IDP Web
IDP Website Redevelopment Survey
Sia Pineschi 26/11/2021We want to redevelop our website, and we would love your input.
Please take our survey and let us know how you use the site and what we could improve. It takes 5 minutes, and will help us determine what direction to go in terms of design, features, and content. You can access the survey here or by clicking the image below. Thank you in advance!
IDP News Issue No. 49/50, Autumn 2017
Vic Swift 16/09/2016IDP News No. 49/50, Autumn 2017 is now available to view online or download as a PDF.
- The Georgetown-IDP Project
- An Overview of North American Collections
- Highlights from North American Collections
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Pieces from Dunhuang?
- Selected Bibliography on North American Collections
- Other Publications
- Conference Reports
- Forthcoming
- IDP Field Trip to Kharakhoto
- Conservation and Science
- IDP Worldwide
- Farewell from the IDP Director
- IDP UK
IDP News Issue No. 46, Autumn 2015
Administrator 03/12/2015IDP News No. 46, Autumn 2015 is now available to view online or download as a PDF (2.1MB). IDP News is published twice a year reporting on IDP UK and worldwide news, recent publications and forthcoming exhibitions, conferences and events. The current issue is dedicated to textiles on the Silk Road with the following articles:
- Silk For Paper: A Textile Hoard Found Near Jericho
- Silks from the Silk Road: Origins, Transmissions and Exchange
- International Association for the Study of Silk Road Textiles
- Reproduction of a Model Pattern Loom from Sichuan
- Zhejiang University: Dunhuang and Silk Road Studies
IDP News Issue No. 45, Spring 2015
Vic Swift 12/06/2015IDP News No. 45, Spring 2015 is now available to view online or download as a PDF (736KB). IDP News is published twice a year reporting on IDP UK and worldwide news, recent publications and forthcoming exhibitions, conferences and events. The current issue is dedicated to Swedish explorer Sven Hedin with the following articles:
- Sven Hedin 1865–1952
- Sven Hedin and Dunhuang
- Höhner and Bohlin at Dunhuang 1930 and 1931
- The Sven Hedin Project
- Obituary: T. H. Tsien, 1909–2015
IDP News Issue No. 44, Autumn 2014
Vic Swift 05/12/2014IDP News No. 44, Autumn 2014 is now available to view online or download as a PDF (798KB). The current issue includes the articles:
- The Visitors’ Centre at Dunhuang
- Conservation and Research on Excavated Textiles from Mogao
- Desmond Parsons in Chinese Archives
- Prospects for the Study of Dunhuang Manuscripts: The Next 20 Years
- Our Favourite Things: Excerpts from the IDP20 Blog
- Obituary: Serguei Grigoryevich Klyashtornyj
Film Screening: The Silk Road of Pop
Vic Swift 12/09/2014An evening of music and film will commence with a live performance by the London Uyghur Ensemble followed by a screening of the award winning documentary The Silk Road of Pop, a portrait of the explosive pop music scene among the Uyghur community in China’s Xinjiang Province. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film directors.
Fri 28 Nov 2014, 18:30–20:30
The British Library Conference Centre
96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
MAP
Admission Free
ONLINE BOOKING
Prospects for the Study of Dunhuang Manuscripts: The Next 20 Years
Conference at Princeton University
September 6-8, 2014
Administrator 24/08/2014
The conference features research in all disciplines of Dunhuang manuscript studies, including religious studies, literature, history, linguistics, and paleography. 29 papers will be presented by scholars involved in the International Liaison Committee for Dunhuang Studies from greater China, Japan, Europe, and the US.
Susan Whitfield of IDP wil give the closing keynote on Monday 8th September at 4:30pm followed by a public reception.
See the conference website for full details.
IDP News Issue No. 43, Spring 2014
Vic Swift 15/04/2014The latest issue of IDP News is now available to read online. This enlarged edition celebrates our 20th anniverary. In it we remember the beginnings and international growth of IDP and celebrate our many collaborations illustrated with pictures from the archives. IDP’s partners and friends have selected a few of their favourite items and have met together for celebratory events over the past six months. This is also an opportunity to thank our many supporters who have made our success possible.
Expedition Silk Road, Treasures from the Hermitage
1 March – 5 September 2014
Vic Swift 10/03/2014
The Hermitage Amsterdam will offer visitors a glimpse of the long-lost civilizations along the legendary Silk Road. Until 5 September 2014, the exhibition Expedition Silk Road will present treasures from the Hermitage: 250 exceptionally beautiful objects, such as murals, sculpture, precious silks, silver, glass, gold, and terracotta, excavated by Russian expeditions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Hermitage Amsterdam
Amstel 51, Amsterdam
10–5 daily
See the Hermitage website for full details.
Exhibition: ‘The Diamond Sutra and Early Printing’
Vic Swift 25/02/2014Following extensive conservation the whole text of the earliest dated printed book — the Diamond Sutra — will be on display at the British Library for the first time over a period of eighteen months from March 8, 2014.
Full details can be found on our 20th anniversary programme page and updates will be posted on our blog.
Online Exhibition: Aurel Stein: A hundred years on
Vic Swift 09/01/2014Between 1900 and 1916 the archaeologist and scholar, Aurel Stein, led three expeditions to the Taklamakan and Lop Deserts of western China in search of the sand-buried settlements of the Silk Road. He excavated scores of sites and took over 5000 photographs. These photographs of ancient Silk Road settlements, stupas and forts in the Taklamakan Desert are shown alongside modern images and video taken on recent British Library expeditions to record the changes of the past century.
The exhibition was on display at the Royal Geographical Society and now an online gallery is available featuring all of the images.
SILK ROAD DANCE PERFORMANCE
Gansu Dance Troupe
Vic Swift 06/01/2014
11–12 January 2014
Peacock Theatre
Taking inspiration from the Dunhuang murals and the history of the Silk Road, the performance from the China Gansu Dance Troupe tells a touching story of friendship and peace between Chinese people and foreign merchants during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
MANUSCRIPTS AVAILABLE FROM NOVEMBER 18 2013
Vic Swift 15/11/2013The essential maintenance work in the storage areas of the British Library, the Stein Dunhuang and other Central Asia manuscripts is now complete and manuscripts will be available for viewing from Monday 18 November 2013.
If you would like to make arrangements to access the collections please see our Collections page and complete the Access to Collections form.
We thank you for your patience.
IDP’s 20th Anniversary
Administrator 30/10/2013
To celebrate IDP’s 20th anniversary we will be organising a series of events and activities over the next year. Details will be added and updated on the programme page and on our blog. From November 1 2014 the IDP blog will also feature ‘A Few of Our Favourite Things’, a weekly post showcasing IDP collection items selected by twenty of IDP’s partners, supporters and users. Please contact idpevents@bl.uk for more information.
Lectures and Reception: ‘Silk on the Silk Road’
11 April 2014
14.00–20.00
£12 (£8 concessions)
Administrator 30/10/2013
Over a century of archaeology on the eastern Silk Road has resulted in thousands of textile finds, preserved by the dry desert air. In their variety — of material, dyes, designs and weaves — they demonstrate the richness of cultural and technical exchanges among the peoplesof the Silk Road. This afternoon of lectures by scholars, curators and conservators is intended for a general audience, and will introduce the Silk Road and the textiles collections held in London and worldwide. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.
Conference Centre
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London, NW1 2DB
BOOK ONLINE
For further details of IDP's 20th Anniversary events see our online programme, follow us on our blog or email idpevents@bl.uk.
Exhibition: ‘The Diamond Sutra and Early Printing’
March 2014 – August 2015
Daily
Free Entry
Administrator 30/10/2013
The Dunhuang Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest, dated, complete printed book, will be on display at the British Library for the first time since a programme of long-term conservation was completed. It will be shown alongside other examples of early printing in Asia.
Sir John Ritblat Gallery
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London, NW1 2DB
For further details of IDP's 20th Anniversary events see our online programme, follow us on our blog or email idpevents@bl.uk.
Open Day: Conservation and IDP Studio
12th March 2014
10.00–17.00
Free Entry (Booking Required)
Administrator 30/10/2013
Archaeologist and scholar, Aurel Stein excavated scores of sites and discovered numerous artefacts including over 40,000 manuscripts and early printed documents in over twenty languages and scripts. The amount and variety of this material poses serious challenges for both conservation and digitisation that curators and conservators at the British Library have been addressing for two decades through international collaboration and under the auspices of IDP. This open day offers a chance to meet the conservation and digitisation teams and to learn about their work on the Stein Silk Road manuscripts.
