Journal of the History of Collections Advance Access published online on May 14, 2009
Journal of the History of Collections, doi:10.1093/jhc/fhp029
© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Marryat's Burmese curiosities
A second look
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Abstract |
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A manuscript catalogue of Captain Frederick Marryat's collection of Burmese curiosities, dated February 1829, was discovered in 2008 at the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS). This paper compares the contents and arrangement of the lists in the RAS catalogue, of which a full transcript is given, with those in Marryat's own manuscript catalogue, enclosed with a letter to the trustees of the British Museum dated 2 December 1826, in which he offered his entire collection to the Museum. When the trustees declined his offer, Marryat arranged that his collection should be displayed in the Bond Street rooms of the RAS. Additional numbers accompanying many entries in the RAS catalogue may throw light on the origin, purpose and authorship of this catalogue. It is postulated here that the additional numbers derive from yet another list, probably the missing ‘descriptive catalogue’ composed by the orientalist and student of Buddhism Edward Upham, who gave three talks based upon it to members of the RAS in November and December 1827.
Correspondence: Address for correspondence, Ralph Isaacs, 5 Meads Lodge, Jevington Gardens, Eastbourne bn21 4hr. ralphandruthisaacs{at}btinternet.com