Showing 4 results

This archive consists of correspondence, documentation, reports and allied material concerned with the conservation of the Collections of the Society. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to the conservation of the collections may be found in the Minutes for the meetings of the Council and Library Committees. Conservation continues in the life of the Society. More recent records are held in the Society's records management system and will be transferred to the archive in due course.

Most of the Society's objects were dispersed to other collections at an early stage of its history. However a few remain. Information about them is:

• Suit of armour - correspondence about a suit of Asian armour within its collections and the likely provenance. Typed and handwritten, 9 pieces, dated 6 December 1930 - M may 1932 (see RAS COLL8/5 for more information about its conservation).
• Notes on an Arabic Celestial Globe and a Phoenician tombstone - both transferred to the British Museum, Typed, 1 piece, undated.
• Correspondence between Professor J. Ryckmans and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning South Arabian inscriptions within the collections. Typed and handwritten, 20 pieces, dated 19 July 1977 - 17 February 1978.
• The Council Room Table - two articles: 'The New Council Room Table' by Alison Ohta extracted from a Society newsletter, unknown date; and 'The Jhansi Table', article originally written 3 October 2012, archival document created in 2025.
• Bookmarks for 'Statue of Zhenwu, the Dark Warrior' and 'Arrow Vase from ritual to game', objects lent to the Society but the Horniman Museum as part of the Objects in Focus project. The statue was lent in autumn 2016 and the vase in autumn 2018.
• 'Collecting Oriental and Asiatic Arms and Armour: The Activities of British and East India Company Officers,c.1800-1850' by Malcolm Mercer - a copy of the article first published in Arms and Armour, 2018. This gives background information to our suit of armour.
• Gravestone of Sir Stamford Raffles - the Society took in this gravestone in 2018. The note, 'Provenance of the Raffles gravestone donated to the Royal Asiatic Society on 11 May 2018' (created in 2018, archival document created in 2025) give details of its provenance. 'Two Tombstones, One Man' by Rosie Llewellyn Jones, an article in the Chowkidar, Autumn 2018, the publication for the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia.
• 'Information about Japanese gravestones provided by Yang Fu, 12 October 2018' - interpretation details for the inscriptions on the gravestones. Electronic document created in 2018, archival document created in 2025.
• Black and white photographs and descriptions of the copper plate inscriptions belonging to the Society on permanent loan to the British Museum.

Material associated with loans from the Society's collections between 1991 and 2000.

• Correspondence between the British Library and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of manuscripts for a photographic exhibition of Indonesian manuscripts, 'Golden Letters' to tour major towns in Indonesia. Typed and printed, 22 pieces, dated 11 December 1990 - 28 April 1994.
• Correspondence and documentation between the Asia Society, New York, the British Library, the Kunsthal, Rotterdam and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning loan of material for the exhibition, 'The Court Arts of Indonesia' which first went to the Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, and then travelled to the Netherlands. Typed, printed and photographic, 36 pieces, dated 21 October 1988 - 14 August 1992.
• Letter from Frances Wood, Curator, British Library to Dennis Duncanson, Royal Asiatic Society concerning the possible loan of a Persian manuscript for an exhibition of oriental books and manuscripts illustrating gardens. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 19 June 1992.
• Correspondence between the National Museum, Singapore, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the possible loan of Malay manuscripts for an exhibition to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles landing in Singapore. Two pieces, typed, dated 12 October - 20 October 1992.
• Correspondence between the Musée de L'Homme, Paris, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the possible loan of a Persian manuscript for their exhibition about Herat, Afghanistan. Typed, six pieces, dated 20 September 1995 - 24 November 1995.
• Correspondence, documentation and publicity material between the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of artworks for the 'Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925' which opened in 1998. This exhibition then went to the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London and there is some material associated with that exhibition also. Typed and printed, 64 pieces, dated 29 June 1995 - 6 January 1999.
• Correspondence and documentation between the British Museum, Department of Coins and Medals, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of the portrait of Alexander Cunningham for the exhibition, 'From Persepolis to the Punjab: Coins and the Exploration of the East'. Typed, printed and handwritten, 7 pieces, dated 27 March 1997 - 2 September 1977.
• Correspondence and documentation between the British Museum, Department of Ethnography, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of manuscripts for an exhibition on Sir Stamford Raffles. Typed and printed, 15 pieces, dated 3 September 1996 - 26 April 1999.
• Correspondence and documentation between the British Museum, the British Library and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of items for the 'Persian and Indian Paintings Exhibition from the Royal Asiatic Society Collections' held at the British Library, June - October 1998 to mark the 175th anniversary of the Society. Typed and printed, 35 pieces, dated 20 February - 26 October 1998.
• Correspondence between the Royal Armouries, Leeds, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan and care of a suit of armour belonging to the Society, Typed, 14 pieces, dated 27 May 1998 -27 September 2001.
• Correspondence and publicity material between the National Galleries of Scotland and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of 2 paintings for 'The Tiger and the Thistle: Tipu Sultan and the Scots in India, c.1760 -1800' Exhibition. Typed and photocopied, 9 pieces, dated 3 August 1998 - 24 August 1999.
• Correspondence regarding the possible loan of the VHS copy of the Northern Iraq film to be used in a Channel 4 series, 'Lost Worlds'. Typed and photocopied, 3 pieces, dated 13 January 1999.
• Correspondence between the American Museum of Natural History and the Royal Asiatic Society regarding the possible loan of a painting for the 'Body Art: Marks of Identity' Exhibition. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 23 February 1999.
• Correspondence and documentation between the Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery, Powys, Wales and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of manuscripts for their exhibition, 'Major David Price and the East India Company. Typed and printed, 15 pieces, dated 3 August 2000 - 4 April 2001.

Correspondence concerned with conservation of the Society's collections within this time period:

• Correspondence and instructions re cleaning marble using Sepiolite, 2 pieces, typed, dated 22 March 1968.
• Correspondence with British Museum regarding creating stands for sculptures, 8 pieces, handwritten and typed, dated 1 April 1969 - 13 October 1969.
• Correspondence with E. Panetta, V & A Museum concerning the restoration of a teak stool, 5 pieces, typed, dated 12 March 1969 - 15 April 1969.
• Correspondence with the India Office Library concerning the laminating of a manuscript, 1 piece, typed, dated 20 December 1973.
• Letter from Valery (Gibson), Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Dennis (Duncanson), President. to give a report on Mr Cox's opinion of the condition of the portrait of William Havell (RAS Cat.01.011) and of a further watercolour, unnamed, and whether to undertake their conservation. Handwritten, dated 26 January 1982.
• Correspondence with the Armouries, Tower of London concerning the restoration of a mail shirt, 12 pieces, handwritten and typed, dated 24 September 1975 - 22 August 1983.
• Correspondence concerning the conservation of James Wales' painting of Madhu Rao Narayan, the Maratha Peshwa (RAS Head Cat. 01.014), 5 pieces, handwritten and typed, dated 25 August 1982 - 14 December 1982.
• Correspondence concerning insurance for the portraits of Jamsetjee Boman Jee and Nowrojee Jamset jee and the painting of the Judicial enquiry at Canton while they were undergoing conservation, typed, 2 pieces, dated 17 January 1983 - 7 February 1983.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar to Dennis Duncanson concerning the storage of collections in a basement room, 1 piece, typed, dated 16 June 1983.
• Copy of a letter from Godfrey Goodwin to 'Neale; to express his appreciation for the quality of the conservation of two watercolour paintings, 1 piece, handwritten, dated 10 July 1989.