Foyle Centre and IDP Studio
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London, NW1 2DB
Online Booking
For further details of IDP's 20th Anniversary events see our online programme, follow us on our blog or email idpevents@bl.uk.
EXHIBITION: ‘Aurel Stein and the Silk Road’
6 January – 14 February 2014
Monday – Saturday
Free Entry
Administrator 30/10/2013
Between 1900 and 1916 the archaeologist and scholar, Aurel Stein, led three expeditions to the Taklamakan and Lop Deserts of western China in search of the sand-buried settlements of the Silk Road. He excavated scores of sites and took over 5000 photographs. These photographs of ancient Silk Road settlements, stupas and forts in the Taklamakan Desert are shown alongside modern images and video taken on recent British Library expeditions to record the changes of the past century.
Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
London, SW7 2AR
For further details of IDP's 20th Anniversary events see our online programme, follow us on our blog or email idpevents@bl.uk.
IDP News 41 now available online
Vic Swift 26/06/2013Issue 41 of IDP News is now available to read online and download. Articles include a report of the IDP Conference held in November 2012 on the archaeology of the southern Taklamakan and an analysis of the paper, pigments and dyes found in Turfan and Dunhuang Materials.
Public Lecture: ‘Mapping the Silk Road’
18.30, November 1 2013
Free Entry
Administrator 19/06/2013
The challenges of mapping the Silk Road and its sites for the UNESCO-ICOMOS Silk Road project by Tim Williams, University College London.
In recent years a team of experts have conducted research into the Silk Road’s sites and routes as part of the Silk Roads World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination in Central Asia project. Tim Williams, archaeologist at University College London (UCL) and leader of the UCL Ancient Merv Project, has been working on this project for several years. In this lecture he will discuss the considerable challenges of mapping the the Silk Roads and their sites.
Conference Centre
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
Part of Asian Art in London 2013.
For further details of IDP's 20th Anniversary events see our online programme, follow us on our blog or email idpevents@bl.uk.
MANUSCRIPTS NOT ACCESSIBLE BETWEEN AUG. 23 AND NOV. 17 2013
Administrator 17/05/2013Owing to essential maintenance work in the storage areas of the British Library, the Stein Dunhuang and other Central Asia manuscripts will not be available for study on the dates above. The dates are still to be confirmed, and please email IDP (idp@bl.uk) or check here for further updates.
Exhibition
Dunhuang: Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road
Administrator 17/05/2013
China Institute Gallery, New York
April 19 – October 6 2013
This exhibition showcases the customs and practices of local Buddhists in Dunhuang and illuminates the significance of the city as a crucial point of cultural exchange. The exhibits include sculpture, painted clay reliefs, calligraphy, Buddhist scriptures, and modelled bricks from the caves. There is an accompanying catalogue.
See the China Institute web pages for more information.
Relaunch of Sponsor a Sutra
Administrator 17/05/2013Sponsor a Sutra, your opportunity to enable the copying of a Buddhist sutra just like the original patrons of the manuscripts, has been relaunched. We have a simpler pricing scheme, starting from just £35, and a new secure online payment system. You can add your own dedication or sponsor a sutra as a gift for a friend. All funds go directly to the digitisation work of IDP and enable us to make more material freely available online.
UK Association for Buddhist Studies
Annual Conference 2013
Administrator 17/05/2013
Lectures by Professor Stefano Zacchetti and Dr Elizabeth Harris, a postgraduate panel and a presentation of a University of Durham research project.
Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
915am – 530pm, Friday July 12 2013
Registration: £10 (£5 unwaged) for UKABS members; £25 (£15 unwaged) for non-members.
Further information: Dr Cathy Cantwell, catherine.cantwell@orinst.ox.ac.uk
Lecture
Between Cultures: The Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim Records
Administrator 18/04/2013Professor Max Deeg (Cardiff University)
Organised by the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS).
RAS, 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD, UK (nr Euston Station)
6pm on 9 May 2013
Tickets: Anyone wishing to attend who is not a fellow should contact the Executive Officer, see below.
Contact: (0)20 7388 4539, cl@royalasiaticsociety.org.
400,000 Images
Administrator 26/03/2013Thanks to the hard work of all our partners worldwide, there are now over 400,000 images of Silk Road manuscripts, paintings, artefacts and photographs available online. Recent additions include Dunhuang scrolls in the National Library of China (search for BD), photographs from the Sven Hedin collection in Sweden (search for 1034.00) and Tibetan pothi from the Stein collection (search for IOL Tib J).
Administrator 22/03/2013
There are no events listed at present.
New Videos
Vic Swift 01/02/2013IDP has new videos available on our YouTube channel. Conserving the Diamond Sutra tells the story of the sutra scroll, its science and conservation and Donor Profile features IDP supporter The Venerable Phra Kru Samu Lom from the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon, London.
Records not Available
Administrator 14/01/2013We are currently carrying out a redevelopment of the IDP database and website. There will be periods over the next year when records and images will be temporarily unavailable. Apologies in advance for any disruption.
IDP News 40 now available
Vic Swift 14/01/2013The latest version of the IDP newsletter is now available online. Along with the regular features of recent publications, exhibitions and IDP news the current issue contains the following articles:
- Dandan-Uiliq: The Sino-Japanese Mission
- Archaeology of the Southern Taklamakan: Hedin and Stein’s Legacy and New Explorations
- In the Footsteps of Grünwedel: Conservation and Research on Central Asian Wall Paintings
- Scientific Analysis of the Kizil Wall Paintings of the Asian Art Museum, Berlin
- Buddhist Art Forum
- Obituary: Werner Sundermann (1935–2012)
IDP Conference Web Page
Vic Swift 09/01/2013The conference web page has been updated. Speaker's presentations and audio files are now available for download along with a conference report provided by Daniel C. Waugh.
Exhibition
Vic Swift 02/10/2012Re:collection
28 September – 16th December 2012
Durham University, Oriental Museum
Stephen Livingstone and Bill Woods have worked together as artists and teachers for over twenty years and during this time they have introduced hundreds of young people to the wonders of the Oriental Museum's collection. Their investigations into many different aspects of Asian art and culture have resulted in a number of highly successful exhibitions of their student's work at the museum. Regular visits to the museum to draw artefacts, view exhibitions and participate in events has rubbed off on their own work too and this exhibition brings together some of their own personal responses to the collection.
For further information see the exhibition webpage
IDP Vacancy: International Data and Support Assistant
Vic Swift 14/08/2012IDP UK is looking for an International Data and Support Assistant. For full details see the British Library Careers site.
IDP User Survey Now Online
Vic Swift 23/05/2012IDP is planning a major update of all its online resources over the coming year. We are keen to reach as many users as possible and, over the next few months, will be asking for your feedback.
The online user survey is to enable you to tell us how you use the IDP site and how you would like to see it improved. Please take time to complete this and tell your colleagues and students.
We very much appreciate your time and help.
IDP News 39 online
Vic Swift 11/05/2012IDP News Issue No. 39 is now online. This issue is dedicated to the Taklamakan sites of Niya and Karadong visited by IDP in association with the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in November 2011.
Asian Art in London
1st-10th November, 2012
Administrator 24/04/2012Asian Art in London is an annual event which unites London's leading Asian art dealers, major auction houses and societies in a series of gallery selling exhibitions, auctions, receptions, lectures and seminars.
For further details see the Asian Art in London website.
IDP Conference
Archaeology of the Southern Taklamakan: Hedin and Stein’s Legacy and New Explorations
The British Library and SOAS, London
8th-10th November, 2012
Organised with the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology
This conference will take place as part of Asian Art in London 2012
Administrator 24/04/2012Over the past three decades there have been systematic archaeological excavations of sites belonging to the ancient kingdoms of Khotan in the western Taklamakan and Kroraina in the eastern Taklamakan and Lop Desert, in modern-day western China. These have been carried out by Chinese archaeologists, some in conjunction with Japanese and French teams.
The exploration of these kingdoms, however, began much earlier. Early in the 20th century Sven Hedin and Aurel Stein uncovered significant archaeological remains and archives and brought the importance of these cultures to the attention of an international scholarly public. The materials they excavated are now in various collections in Europe and worldwide, and their influence on modern understanding of Central Asian history and society is without parallel.
The conference will set the sites in context by looking at the historical geography and environment, the transmitted and excavated historical records, and archaeological archives in China and Europe. It will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars, including field archaeologists from the Chinese, Sino-Japanese and Sino-French excavations of recent decades, archivists, curators and historians working on the Hedin and Stein collections, and historical geographers, art historians, and historians from universities with a strong research record in this area. This is the first conference on this topic.
