RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 379 The Morning Post, Jan 1, 1901 Cover Page of La Politique de Pe'kin BM7 Jun, 1914, with Sir Robert Hart on it 1 booklet "Topside Galan" illustrated by Bessie L'E. Pirkis, in water colour (MS) 10 Chillon College Magazine, Vol II: XI XII (2 copies); Vol III: I, II, IV, VI, VII, VIII: VOL IV, 1 School reports, 1937 Bundles of theatre programmes and theatre tickets Minutes of the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Board of Managers of the Peking University, January 16, 1906 (University Press) Misc. clippings, newspapers and magazines Loose papers, some with Robert's childish scribbling for Granny Some calling cards 3 menus Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank to Lady Hart, 29 Oct 1906 5 photographs in an envelope addressed to E Prince (?) Hart Esq. 1 poem (MS) Invitations Postcards to Hart (Moore to Hart, 3 Aug 1909), Lady Hart (5), Bruce (1), Robert (6) BOX 5 Bundle of misc. letters to Robert Bundle of misc. letters to Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Hart Bundle of misc. letters to Carrie and others Misc. clippings, scribbling, empty envelopes, etc. Robert Bredon to Lady Hart, 7 Sept 1911 27 May 1912 Bundle of papers for learning meaning and pronunciation of Chinese characters (MS) 1 printed address accompanying the Testimonial to Sir Robert Hart GCMG. with Sir Robert Hart's Reply (Peking, 22 Aug 1890) 1 printed letter, E.B. Drew to Alex. Jamieson, 28 August 1890 Letters to Lady Hart from various persons and institutions mainly regarding her finances 1 typed letter to Editor of The Times, "The China Crisis”, from H. Crouch Batchelor 5 letters to Hart Letters from Hart ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 404 VISIT TO THE AUREL STEIN COLLECTION OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM PAUL BOLDING The collection that Marc Aurel Stein took to London in the first decade of the 20th century yielded some of its secrets to a group of "Friends" who visited the British Museum on October 25, 1999. Dr Anne Farrer, the curator, kindly agreed to show some of the undisplayed objects to members of the Friends of the HK Branch of the RAS in London. The BM collection includes scrolls, paintings on silk and other textiles that Aurel Stein removed from Cave 17 at Dunhuang, Gansu province. The cave, a memorial chapel to a 9th century monk, was walled up in the 10th century for reasons that are unclear and was opened on June 21, 1900. Aurel Stein was the first foreigner to gain access to the cave, in 1907. He collected many thousands of objects, some 5,000 of which rest in the tiny, windowless, air-conditioned "Stein Room" in a corner of the BM. (He also bought some fakes, but that is another story.) The cave itself contained some 40,000 objects. The British Library alone holds some 14,000 scrolls and fragments in Chinese. It acquired textual material, including the "Diamond Sutra", the world's earliest known dated printed book, after it was founded in 1973. As Stein had financial support from the Government of India as well as the British Museum, further material went to the National Museum in Delhi, mainly three-dimensional pieces and wall paintings. This was a period when countries were vying to expand their museum collections, and others were soon attracted to the area. As a result, objects from Dunhuang are found in Russia, Japan, France, Germany and elsewhere. A thriving international scholarship surrounds the material today. China has made no secret of the fact that it would like the Dunhuang material returned! Dr Farrer showed a dozen or so of the most beautiful and interesting objects, explaining their significance. Page 435 Page 436 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 406 coincide with the 100th anniversary of the opening of Cave 17 in June 2000. Another takes place at Dunhuang in August and the site has been getting a facelift in preparation. The website has a massive illustrated database of collections held in various parts of the world - those interested can sponsor a sutra for as little as £50 sterling. The money pays for the digital scanning and the sponsor's name appears beside the object. A newsletter reports on meetings of academics and recent research. Sadly, the BM does not appear to be part of the International Dunhuang Project, but Dr Farrer told us that the museum is trying to raise funds to put its collection on the Internet in the same way. REFERENCES Roderick Whitfield and Anne Farrer, Caves of the Thousand Buddhas: Chinese Art from the Silk Route, The British Museum, London 1990. Peter Hopkirk, Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, John Murray, London 1980. Annabel Walker, Aurel Stein: Pioneer of the Silk Road, John Murray, London 1995. Life Along the Silk Road, Susan Whitfield, Hardcover - 253 pages (June 1999), John Murray; ISBN: 0719557577 ================================================================================