A handwritten manuscript of the Grammaire Tagalog by Aristide Marre with a Vocabulaire tagalog-francais-anglais by Aristide Marre and Isabelle Pinches. With these are the original housing envelope, two explanatory labels and a letter to request the publication of these works.
Marre Aristide linguistA handwritten manuscript detailing the history of the Gujarat sultanate in India giving accounts of the reigns of Muzzafar Shah I, Muhammad Shah I, Ahmad Shah I, Muhammad Shah II, Ahmad Shah II, Daud Shah, Mahmud Shah, Muzaffar Shah II, Sikandar Shah, Mahmud Shah II, Bahadur Shah, Miran Muhammad Shah I, Mahmud Shah III, Ahmad Shah III, and Muzaffar Shah III. The author of the manuscript has not been traced.
UnknownCorrespondence concerning the future of the Horniman Museum. These are:
- Letter from Brian Durrans, Deputy Keeper, Museum of Mankind, to Sir Cyril Philips, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask if the Society would consider adding its voice to the other bodies in a letter expressing concern regarding the fate of the Horniman Museum. He notes that the Society's Otto Samson lecture links it to the Horniman Museum where Samson was a curator. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 15 February 1988. With this letter is a copy of the letter to be sent to the Secretary of State, dated 15 February 1988.
- Letter from Brian Durrans, Deputy Keeper, Museum of Mankind, to Sir Cyril Philips, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask for a copy of the letter that Philips sent to the Secretary of State. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 26 February 1988.
- Card from the Department of Education & Science to Cyril Philips, Royal Asiatic Society, to acknowledge receipt of his letter. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 17 March 1988.
- Letter from Robert Jackson, Department of Education & Science, to Cyril Philips, Royal Asiatic Society, to state that the government is committed to securing the future of the Horniman and Geffrye Museums. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 8 April 1988.
The 'Index of Languages' taken from the 'Historical Catalogue of the Printed Editions of Holy Scripture in the Library of the British and Foreign Bible Society' by Horace Frederick Moule and Thomas Herbert Darlow, London, 1903-1911. This is a handwritten copy made into a table over 72 sheets with the headings Language, Where Spoken, Family of Languages, Characters used by Bible Society for printing, and Remarks. With the index is a typed covering page which indicates that this is not a complete list but comprises only of those languages and dialects into which the Bible had been translated. At the top of the page the date 1936 has been crossed out and replaced with 1937.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823- LondonThe 'Index to the Mythological Box of Hindu Paintings' is a manuscript index intended to accompany images collected into a "mythological box" to educate about the deities of the Hindu pantheon. The text covers 203 pages and gives descriptions and comments on the various deities. The images are not with the book and it is unsigned. One copy has been attributed to Reverend Charles Lacey, but it unknown if this copy also belonged to him.
UnknownCorrespondence concerned with the future of the India Office Library in 1948 and again in 1961.
India Office LibraryA series of accounts or response forms concerning Indian districts. These are handwritten on Indian paper and the accounts are accompanied by letters. One of these has been identified as an 'arzee' or response form from a junior to a senior. The junior identifies himself as Syed Mehdi Hasan and he is responding to a question posed as to whether or not the provinces demarcated in the Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Faz still exist. The response is that there are many changes which Syed Mehdi Hasan then lists. This letter is dated to 1844.
Further material has yet to be identified. One sheet bears the English words 'Benares and Mirzapore' (Varanasi and Mirzapur).
Syed Mehdi HasanA facsimile of a monumental inscription at the Fa-hsing Temple, Canton (Guangzhou), acquired by Sir John Bowring, whilst Governor of Hong Kong. The facsimile measures 155cm x 90cm and is black ink on white paper, probably created from a squeeze impression. It is in fragile condition, with some previous repairs.
With the inscription is a translation, made by J. Gibson, entitled "Renovation of the monumental Inscription of the Buddhist Gods", dated 14 October 1858. This is handwritten in ink with further annotations in both ink and pencil to give further details regarding dates and allusions.
Bowring Sir John 1792-1872In 1934, a vase was unearthed in excavations at Tell ed-Duweir (Tell Lachish) in an expedition led by James Leslie Starkey. Theodor Gaster undertook to decipher the inscription on the vase, but before his decipherment was announced in The Times Newspaper the decipherment had been attributed to another. The items that comprise this collection are:
- Letter from Theodor Gaster to Colonel Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to lodge with him a 'lettre cachée' with his decipherment of the new script found on the vase. He claimed that he had originally communicated the decipherment to James Starkey but had suppressed its publication until the discovery of the ewer had been announced in The Times. However, in that time, another had been attributed with the decipherment. He was therefore sending a copy of his letter to Starkey, as proof of his claim, to both the Royal Asiatic Society and the Palestine Exploration Fund. With the letter is his copy of the decipherment and an envelope labelled 'Lettre cachée deposited with the R.A.S. by Theodor Gaster on 12.6.34'.
- "Discovery at Tell Duweir: Identification of the Characters" - letter to the Editor printed in The Times, 12 June 1934, written by Theodor Gaster.
- "Discovery at Tell Duweir: Early Alphabets" - letter to the Editor printed in The Times, 13 June 1934, written by Alan H. Gardiner disputing the decipherment.
- "Discovery at Tell Duweir: A Translation of the Inscription" - letter to the Editor printed in The Times, dated 20 June 1934, written by F. Melian Stawell to add her contribution to the decipherment.
Rubbings of 8 inscriptions made by Archibald Campbell Carlleyle from an ancient temple which he calls Uncha Pahar. He visited this in January 1872 as part of the Archaeological Survey of India. Each of these are labelled, signed by Carlleyle, and dated January 1872:
- Ornament, and inscription at the bottom of the octagonal lower portion of the shaft of the unique round pillar in the pillared vestibule in front of the "Sanctum" of the ancient ruined temple, "Uncha Pahar".
- Inscription in entrance of vestibule, of ancient ruined temple "Uncha Pahar".
- Inscription on a pillar at left side of doorway of "Sanctum" of ancient ruined temple "Uncha Pahar".
- Inscription in two lines on a stone leaning against a wall below the old temple "Uncha Pahar".
- No. 10 Inscription Above first statue on the left hand "Santum" of ancient temple "Uncha Pahar".
- No. 13 Above central statue of "Agni" in "Sanctum" of ancient temple "Uncha Pahar".
- No. 15 Inscription Above central statue on Right hand wall In "Sanctum" of ancient temple "Uncha Pahar".
- On stone bench at the right side in entrance to Vestibule of ancient temple "Uncha Pahar".