The conference is being organised by the British Library, SOAS and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology. The opening lecture on November 8th will be held at SOAS. Proceedings on the 9th and 10th will be at the British Library Conference Centre.
There is a registration fee of GB£40 (£20 for students/OAPs) which will also cover refreshments over the two days. For further details or to register see the conference webpage.
Statistics on Collections Pages
Administrator 20/04/2012Please accept our apologies - the statistics on the collections pages are not currently working correctly. This is owing to some work we are doing on the structure of the database and will be resolved when we have completed this. This is planned for 27th April at the latest. Thank you for you understanding and patience.
Digital Imaging Assistant Post
Vic Swift 03/04/2012IDP has a position available for a part time digital imaging assistant. For full details please see The British Library Careers pages.
Tocharian manuscripts online
Vic Swift 30/03/2012IDP UK and Germany have contributed over 17,000 image links of Tocharian manuscripts for use on The Comprehensive Edition of Tocharian Manuscripts website. Hosted by the Department of Linguistics at the University of Vienna and funded by the START Program of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the aim of the project is to make all Tocharian texts available by providing photographs, text transcriptions, and English translations with a commentary on the respective linguistic, philological, and cultural aspects. The text material is made accessible through a database with various search options, both grammatical and philological.
The website is currently under construction although over 800 manuscripts are already available to view online with images from the British Library and the Berlin Turfan collections pulled directly from the IDP UK database.
Buddhist Art Forum
11-14 April 2012, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Administrator 05/03/2012This Forum will seek to address the philosophical issues concerning Buddhism and art in a profound and holistic way. Drawing contributors from widely varied backgrounds from Asia and the rest of the world, the Forum will have four overarching themes dealing with Buddhist art: definition; creation and function; conservation; and its role in the contemporary world.
About forty contributors will engage with an audience of scholars, students and the general public who will participate in discussion throughout the event. The Forum will include evening receptions jointly hosted with the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum, and another in The Courtauld Gallery.
Booking is for all four days of the Forum. To book a place: £100 (£75 Courtauld staff/students and concessions) go the online site. For payment by cheque, or for further information, email ResearchForumEvents@courtauld.ac.uk . Since places are limited, The Courtauld regrets that it cannot guarantee that all booking requests will be accepted.
Exhibition
The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK
5th May to 11th November, 2012
Administrator 02/03/2012
Over 350 treasures in jade, gold, silver, bronze and ceramics will reveal the hidden world of China’s 2000 year old royal tombs. A part of the London 2012 Festival, The Search for Immortality is the largest and most remarkable exhibition of ancient royal treasures ever to travel outside China.
For details see their website.
IDP News Issue No. 38 now online
Vic Swift 01/02/2012IDP News Issue No. 38, Winter 2011–12 is now available online. This issue is dedicated to the Diamond Sutra including an article on its history and transmission, a preliminary study of the paper of the printed copy found at Dunhuang, as well as extracts from new books on the Diamond Sutra, one of which showcases the conservation work recently completed at the British Library. We also report on the IDP partners’ business meeting held in October 2011 at the Dunhuang Academy, and the exhibition curated by the Dunhuang Academy on historical photographs of Dunhuang.
IDP Field Trip 2011
Vic Swift 15/12/2011Members of the IDP UK team recently travelled to Xinjiang to visit the ancient sites of Niya and Karadong. In collaboration with the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology and local guides IDP spent time documenting the sites. We are working to make this material available on the IDP database as soon as possible but general photography of the trip can already be seen on our Flickr group page and several Audioboos can be heard here.
The photograph above was taken at the house of Kaysar Mahmut, guardian of Niya site, in Kapak Askan village. It shows him (third from left) with members of his family, the IDP UK team and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology.
New manuscripts from the Royal Library of Copenhagen on IDP
Vic Swift 08/12/201116 Dunhuang manuscripts in 14 rolls are now available on IDP. Donated by Arthur Bollerup Sørensen (1880–1932) in 1915, the collection contains a Daoist manuscript and a text believed to be unique. MSS 12 and 16 have colophons.
View the catalogue online or search for 'Holding Institute = Det Kongelige Bibliotek' on our Advanced Search page.
IDP Business Meeting, October 2011
Vic Swift 19/10/2011Generously hosted by the Dunhuang Academy from 11–13 October 2011, representatives from IDP Centres around the world met to discuss IDP's future direction. Presentations and lively discussion took place over the two days of the meeting and continued during the visits to local sites.
A full report will be given in the next issue of IDP News. For a photograph and list of delegates see the IDP UK Blog.
IDP News Issue No. 36–37 now online
Vic Swift 19/10/2011IDP News Issue No. 36–37, Winter/Spring 2010–11 is now available online. This issue covers the launch of the IDP Seoul website featuring the keynote address by Professor Mair and articles from Korean scholars.
In this issue we also report on links being developed with institutions in Afghanistan to make resources held in the British Library accessible to all.
IDP France offline
Vic Swift 07/09/2011 IDP France will be offline 9–12th September for essential maintenance. Our other servers will be available as usual.Launch of new palaeographic online resource for Tibetan and Chinese manuscripts
Sam van Schaik 02/09/2011A new scholarly resource for manuscript studies has been launched by IDP. It provides an introduction into the script types found in the Chinese and Tibetan manuscripts from Dunhuang. Each type of script is described, with examples, and a transcription exercise.
The resource is the result of the palaeographic project funded by the Leverhulme Trust, and was developed by Imre Galambos, Sam van Schaik and Vic Swift. It can be found here on the Technical Resources page of the IDP website.
Previously Unpublished Silk Road Manuscripts Now Available Online
Completion of Digitisation of Dunhuang Chinese Manuscript Fragments in the British Library (Or.8210/S.8401-13891)
Vic Swift 17/06/2011In 1987 the British Library hosted scholars from the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. They came with a proposal to produce a facsimile edition of non-Buddhist Chinese manuscripts from Dunhuang, to include previously unpublished fragments. The resulting joint Sino-British project conserved all the remaining fragments, including the Buddhist material. This resulted in 6136 more manuscripts becoming available for study.
Thanks to the grant from the Research Institute of Korean Studies, IDP has now completed the digitisation of these fragments, resulting in the publication, for the first time, of most of this material with over 13,000 more images online.
Further information will be available in the next issue of IDP News.
Internship at the British Museum & British Library (World Collections Programme)
Sam van Schaik 10/05/2011 A fully-funded five-month internship based at the British Museum and at IDP at the British Library will start in early 2012. The intern will be selected from relevant institutions in India. The programme is intended as a capacity building initiative for a young professional. Training is an integral part of this proposal. For an application form, please contact idp@bl.uk. Deadline for applications is 15 May 2011.IDP France Server
Vic Swift 16/03/2011IDP France is now back online. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
British Library Sanskrit Fragments Vol.II now online
Sam van Schaik 16/03/2011 The second series of catalogue articles on the Sanskrit fragments in the British Library, edited by Seishi Karashima and Klaus Wille, are now available on IDP News is now online. Articles include Following the Tracks of a Tenth-Century Buddhist Pilgrim and A Technical Study of Portable Paintings from Cave 17 in US Collections.Secrets of the Silk Road
Penn Museum
February 5 – June 5th 2011
Vic Swift 27/01/2011
Secrets of the Silk Road explores the history of the vast desert landscape of the Tarim Basin, located in Western China, and the mystery of the peoples who lived there. Located at the crossroads between East and West, oasis towns within the Tarim Basin were key way stations for anyone traveling on the legendary Silk Road. Extraordinarily well-preserved human remains found at these sites reveal ancient people of unknown descent. Caucasian in appearance, these mummies challenge long-held beliefs about the history of the area, and early human migration. The material excavated suggests the area was active for thousands of years, with diverse languages, lifestyles, religions, and cultures present. This exhibit provides a chance to investigate this captivating material to begin to uncover some of the secrets of the Silk Road
For further information see the exhibition web page.
Conference: National Committee for Information Resources on Asia
Japan Foundation, 10-12 Russell Square, London
7th December, 2010
Sam van Schaik 03/12/2010 Sam van Schaik will talk at the annual conference of the National Committee for Information Resources on Asia (NACIRA), about recent developments at IDP. For details of the conference, see the committee's website.IDP Korea Launch
Alastair Morrison 01/12/2010IDP's newest centre officially opened in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on Thursday 2 December 2010 at a launch ceremony at the Centennial Memorial Hall, Korea University. Professor Victor Mair of the University of Pennsylvania, USA, gave a keynote speech. The Korean IDP website is being hosted at the Research Institute of Korean Studies (RIKS) at Korea University and is now live. A full report of the launch will follow in IDP News 36, due out in the spring of 2011.
