Identificatie
referentie code
Titel
Datum(s)
- 1930-ongoing (Vervaardig)
Beschrijvingsniveau
Omvang en medium
1 archival folder + 3 electronic documents
Context
Naam van de archiefvormer
Institutionele geschiedenis
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas.
Naam van de archiefvormer
Institutionele geschiedenis
Naam van de archiefvormer
Institutionele geschiedenis
Naam van de archiefvormer
Institutionele geschiedenis
The Royal Armouries Museum, home to the national collection of arms and armour, is Britain's oldest museum. One of the ancient institutions of the Tower of London, its origins can be traced back to the working armoury of the medieval kings of England. The royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I, Charles II and James II form the heart of the collection and are among its greatest treasures.
Naam van de archiefvormer
Biografie
Malcolm Mercer is Curator of Tower Armouries at the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London.
Malcolm Mercer is a specialist in late medieval English cultural, military and political history. He came to the Royal Armouries from Canterbury Cathedral Archives in 2009 where he was Senior Research Archivist and directly responsible for collections development.
archiefbewaarplaats
Geschiedenis van het archief
Directe bron van verwerving of overbrenging
Inhoud en structuur
Bereik en inhoud
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.