Join us for a lecture focusing on the digital discovery of manuscripts, paintings, prints, textiles and other objects discovered in Dunhuang and sites in northwest China, dating mainly from the 5th to 11th centuries, now held in the British Library and the British Museum. The Bodleian Libraries preserve the extensive manuscript notes, diaries and archaeological fieldnotes of Sir Marc Aurel Stein who collected this material in the early 20th century.
By bringing together curatorial experts from separately held yet interconnected collections and archives, the lecture will offer an overview of the Stein collection’s formation, its dispersal across different institutions, and the scope of the items involved. It will also present current stewardship, from conservation and digitisation work to online access and partnerships such as the International Dunhuang Programme (IDP). These initiatives aim to support more holistic understandings of these collections as well as the diverse histories, cultures, languages and societies along the Silk Roads.
The Digital East Asia Lectures are co-hosted by the Centre for Digital Scholarship and the Asian and Middle Eastern Collections at the Bodleian Libraries. The event has been generously supported by the Chung Hon Dak Fund.
Speakers
Mélodie Doumy is the Lead Curator of Chinese collections (Stein and Hoernle) and Manager of the International Dunhuang Programme at the British Library.
Luk Yu-ping is Head of the China section and the Basil Gray Curator of Chinese Paintings, Prints, and Central Asian Collections in the Asia Department at the British Museum.