See British Library press release for more information
New Book Offers
Alastair Morrison 01/11/2010In collaboration with London Editions, IDP is pleased to offer a new general introduction to Dunhuang and the caves at the reduced price of £30, including p&p. Beautifully illustrated, The Caves of Dunhuang gives an introduction to a selection caves from all periods. For further information, see IDP News 34.
IDP is selling copies of Dunhuang Manuscript Forgeries for £18 including p&p, see IDP Publications for further details.
Project Assistant – Stein Collection Database
Alastair Morrison 01/11/2010The British Museum is looking to recruit a Project Assistant to work on the Stein Collection Database. The post holder will be responsible for completing and updating the museum’s cataloguing and Merlin database entries for the three dimensional objects from the museum’s Stein collection; as well as working on other archaeological material from Central Asia.
Salary: £18,256 to £22,423, depending on experience and skills
Contract: Fixed term, 12 months
Application deadline: 12 noon, 10 January 2011
Download job description and application pack
Kucha and the Silk Road
Vic Swift 28/09/2010University of Southern California
13th November 2010
This one-day event explores the cave temples of Kucha, which rank among some of the most significant monuments along the ancient Silk Road.
For further information see the USC Website.
Precious historic documents of Xinjiang exhibited
Vic Swift 31/08/2010Xinjiang Historic Documents Exhibition will open at Xinjiang Museum on August 20 and lasts for one month. This exhibition which is held by the Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and co-sponsored by Department of Culture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, National Library of China and Library of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will exhibit precious historic documents of Xinjiang for the first time since the founding of People's Republic of China.
Medieval Tibeto-Burman Languages Symposium V
Sam van Schaik 25/08/2010School of Oriental and African Studies, Wednesday 1 September 2010
Now when the majority of the world’s languages are under imminent threat of extinction, thorough description of the hundreds of living Tibeto-Burman languages is of great importance. Despite this imperative, research into the earlier stages of Tibeto-Burman languages with a long written history is also vital. The older written Tibeto-Burman languages, such as Bailang (1c.), Tibetan (8c.), Newar (9c.), Burmese (12c.), Tangut (13c.) and Manipuri provide a diachronic depth to comparative, historical and typological studies of contemporary languages, and are indeed essential for solving many of the puzzles which the myriad of today’s tongues present.
Sam van Schaik and Imre Galambos from IDP will speak at the symposium on Tibetan and Tangut, respectively
See the website for further information.
On the Silk Road and High Seas: Chinese Ceramics, Culture and Commerce
Vic Swift 23/08/2010Norton Museum of Art
August 21–November 21, 2010
Since the second century BCE, the so-called Silk Road stretched for thousands of miles from eastern China to the Black Sea, thus linking the great civilizations of east Asia with those of southwest Asia and, thereby, to Europe. In later centuries the trade and cultural influences which flowed back and forth on land were transferred to the sea, as maritime shipping eventually came to dominate world commerce. The superb examples of Chinese ceramics featured in this exhibition were prized at home and treasured abroad, where they were indeed rarities until the mid 18th century. Specific styles and innovations that arose as a result of cross-cultural exchanges are highlighted.
See the website for further information.
Secrets of the Silk Road
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
August 27, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Vic Swift 16/08/2010
This historic exhibition of 150 objects drawn from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in Urumqi, China reveals surprising details about the people who lived along the ancient Silk Road. For the first time ever, two of the more than 100 Caucasian mummies found and preserved in the western China’s inhospitable desert sands are being presented in the United States. An impressive array of objects are included in the exhibition to represent the full extent of the Silk Road, where lavish goods, technologies and ideas between East and West were adopted and exchanged.
See the exhibition website for further details.
IDP News 34
Vic Swift 06/08/2010The latest version of IDP News is now online. Articles include The Iconography of Buddha on a Wooden Panel from Khotan, Stars on Earth — De Filippi’s 1913-4 Karakorum Expedition and a report of the St. Petersburg Dunhuang Studies Conference held in September 2009.
IDP Awarded Annual Casa Asia Prize
Alastair Morrison 04/08/2010The 2010 Casa Asia Prize was awarded to IDP in recognition of work undertaken to conserve and digitise documents and materials from Dunhuang and other Silk Road sites, and for making them accessible to all students and researchers worldwide. For more information, see the Casa Asia website.
Major British Academy Grant for Tibetan Zen Project
Sam van Schaik 24/07/2010The British Academy has awarded Sam van Schaik a grant of over £100,000 to develop a major project on the Tibetan Zen texts discovered among the Dunhuang manuscripts. The project (running from 2010 to 2013) will result in transcriptions of all the manuscript sources for Tibetan Zen, as well as translations of key texts, and research into significant issues in this field of enquiry. Updates on the progress of the project will be posted on the IDP blog.
Secrets of the Silk Road
Vic Swift 01/04/2010March 27 – July 25th, 2010
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main Street
Santa Ana
CA 92706
A historic exhibition of 150 objects drawn from the rich collections of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in Urumqi, China reveals surprising details about the people who lived along the ancient Silk Road.
For more information see the Secrets of the Silk Road web page.
Videos of IDP's Xinjiang Field Trip
Vic Swift 31/03/2010Videos of IDP's 2008 field trip to archaeological sites in Xinjiang, Western China are now available on our YouTube channel. Footage is available of sites including Miran, Mazar Tagh and Endere. Read more about the field trip in IDP News Issue No. 32.
Teaching Chinese Astronomy
Abby Baker 12/03/2010A new educational resource for school children and teachers, funded by the Royal Astronomical Society, is now available on the IDP Education pages. The resource offers ideas and downloads for classroom study of both astronomy and astrology, and aims to introduce the Dunhuang Star Atlas as a tool for evidence based learning. Schools and teachers can download a free wallchart, or contact us directly for a printed copy.
Important Information: Server Upgrades
Vic Swift 01/03/2010We are continuing to upgrade all our international servers. Benefits to our users will include faster searches and improved Unicode rendering. During this time some features of the website functionality may be unavailable and we ask for your patience while we resolve any outstanding issues. In the event of the website being unavailable for any extended amount of time we will post updates on our blog.
The Dunhuang Sky: A Comprehensive Study of the Oldest Known Star Atlas
Vic Swift 28/01/2010A new research paper authored by Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud, Dr Françoise Praderie and Dr Susan Whitfield presents an analysis of the star atlas included in the medieval Chinese manuscript Or.8210/S.3326 discovered in 1907 by the archaeologist Aurel Stein at the Silk Road town of Dunhuang and now housed in the British Library. Although partially studied by a few Chinese scholars, it has never been fully displayed and discussed in the Western world. The paper is available to view via our Research page.
IDP Blog
Vic Swift 26/01/2010Staff members will be contributing to an IDP blog. News about our travels, collaborations and ongoing fundraising efforts will be posted here and we look forward to receiving comments from our users.
The Diamond Sutra
Vic Swift 26/01/2010The newly-conserved Diamond Sutra (Or.8210/P.2) is now online. A web resource is under development which will include information and images of its conservation.
IDP News 33, Spring 2009
Vic Swift 26/01/2010The latest bi-lingual (English and French) issue of the IDP Newsletter is now online. Articles include:
- IDP France Goes Live
- Undoing Old and Doing New Conservation on Pelliot Chinois 2547 and 2490
Plus the latest worldwide Exhibitions, Publications and IDP UK news.
New multi-lingual learning resource on Buddhism now available on the IDP education pages
Abby Baker 05/11/2009As part of the EU funded CREA project, IDP has produced a new set of downloadable educational worksheets in English, French and German on the subject of Buddhism for teachers and students. The worksheets aim to offer a general introduction to the topic and can be used together or individually to introduce ideas relating to the history and basic tenets of the religion, its transmission through Asia, and its iconography and manifestation in printed documents, paintings and manuscripts from international museum and library collections.
IDP is currently working to expand its education pages online, and this set of themed worksheets represents the first of a number of new resources that will appear on our web pages over the next few months. Please look out for upcoming resources on Chinese Astronomy and Astrology which will appear soon. We welcome your feedback on our resources and hope that you find them useful in your classroom, or for your own research. Please contact Abby Baker if you have any comments or suggestions, would like to order hard copies of this resource, or have an enquiry about other education services we can offer.
