Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
collections. The Foyle Special Collections Gallery has been especially endowed for this purpose. A publication of selected objects from the SOAS collections is available in the SOAS bookshop: Objects of Instruction: Treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies, edited by Anna Contadini, London: SOAS, 2007.
Supported by
The SOAS collections are extensive, important and intriguing. They include a remarkable variety of material: manuscripts, rare books, wall-hangings, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, sculptures, maps, photographs, documents of historical interest, and important archaeological collections. The display contains pieces from various regions of East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa that illustrate their enormous cultural diversity. Because of the unique status of SOAS as the one institution in Great Britain exclusively devoted to the study of Asia and Africa it has attracted over the years a number of significant donations. These have
contributed many valuable items, including the splendid 16th-century Anvr-i Suhayl manuscript (illustrated on the front), to a steadily expanding collection of art objects, rare books and manuscripts. In addition to the major geographical areas, a section of the display is dedicated to European Views of Asia and Africa. This reflects the impressions of European scholars, missionaries and travellers, such as Richard Burton and David Livingstone.
(Above) Muraqqa>. A concertina album of calligraphic specimens (detail). Iran, 1719th century. (Right) Portrait of Sir Richard Burton. Oil on canvas, 1879.
The burning of Sanj Palace. Colour and gold on paper, Japan, 17th century.
Shwe-chi-hto (Embroidered tapestry). Tapestry with metal threads and beads. Myanmar (Burma), 20th century.