discusses the impressive set of facsimile reproductions of the ancient Buddhist paintings on the walls of the Horyuji temple, Nara which came SOAS from Eumorfopoulos and then examines his activities as a collector of Asian art and how his personal library came to SOAS.

George Eumorfopoulos, 1930s From a photographic album in the archives of the Oriental Ceramic Society, London (Photography by M. Elphinstone)

A room in George Eumorfopoulos's house at 7 Chelsea Embankment, London, 1930s From a photographic album in the archives of the Oriental Ceramic Society, London

by Stacey Pierson, Lecturer in the History of Chinese Ceramics at SOAS, University of London.

A brief discussion on the legacy of one of the foremost collectors of Chinese art in the 20th century and how recent research has revealed that through his interests in education Sir Percival David was the founder of and funded the first university degree course in Chinese art.

Sir Percival and Lady David (Sheila Yorke Hardy), c. 1950

A pair of temple vases Yuan period, 1351 (by inscription) Porcelain with underglaze-cobalt blue decoration Height 63.6 cm Percival David Foundation (PDF B613 and B614)

by Jane Portal, Curator of the Chinese and Korean Collections at the British Museum.

To coincide with the current exhibition `First Emperor - China's Terracotta Army' at the British Museum, the author discusses how ongoing excavations at Qin Shihuangdi's tomb has greatly furthered knowledge of the entire complex and cites and illustrates some of the new discoveries.

Civil official Excavated from the tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi (r. 221-210 BCE), Lintong county, Shaanxi province, 2000 Terracotta Height 185 cm (cat. no. 24)

by Xu Zhengwei, Deputy Curator of the Jiading Museum of Bamboo Carving.

In 2006 bamboo carving of Jiading was included in China's first list of `intangible cultural heritage' and the Jiading District People's Government of Shanghai opened on 1 December a museum to showcase the history, culture and art of bamboo carving. The author discusses some highlights in the inaugural exhibition including several that reflect the style and influence of Zhu Ziming who is credited as the founding father of bamboo carving in the region.

Guanyin in the style of Zhu Xiaosong Ming period, c. 1520-87 Bamboo Height 29 cm Private collection

Shelagh Vainker concludes her account of William Watson's achievements as Professor of Chinese Art at the University of London and as Head of the Percival David Foundation, that she does not expect `to encounter an art historian, linguist or archaeologist to match Watson's breadth of scholarship or depth of inquiry'.

William Watson (Photography by Glenn Ratcliffe)

Youngsook Pak pays tribute to this pioneering scholar's contribution to Western studies of Buddhist art and East Asian art history.

Professor Seckel with Lothar Ledderose and Helmut Brinker, 1979

Salabhanjika and pillar/Birth of the Buddha From Kausambi, Uttar Pradesh, c.100-80 BCE Buff sandstone Height 21 cm, width 18 cm Allahabad Museum Photography by the American Institute of Indian Studies (After Pratapaditya Pal, ed., Buddhist Art: Form and Meaning, Mumbai, 2007, p. 36)

This December, an exhibition `Masks and Tribal Arts of the Himalayas' and an international conference on the same theme are being organized by Le Toit du Monde in Paris. The show featuring a selection of around sixty primitive and classic masks, shamanic objects and items related to milk production from private collections will be held at the Salle du Vieux Colombier in the 6th arrondissement town hall. The conference takes place from 6 to 7 December at the Cernuschi Museum, and is organized together with the Association pour le Rayonnement des Cultures Himalayennes. The museum's Director, Gilles BTguin, will preside over the scientific committee, which also includes GTrard Toffin, Research Director at the CNRS, and Natalie Bazin, a curator at the MusTe Guimet, among others. Presentation topics range from Mompa and Sherdukpen masks from Arunachal Pradesh (Peter van Ham) and masks used during the `Lhamo ache' (Isabelle Henrion Dourcy), to the rituals of the Calash from Afghanistan (Jean Yves Loude) and the vernacular temples of the Garhwal (Christophe Roustan Delatour). For further information visit www.letoitdumonde.net or e-mail contact@letoitdumonde.net

Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art are relocating to a renovated historical building which was built in 1880. Their collection of Chinese export porcelain, Han and Tang pottery, and Chinese and Japanese works of art will be displayed in four large state of the art showrooms and there will also be a gallery for special exhibitions and events. An opening exhibition will be held from 17-23 and 27-31 December.

Marcel Nies will be exhibiting a new collection at his gallery in Antwerp this autumn. Included is a wood Buddha from Funan dating roughly to the 4th century, a Baphuon head and a 14th century double faced Ganesha from Majapahit, Java, as well as bronzes from Thailand and India.

Buddha Funan kingdom, roughly 4th century Wood Height 118 cm Marcel Nies Oriental Art

Included in `A Lyrical Journey, Chinyee's 50 Year Retrospective' at Alisan Fine Arts in Hong Kong from 28 November to 9 December, are oil paintings, watercolours and collages executed in New York between 1953 and 2007. Although trained in traditional methods, after experimenting in semi abstract art Chinyee moved on to total abstraction, and associates herself with the New York School of Abstract Expressionism.

Renzo Freschi's autumn show `Zen Paintings: Illustrations of the Ultimate Law of the Law that there is no Law' on view in Milan until 1 December features 27 works from the 17th to the early 20th century, including paintings of the most typical Zen subjects. Some of them are by famous artists, such as Hakuin, Fugai, Torei, Nantebo and Deiryu and there are also a few calligraphic works by masters of the Obaku School.

From 30 November to 4 December, China is organizing its first-ever antiques fair. The Beijing International Chinese Antiques Fair (BICAF) will take place in the Banquet Hall of the Beijing Hotel, and enjoys the support of the Chinese government and cultural authorities. It is intended to be an annual event featuring some thirty invited international dealers who will bring items that are attractive to the growing number of museums and private collectors within China, thus facilitating their repatriation. Museum directors and experts, as well as top collectors, will be invited to private viewings. China's administrative regulations state that cultural relics entering the country must be declared in writing to customs, specifying the intention to bring them out again; a paper seal will be affixed, after which they will be taken by a `concerned party' to an authorized agency to be appraised; then a wax seal will be affixed and an exit permit issued. Favourable conditions have been granted for the import (as well as export) of works to be exhibited at the fair, for which no taxes or duties will be levied. However, any item sold will be subject to a tax of 2 per cent of its value. For further information about the fair, contact antiquechinese2007@yahoo.com.cn

The Beijing Hotel

by Sir Peter Moores

Shortly after Compton Verney opened in March 2004, Sir Peter Moores related to Orientations readers how he established the museum with its collections (see `An Interview with Sir Peter Moores', in November/December 2004, pp. 49-52). At the time, there were 44 Chinese archaic bronzes in the museum; since then, the collection has almost doubled. More recently, Sir Peter made the headlines when he paid a record US$8.104 million for a late Shang bronze fangjia - the only recorded example with an owl design - from the collection of the Albright-Knox Gallery at Sotheby's, New York in March 2007. We revisit Compton Verney for our commentary this month as Sir Peter shares his views and describes his experiences in building the museum's collection of Chinese bronzes.