Khotan Revisited
Retracing Stein's Footsteps on the Silk Road Vic Swift 20/10/2009
Friday 30th October 2009, 6.00pm
The Royal Asiatic Society
The Royal Asiatic Society
The Circle of Inner Asian Art, the Royal Asiatic Society and the International Dunhuang Project at the British Library cordially invite you to celebrate the publication of Volume 3 of the Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology. Volume 3 is a special issue focusing on Khotan, its history, art, archaeology and culture before 1000CE, resulting from an international symposium held at the British Library in 2004. It is guest edited by Ursula Sims-Williams, Curator of Iranian Collections at the British Library.
The evening will include a lecture with slides and video by Dr. Susan Whitfield, Head of Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections at the British Library, who will introduce new photographs resulting from a field trip by IDP and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in November 2008 to some of the Taklamakan sites visited a century ago by the archaeologist and explorer, Aurel Stein.
Entrance is free and the lecture will be followed by a reception.
The RAS is located at 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD. Tel. 020 7388 4539. Nearest tube: Euston Square
THE SILK ROAD: A JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE AND DEATH
Royal Museums for Art and History
23rd October 2009 – 7th February 2010
Sarah Biggs 13/10/2009Two thousand years ago Europe and Asia were connected by a vast network of trade routes that crossed continents and allowed for global exchanges in a pre-global world. The Silk Road consisted of several routes through unspoilt nature and bustling towns along which the Xiongnus, the Tanguts, the Sogdians and many other peoples lived, travelled and died. It wasn’t just silk and luxury items that travelled these routes: ideas, technologies and beliefs circulated widely amongst the merchants, monks, missionaries, soldiers and artisans who passed along them.
This Exhibition will tell something of this story of great cultural and technological exchange in a pre-modern world and, along the way, give an introduction to the spectacular landscape and peoples of north-western China. The visitor will be taken on both an historical and geographical journey. The former will tell of the rise of the Silk Road over 2000 years ago and follow its heyday, before showing something of the Silk Road today. The visitor will travel from Xi'an, the site of China's capital city for most of its history, westward through mountain passes to deserts, great mountains and the steppe, ending in Kashgar at the western border of modern China. Over 200 objects will be shown, many of them found in tombs, ranging from great works of art to everyday utensils, so giving a glimpse into the lives and deaths of the people of the Silk Road.
Curators: Dr Susan Whitfield, Director, International Dunhuang Project, British Library, London, UK and Dr ZHAO Gushan, Art Exhibitions China, Beijing.
Scenography: Bob Verhelst.
Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10
1000 Brussels
Tel: + 32 (0)2 741 72 11
For more information, visit the Europalia website.
E-mail: info@europalia.eu
TRAVELING THE SILK ROAD: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World
14 November 2009 - 15 August 2010
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Sarah Biggs 09/10/2009
This exhibition brings to life one of the greatest trading routes in human history, showcasing the goods, cultures, and technologies from four representative cities: Xi’an, China’s Tang Dynasty capital; Turfan, a verdant oasis and trading outpost; Samarkand, home of prosperous merchants who thrived on the caravan trade; and Baghdad, a fertile hub of commerce and scholarship that became the intellectual center of the era.
For more information visit the Travelling the Silk Road website.
Database Work on Archaeological Site Information
Administrator 18/09/2009We are currently updating the information on archaeological sites and making some structural changes to improve the searches. This will mean that 'Find by site' searches on the site overview page will not function correctly until we have finished the changes and mounted a new interface. Apologies for any inconvenience and please be patient with us in the meantime.
Photographs of Archaeological Sites in Xinjiang
Vic Swift 11/09/2009Almost 800 photographs taken during IDP's field trip to the Southern Silk Road in November 2008 in conjunction with the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology are now available in the IDP database. Sites covered include Shikchin, Miran, Endere, Rawak, Aksipil, Mazar Tagh, Melikawat and Subashi. To see these images and historical photographs go to Advanced Search and in Predefined/indexed values search for Type of Artefact='Photograph' and filter by the required Archaeological Site(s). To see only the most recent images add Holding Institute='International Dunhuang Project' to the advanced search.
Cultural Exchange on the Northern Silk Road
1 April 2009 - 3 January 2010
Museen Dahlem
Vic Swift 27/08/2009
The newly opened Chinese Cultural Centre (Berlin, Tiergarten) is organising an important exhibition on the art of the world renowned Mogao Caves in Dunhuang at the eastern hub of the Silk Road. Copies of two of the rock-cut temples have been recreated to original size and are now to go on view for the first time in Berlin.
Concurrent to the Musée Guimet's activities in Paris, the Museum of Asian Art is planning to host an exhibition to accompany the project, in which objects from the famous Turfan Collection will go on show to reveal the various close ties between the oasis towns of the Northern Silk Road. These objects are visually stunning and include silk fragments with ornamental patterns, fragments of paintings adorned with gold and clay sculptures. The accompanying texts in the exhibition rooms will shed new light in elucidating the close ties between the various workshops and reveal the cultural exchange that occurred in terms of iconography and style.
Click here for more information
UK Site: Technical Problems
Vic Swift 24/08/2009We are currently experiencing technical problems with our UK server. We are working to resolve the problem and apologise for any inconvenience.
IDP UK Offline
Vic Swift 30/07/2009For essential maintenance and upgrades IDP UK will be offline today (Thursday 30th July) at 2pm for approximately one hour. Our international servers will be available as usual. We apologise for the inconvenience.
New Rare Books Exhibition at the National Library of China
Alastair Morrison 10/06/2009June 14 to July 3, 2009
The National Library of China, Beijing
The ‘Special Exhibition of National Rare Books in China’ has been organised by the Chinese Ministry of Culture at the National Library of China, Beijing. There are over 300 items selected from the ‘Catalogue of National Rare Books in China’, including Dunhuang and Turfan materials, rare books of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (from 11th to 19th century), Buddhist documents, Ming and Qing dynasties manuscripts (from 14th to 19th century), rubbings, maps and atlases, as well as old books of ethnic minorities in China. Many of them have been identified recently and are on show for the first time. After the first ‘Special Exhibition of National Rare Books in China’ held in 2008, this exhibition is the largest scale exhibition to showcase rare books from pre-modern China.
Venue: Jigu Gallery and Youwen Gallery, North Area of the National Library of China, No. 33 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing
Time: 9:00am – 4:30pm
Free Entry
IDP France Goes live
Administrator 01/05/2009The IDP French website went live on 29th April with a press launch at the Musée Guimet in Paris. The website is hosted by the Bibliothèque national de France. Over the past months, the BnF and Musée Guimet have input images and catalogues on the Pelliot Dunhuang collections, including over 8500 manuscripts, hundreds of paintings, sculptures and textiles, historical photographs and details of the Pelliot archives.
The project has been funded with support from the European Commission, as part of the IDP-CREA programme.
IDP News 32, Winter 2008–9
Vic Swift 23/03/2009The latest issue of the IDP Newsletter is now online. Articles include:
- Archaeology in Xinjiang
- A Century On: Documenting Archaeological Sites in Xinjiang
- Berlin Researchers in Turfan
- New Discoveries and Research on Khotan
- Celebrating the 2009 International Year of Astronomy
- Understanding the Dunhuang Star Chart
Plus the latest worldwide Exhibitions, Publications and IDP UK news.
Translation of Dunhuang Go Manual
Alastair Morrison 12/03/2009The Dunhuang Go Manual is currently being translated into English. See the Go Manual on IDP and read the first chapter in English. You can also access the manuscript by typing S.5574 into the search box on the left hand menu. We will put up each new chapter as it is translated.
New Research on the Dunhuang Star Chart
Administrator 10/02/2009We will shortly be posting new research and an educational resource on the Dunhuang Star Chart. To see the Star Chart on IDP, click here or type S.3326 into the search box on the left hand menu.
THE DUNHUANG STAR CHART: AN EARLY VIEW OF THE CHINESE SKY
Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud and Susan Whitfield
Special IDP lectures to celebrate the 2009 International Year of Astronomy
Sarah Biggs 19/01/2009Tuesday, 10th February 2009 (6.30 p.m.)
The Royal Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1
Friday, 13th February 2009 (4.00 p.m.)
The Royal Astonomical Society, lecture held at The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J
Entrance is free to both but places are limited.
Probably dated to the seventh and early eighth century, the Dunhuang Star Chart is the oldest known manuscript star chart in the world and the earliest existing to depict the whole of the sky visible in China. The chart is remarkable as it has, even given today’s advanced astronomical techniques, an overall accuracy surprising for a document from an early period. It is thought it may have been a reproduction of more than one earlier chart and was possibly originally used for uranography (divination of events by consulting the heavens), for military purposes (by calculating lucky or unlucky days for warfare on the basis of heavenly bodies), or as a guide for travellers.
In this talk, Susan Whitfield will give a general historical background to the discovery of this manuscript and others relating to astronomy and astrology in China in the Dunhuang cache. Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud will then introduce the detailed research he has carried out with Professor Françoise Praderie which has identified over 1300 stars on the chart. This work has demonstrated that the document is produced according to precise geometrical rules. The different methods used to constrain the date of the document will also be presented; and the talk will be illustrated.
Dr Susan Whitfield is an historian of China and Director of IDP. Professor Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud is a scientist at the Astrophysical Department of the French Atomic Energy Agency, a specialist in high energy astrophysics and working on the last stages of stellar evolution. With Professor Françoise Praderie of the Observatoire de Paris, they have been researching the Dunhuang Star Chart for several years. Their paper will shortly be published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage and full details will be available on a special educational resource on IDP thanks to the generous support of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Pidem Fund.
Click here for details of the Royal Asiatic Society and a link to a map. The nearest tube stations are Euston and Euston Square.
Click here for details of the Royal Astronomical Society and the lecture venue. The nearest tube stations are Piccadilly and Green Park.
Click here for details of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy.
THE DUNHUANG STAR CHART: AN EARLY VIEW OF THE CHINESE SKY
by Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud and Susan Whitfield
A special lecture to celebrate the 2009 International Year of Astronomy
jointly organised by the Royal Asiatic Society and the International Dunhuang Project
Sarah Biggs 16/01/2009
Tuesday, 10th February 2009 (6.30 p.m.)
The Royal Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD
Entrance is free but places are limited.
Probably dated to the seventh or early eighth century, the Dunhuang Star Chart is the oldest known manuscript star chart in the world and the earliest existing to depict the whole of the sky visible in China. It was discovered in Dunhuang in Western China by Aurel Stein in 1907 and is now in the British Library’s collection (Or.8210/S.3326). The chart is remarkable as it has, even given today’s advanced astronomical techniques, an overall accuracy surprising for a document from an early period. It is thought it may have been a reproduction of more than one earlier chart and was possibly originally used for uranography (divination of events by consulting the heavens), for military purposes (by calculating lucky or unlucky days for warfare on the basis of heavenly bodies), or as a guide for travellers.
In this talk, Dr Susan Whitfield will give a general historical background to the discovery of this manuscript and others relating to astronomy and astrology in China in the Dunhuang cache. Professor Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud will then introduce the detailed research he has carried out with Professor Françoise Praderie which has identified over 1300 stars on the chart. This work has demonstrated that the document is produced according to precise geometrical rules. The different methods used to constrain the date of the document will also be presented; and the talk will be illustrated.
Dr Susan Whitfield is an historian of China and Director of the International Dunhuang Project at the British Library. Professor Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud is a scientist at the Astrophysical Department of the French Atomic Energy Agency, specialist in high energy astrophysics and working on the last stages of stellar evolution. With Professor Françoise Praderie of the Observatoire de Paris, they have been researching the Dunhuang Star Chart for several years. Their preliminary findings were published in the catalogue of the 2004 exhibition at the British Library in which the chart was on public display. A more comprehensive paper will shortly be published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage and full details will be available on a special educational resource on the IDP website, thanks to a grant from the Royal Astronomical Society and the Pidem Fund.
Click here for details of the Royal Asiatic Society and a link to a map. The nearest tube stations are Euston and Euston Square.
EDUCATION WORKSHOP
Astronomy on the Silk Road
Sarah Biggs 12/01/2009
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
10 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
The British Library holds a manuscript found in Dunhuang, western China, containing the oldest star atlas known today from any civilisation, dating from the late seventh century. It shows a complete representation of the Chinese sky awith over 3000 identifiable stars.
Inspired by the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, IDP is organising a workshop for NC key stage 3 on the Dunhuang star atlas with introductions to astronomy and astrology in medieval China. A historical context of astronomy in medieval China will be given followed by an interactive session led by the leading French astrophysicist Dr Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud from the Atomic Energy Commission in Paris.
Note: this event is now sold out but if there is sufficient interest we will rerun this workshop later in the year. To express your interest or to be put on the mailing list for future educational events, please email:
Education: Gallery of 1000 Buddhas
Vic Swift 08/01/2009
In Buddhist tradition, the replication of the image of the Buddha is an important way of spreading the word of Buddha, and of attaining merit for rebirth in the next life. Examples of this practice can be seen in Buddhist cave complexes around the world, including in the caves at Dunhuang where many of the artefacts displayed on IDP's online database were found.
If you are a student or a teacher visit IDP's gallery of 1000 Buddhas and find out how to add your own Buddha image generating merit for yourself and everyone else who has contributed to the gallery so far.
EXHIBITION
The Caves of a Thousand Buddhas: Russian Expeditions to Chinese Turkestan
The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia
December 12, 2008 to April 5, 2009
Administrator 13/12/2008
More than 300 items including sculptures, wall painting fragments, woodcuts, ancient manuscripts as well as expedition documents, photographs, maps and drafts brought by the Russian explorers from the Silk Road are on display, many for the first time. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue and by a collection of papers.
The exhibition is prepared by the State Hermitage Museum jointly with the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of Russian Academy of Sciences.
For more information see the website.
FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE
Dunhuang Studies: Prospects and Problems for the Coming Second Century of Research
Administrator 13/12/2008
September 3-5, 2009
St. Petersburg, Russia
Organized by the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the International Dunhuang Liaison Committee for Dunhuang Studies
Topics to be discussed by the Conference:
1. The significance of Dunhuang studies for the research of China and Central Asia. New academic prospects, avenues and methods.
2. Dunhuang written sources on the history, society, culture and religion of China and Central Asia.
3. Patterns for research, publication, comment and translation of Dunhuang manuscripts. Textual studies, critical analysis of sources, paleography.
4. Turfan and Central Asian written sources. Results of recent studies.
5. Prospects and problems of cataloguing and conservation. Database experience, virtual archives.
6. Dunhuang art and archeology.
7. The history of Dunhuang studies: expeditions, archives, collections.
Scholars should send both the 200-250 word abstract of their paper and their personal information (name, organization, post address, phone number, academic position, e-mail address) in English to:
popova@mail.convey.ru
or by fax (+7-812) 312-1465. The deadline is December 31, 2008.
For further details see the Institute's website.
Stein Publications Online
Administrator 13/12/2008We are very happy to announce the online publication of the Handbook to the Collections of Sir Aurel Stein in the UK, now available on the British Museum's website.
This is the second BM Research Publication on Stein to go on the BM website. The first one, Sir Aurel Stein, Proceedings of the British Museum Study Day, 23 March 2002, is also available online.
IDP Field Trip to Xinjiang
Administrator 04/12/2008An IDP team has just returned from a two week field trip with the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology to archaeological sites on the southern Silk Road. This was part of the EU-funded IDP-CREA programme, with additional support from the Sino-British Fellowship Trust (SBFT). Two photographic teams concentrated on taking documentary photography of sites visited and photographed by Aurel Stein a century ago, including Miran, Endere, Rawak and Mazar-Tagh.
The photographs and data will be added to the IDP database and to a Google Earth interface and reference sets given to the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology. Two scholars, one from the Institute and one from the Xinjiang Cultural Relics Bureau, will visit IDP in the UK in 2009 to help with this work. Funding for their visit is provided by the SBFT.
IDP would like to thank the sponsors and both the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology and the Xinjiang Cultural Relics Bureau whose support made the trip so successful. A full report will be given in the next issue of IDP News (Winter 2008/9).
IDP News No. 31, Spring/Summer 2008
Administrator 06/10/2008The latest issue of the IDP Newsletter is now available to read and download.
IDP-CREA: Cultural Routes of Eurasia
Administrator 22/09/2008IDP-CREA is a collaboration between six IDP partners in Europe (from the UK, Hungary, France, and Germany) and three associate partners from China with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union. It will significantly expand IDPs resources to include a French interface, more images and data, educational web pages and Google Earth layers illustrating the remarkable tales of the European explorers, archaeologists and scholars who travelled to Chinese Central Asia in the early years of the twentieth century.
Further details of IDP-CREA partners and activities can now be found on a IDP-CREA website.
Manuscripts from US Collections Now Online
Administrator 24/04/2008Thanks to a grant from the American Trust for the British Library, in September 2007 a digitisation team from IDP London went to New York and Princeton to digitise manuscripts in collections at the Morgan Library and Museum, Princeton University Art Museum and Princeton East Asian Library. In addition, Lucy Lo very kindly allowed us to digitise a private collection of fragments from Dunhuang.
The images have now all been processed and the relevant records added to IDP and all can now be viewed on IDP. Go to Advanced Search and select one or all of the above holding institutions to see the manuscripts. A catalogue of the Princeton East Asian Library material is currently being prepared by Dr Chen Huaiyu.
WESTERN EYES: HISTORICAL CHINESE PHOTOGRAPHS BY EUROPEAN PHOTOGRAPHERS 1860-1930
Sarah Biggs 24/04/2008
With the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union
NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE
Historical photographs of China taken by Europeans in China and drawn from collections in the United Kingdom will go on display, many for the first time, in a major exhibition to be held at the National Library of China (NLC) from 25th September, 2008, held in conjunction with the British Library.
The British Library holds a unique and valuable collection of historical photographs taken by Europeans in China, documenting the western response to the landscapes, peoples and events in the Chinese Empire during a eventful historical period. Starting with the Second Opium War of 1860 and culminating with photographs of Beijing in the mid-1920s, these images are of major importance both in the international history of photography and as a documentary record of events over half a century of change and upheaval.
Many of the photographs, which will be displayed as digital facsimiles, are previously unexhibited and are the only surviving record from a period when photography was rare and material scant. These include the work of Felice Beato, who recorded the Anglo-French invasion of 1860, John Thomson who travelled widely in the Chinese Empire in the early 1870s, and the magnificent portrait and costume studies of Milton Miller from the early 1860s. They portray a bygone era, a compelling and evocative picture of a vanishing world, illustrating the land and people of China, as well as the former topography and architecture of such great cities as Beijing.
In addition to photographs from the British Library’s own collections, the exhibition will feature a selection of rare material from other major British archives and private collections, including the Royal Asiatic Society.
FREE ENTRY
Further Information:
Tel: Mrs Xue Wenhui +86 10-88545164 (Beijing, China) or +44 20 7412 7882 (London, UK)
Email: sarah.biggs@bl.uk
Exhibition Address: NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE
National Library of China, Jigu Gallery (north building), 33 Zhongguancun nandajie, Haidian, Beijing, China
HISTORY OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN COLLECTIONS IN INSTITUTIONS WORLDWIDE
Monday 17th - Wednesday 19th March 2008
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi Sarah Biggs 28/02/2008
This will be the third symposium held as part of the Ford Foundation Project.
Scholars from India, Russia, China and Korea will present papers on the collections held in their respective countries.
For further details, please contact Alastair Morrison at IDP: alastair.morrison@idp.bl.uk
IDP RESOURCES ON BUDDHISM
Saturday, 1st March 2008
Western Chan Fellowship Conference, Bristol Sarah Biggs 28/02/2008
Alastair Morrison, Project Coordinator for IDP, will present a paper to the Western Chan Fellowship Conference in Bristol on the extensive resources offered by IDP on Buddhism.
For further details about the Conference, please see: www.bristolchan.co.uk
AUREL STEIN: SAVANT OF THE SILK ROAD
Tuesday, 10th June 2008 (7.00 p.m.)
Royal Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD
Organised by The British Hungarian Fellowship and the Royal Asiatic Society
Aurel Stein was an extraordinary man respected and loved by many during his lifetime, but now largely forgotten except by specialist scholars. Although many others travelled and excavated at Silk Road sites in the first decades of the twentieth century, in terms of numbers of expeditions, items collected, reports generated, photographs taken, maps drawn, publications and scholarship Stein outdid all others. This was despite having a full time job and a large circle of friends, colleagues and dependants whom he never neglected.
In her illustrated talk, Susan Whitfield will introduce Stein, his life, dogs, friends and work. She will also talk briefly about what is being done today to make Stein's legacy accessible to scholars and others worldwide.
For further details, please contact Eva Norton: eva.norton@gmail.com
IDP News No. 30, Winter 2007
Vic Swift 14/01/2008The latest issue of the IDP Newsletter is now available to read and download. Articles include A Study in the Manufacture of Old Asian Inks and Stein and Chinese Officials at Dunhuang.
Conservation Pages
Vic Swift 02/01/2008The new IDP website section includes an introduction to conservation, conservation specialisms — illustrated with videos and case studies — details of IDP's past and ongoing conservation research projects and a resource page which includes papers, lists of relevant journals, a glossary, bibliography and links to other sites.
New catalogues of the Tocharian manuscripts
Sam van Schaik 30/10/2007Two new catalogues of the British Library are now online: (1) a catalogue of IOL Toch 1 to 853 by Michaël Peyrot, and (2) a catalogue of IOL Toch 853 to 1247 by Tatsushi Tamai. To view them, go to Show Catalogues on the left menu bar.
Proceedings of Sixth Conservation Conference Now Available
Administrator 10/09/2007Tradition and Innovation
Edited by Alastair Morrison and Lin Shitian
Tradition and Innovation is published by the National Library of China and brings together a collection of papers given at the Sixth International Dunhuang Project’s Conservation Conference held at the NLC in April 2005 on the conservation of Central Asian material. The publication includes material by conservators worldwide in a bilingual English-Chinese volume with a useful glossary of conservation terms and a bibliography. The papers report on developments in conservation techniques and address such issues as:
- Chinese scroll mounting
- Curatorial debate on manuscript intervention
- Bonds between Chinese and European papermaking & paper analysis
- Painting techniques on silk thangkas
This will be an informative and useful publication for professional conservators and curators, researchers in paper chemistry, librarians, manuscript specialists, postgraduate students and specialists in digital conservation and restoration.
- 340 pp. b&w illus., glossary, bibliography
- 28 papers all in Chinese and English
- The National Library of China, Beijing, 2007
- ISBN 978-7-5013-3460-5/G·704
SPECIAL OFFER TO USERS OF IDP WEBSITE
- GB£15/USD30 (inc. P&P in UK/EU); GB£17.50/USD35 (for shipping elsewhere)
- Pay online by credit card
Please remember to mention on the online form or in your letter that your payment is for this book and to send your full mailing address.
BUDDHISM AND THE SILK ROAD: A FREE TEACHERS' INSPIRATION EVENT
Wednesday, 21st November 2007 (2.30—6.30 p.m.) Sarah Biggs 04/09/2007
For Key Stage 3 (Year 7) Teachers of Religious Education, World or Asian History and Culture
Are you struggling to find imaginative, interesting, challenging, trustworthy and visually-stimulating material for your classes? The International Dunhuang Project (IDP), based at the British Library, is developing web resources to help you. This IDP Inspiration Event will guide you through accessible and reliable resources on Buddhism and the Silk Road suitable for teaching Key Stage 3.
The Inspiration Event will include:
An introduction to IDP and its resources
An overview of Buddhism and the Silk Road
Ideas for introducing Buddhism to your class
A visit to a nearby Buddhist temple and suggestions for class visits
A demonstration of Buddhist and Silk Road material available on IDP and other websites, followed by practical activities
Opportunities to discuss your own innovative and positive experiences of teaching Buddhism and Silk Road topics with IDP staff and other teachers
An end-of-day glass of wine!
VENUE: The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
TICKETS: Tickets are available free of charge and may be obtained from IDP by emailing idp@bl.uk or by 'phoning 020 7412 7647/7822.
NB: Spaces are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.
THE SILK ROAD: HISTORY AND MYTH
Public Lecture by Dr Susan Whitfield, Director of The International Dunhuang Project
Thursday, 13th December 2007 (7.30 p.m.)
BLRSI, Bath
DUNHUANG MANUSCRIPTS AND PAINTINGS
Symposium at Princeton University (McCormick Hall)
Friday 28th September 2007 (1.30 - 6.00 p.m.)
Five leading scholars working on Buddhist art and manuscripts from northwestern China will gather at Princeton University to present recent research in a public forum and to honour more than 60 years of contributions to the field by James and Lucy Lo. The speakers will be FAN Jinshi (China), Jean-Pierre Drège (France), Susan Whitfield (England), Jacob P. Dalton (U.S.) and CHEN Huaiyu (U.S.). Their papers will address recent advances in the conservation and study of wall-paintings, the history of the Chinese book, advances in digital technology and web resources for the study of Silk Road materials, Tibetan manuscripts and the Princeton collection of Dunhuang manuscripts.
The symposium, which will be free and open to the public, will take place from 1.30 to 6.00 p.m. on Friday, 28th September 2007, in McCormick Hall.
The symposium is co-sponsored by the Tang Center for East Asian Art and the Buddhist Studies Workshop, with additional support from the Princeton University Library, the Program in East Asian Studies, the Department of Religion, Yale University Council on East Asian Studies, the American Trust for the British Library and the Mercer Trust.
Live Statistics
Vic Swift 30/07/2007 Live statistics are now available. Tables showing the number of entries, images and manuscripts in the IDP Database will be displayed throughout the site and are permanently available on the statistics page.New Tibetan Catalogue
Sam van Schaik 11/07/2007 Another catalogue by FW Thomas has gone online. It contains Thomas's transcriptions, translations and commentaries of the Tibetan secular documents concerning life in Shazhou (Dunhuang). It has been input and marked up by Márta Matkó. To view it, click on Show Catalogues (to the left) and then select 'Tibetan Literary Texts and Documents'.Viewing Catalogues with Internet Explorer 6
Vic Swift 21/06/2007The problem encountered when viewing catalogues with Internet Explorer 6 has now been resolved.
EXHIBITION: GODS, GUARDIANS AND IMMORTALS
Administrator 11/06/2007The British Museum
February 8–July 22, 2007
An exhibition of religious paintings from China including, among others, the following paintings from Dunhuang.
Paradise of Sakyamuni
Avalokitesvara as Guide of Souls
Four Manifestations of Avalokitesvara
Ksitigarbha with the Ten Kings of Hell
Sutra of Buddha’s names
Bodhisattva with Glass Bowl
Stories from Life of the Buddha.
IDP Postcards Available Now
Administrator 27/05/2007A range of twelve high-quality postcards illustrating collection items and photographs from the Silk Road are now available. Preview online and purchase via our online payment page. Profits go directly to IDP's work.
CONFERENCE: A HUNDRED YEARS OF DUNHUANG, 1907–2007
Vic Swift 11/05/2007Thursday 17 to Saturday 19 May 2007
The British Academy in conjunction with the British Museum and British Library are hosting this three day international event. It is to be held at the three venues in London from May 17-19, 2007, and is organised by Frances Wood, British Library, and Helen Wang, British Museum.In May 1907, the Daoist caretaker of the Dunhuang Buddhist caves in northwest China revealed to Aurel Stein FBA a hidden library in Cave 17. The library had been sealed a thousand years earlier and was packed with documents, manuscripts and paintings. This discovery revolutionised ‘oriental studies’ throughout the world in the early 20th century. In this centenary year we seek (1) to reflect on the discovery and (2) to review its impact on ‘oriental studies’, including the writing and re-writing of history and (3) to discuss directions for the future. The rich finds from Dunhuang have implications beyond ‘oriental studies’ and need to be understood as part of world culture.
VENUES: British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG (17 or 18 May),
British Library, Euston Road, London NW1, and (17 or 18 May),
British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1 (19 May)
REGISTRATION: £50 (concessions £25) inc. Lunch and refreshments
CLICK HERE FOR PROGRAMME DETAILS
CLICK HERE FOR TO BOOK ONLINE
For further information:
TEL: 020 7969 5246
EMAIL: The British Academy: Events
LECTURE: THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CULTURAL HERITAGE
Vic Swift 11/05/2007Monday May 21, 2007 (6.30 pm – 8.30 pm)
Flood, pollution, dust, humidity, pests… Is climate change a reality or a figment of scientists' imagination? What are the facts? Is the world's heritage doomed? Sarah Staniforth, Historic Properties Director of the National Trust will discuss these and other issues relating to conservation of cultural heritage.TICKETS: £10 (concessions £7.50) inc. Reception
VENUE: British Library Conference Centre, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
BOX OFFICE TEL: 01937 546546
CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE
LECTURE: MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE SILK ROAD
Vic Swift 11/05/2007Dr Susan Whitfield
Thursday June 14, 6pm
Dr Susan Whitfield, exhibition curator and Director of the International Dunhuang Project at the British Library, will give a general illustrated lecture on myths and legends of the Silk Road. She will also tell the stories of some of the famous explorers of the Silk Road, responsible for the discovery of the material in the exhibition.VENUE: The John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester.
Tickets are available free of charge and can be obtained from the Library Reception Desk or by emailing eventsatdeansgate@manchester.ac.uk.
EXHIBITION: THE SILK ROAD & THE SEARCH FOR THE SECRETS OF SILK
Vic Swift 11/05/200714 May – 12 August
In the heyday of the Silk Road, cities from China to Italy grew and flourished through textile technology and trade. China was first to discover the secret of silk and successfully guarded knowledge of its cultivation for many centuries. But as trade and travel along the Eurasian Silk Roads grew in the first centuries AD, so other civilisations gradually learned how to produce this coveted textile, often relying on migrants from China to pass on essential skills. Their cities and people grew rich and silk was used in all areas of life, including money,books and clothing, although not without opposition from those who considered it decadent and immodest.This exhibition examines these themes using items mainly from the British Library's Silk Road and Chinese collections.
VENUE: The John Rylands University Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH.
TEL: 0161 275 3764
The John Rylands University Library Website
Previously unpublished catalogue of Tibetan manuscripts from Stein's 3rd expedition now online
Sam van Schaik 22/03/2007A catalogue compiled by the India Office Librarian FW Thomas on paper slips, not previously available to anyone outside of the British Library, is now accessible on the IDP website. The catalogue concerns the Tibetan material from Stein's third expedition, largely manuscripts and printed material from the sites of Karakhoto and Etsin-Gol, dating from the 12th century and later. Thanks are owed to Maho IUCHI, who input the text of Thomas's catalogue slips; and to Marta Matko, who marked up and edited the text. To see the catalogue, click on 'Show Catalogues' on the left side of the IDP pages, and selected 'Thomas_2007'.
Giles's 1957 catalogue online
Administrator 08/03/2007Go to 'Show Catalogues' to see Lionel Giles's 1957 catalogue of the Dunhuang manuscripts, entries for the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra. More of the catalogue will be coming online over the next few months.
Latest newsletter now online
Administrator 27/02/2007IDP News 28 is now online with a review of recent work being carried out by Japanese scholars on Dunhuang and other Silk Road manuscripts, along with the usual reports on publications, conferences, IDP events and progress in IDP Centres worldwide. Click the icon on the top right to take you directly to the html version.
More Sanskrit Images now Online
Administrator 05/10/2006More images of Sanskrit fragments in the British Library Stein and Hoernle collections are now online thanks to the generous support of the Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University (IRIAB). This is an ongoing conservation, digitisation and cataloguing project to make this little known material more accessible. Catalogues and transcriptions prepared by Professor Karashima and a team of international scholars will shortly also be available online on IDP. By the end of 2007 the entire collection will have been digitised and be accessible online, about 10,000 images.
Latest Newsletter Now Online
SW 19/09/2006The latest issue of IDP News, issue 29 (Spring 2007), is now available online and in hard copy. It concentrates on a century of collection care, and also carries the usual updates on IDP's work worldwide, publications and conferences.
The Silk Road Quest: Our Traveller Rests Briefly in Kashgar
Administrator 07/08/2006Help young people embark on a virtual journey from Samarkand to Chang'an.
Thanks to your help our traveller is now safely over the Pamirs and in Kashgar. He is taking a short break to stock up on provisions and see old friends. There is a Sogdian caravanserai here and he is enjoying Sogdian food and catching up on the Silk Road gossip: the price of musk has shot up and he thinks he will send a letter back to his agents in Samarkand to send some on.
But he still has a long way to go. The dreaded Taklamakan leg of his journey awaits with nights at desert wells with only the most basic accommodation and always the risk from sand storms and bandits. PLEASE HELP him reach Dunhuang safely. All support &mdash however small, is appreciated and helps our traveller move forward.
Silk Road Quest is an educational interactive web game for eleven year-olds upwards devised by IDP but yet to be implemented on the web. We are therefore asking for your financial support to make this possible. We cannot do this without you. Every GB£ contribution you make will help us travel one kilometre along the Quest’s route and bring us closer to making this resource accessible to children the world over.
Images from Germany now online
Administrator 24/05/2006Go to Advanced Search, click 'Institute and Collection' and choose 'Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences & Humanities'. Click 'Search'. Over 200 images of Chinese fragments in the Berlin collections are now online with more being added everyday.
APOLOGIES - Contact Us Form not working
Administrator 24/05/2006Apologies to those of you who have tried to reach IDP through the Contact Us form on this website. Owing to a problem with the server, messages have not been reaching us for several months. If you wish to contact us with a query please simply email idp@bl.uk. We will post a note when the online form is working again.