Happy New Year 2025

We would like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year with the hope that 2025 will bring much joy to your lives. However we start this first blogpost of 2025 with some sad news.

Photograph courtesy of Roel Sterckx

It is with great sadness that the Society learned of the death of its oldest fellow Dr. Michael Loewe at the age of 102. He joined the Society in 1959 and actively supported the Society throughout his life. In 2023, as part of the Society’s 200th Anniversary celebrations, he generously donated a set of the first edition of the Collected Works of Sir William Jones (8 quarto volumes, edited by Lady Jones) and the associated Life of Jones by Lord Teignmouth to the Library.

He was a distinguished sinologist and historian, renowned for his extensive contributions to the study of China’s early empires, particularly the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE.) His last lecture at the Society was delivered in June 2016 on the problems of Han administration based on his book, published in the same year, entitled The Problems of Han Administration: Ancestral Rites, Weights and Measures, and the Means of Protest (Brill, 2016).

On the occasion of Dr. Loewe’s 100th birthday, Dr. Gordon Johnson contributed a celebratory post to the Society’s blog detailing Dr. Loewe’s achievements and scholarship. The post can be accessed here.

Alison Aplin Ohta, Director, Royal Asiatic Society.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Just before the end of last year the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia provided us with an update of their activities which we are delighted to share below:

More News From the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia
The Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia is delighted to share two significant highlights from November 2024 with the wider Royal Asiatic Society family – events that celebrate the enduring cultural ties between Georgia and the broader world.

Olesya Tavadze’s  Exhibition
Earlier in November, the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia and the Palace of Art-Museum of Cultural History in Tbilisi proudly unveiled a unique exhibition showcasing the works of renowned Georgian artist Olesya (Olesia).

The Exhibition at the Palace of Art-Museum of Cultural History

The event highlighted her masterful illustrations of Eastern-inspired literature, including works such as ‘Tengu’s Fan’, Japanese folktales (1972), Wilhelm Hauff’s ‘The Story of Little Muck’ (2018), and György Zsombok Timár’s ‘Nepalese Tales’. Her works enchant attendees with the harmony of art and literary themes, enriched by the captivating mysticism of Eastern cultures.

Illustrations from Tengu’s Fan’, Japanese folktales

 

Illustration of Wilhelm Hauff’s ‘The Tale of Little Mook’

 

Illustrations of György Zsombok Timár’s ‘Nepalese Tales’

Olesya Tavadze, a celebrated Georgian painter and illustrator, is renowned for her contributions to both fine and applied arts. A graduate of the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, she has excelled in various creative fields, including theatre scenography, costume design, and book illustration, with a focus on children’s literature. Olesya Tavadze, an award-winning laureate of the international literary program Step by Step, is also known for her enchanting children’s story internationally known as Bursunsul and Paskualina, which has been translated into multiple languages.

Olesya Tavadze

At the opening ceremony, Tamar Latsabidze, Vice President of the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia, addressed the audience and shared the Society’s vision for future collaborations.

Olesya Tavadze & Tamar Latsabidze

During the evening it was also announced that a bilingual catalogue dedicated to the artist’s work will be published in collaboration with Tbilisi City Hall and the Art Palace of Georgia. The publication is planned for release in 2025.
The Further details about the exhibition can be found on the website of the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia.

(Visual Material provided by Genadi Gabodze, featured image shows Olesya Tavadze, Professor Giorgi Kalandia & Tamar Latsabidze)

A Bilingual Catalogue for the Dadiani Palace Museum
Later in the month, another significant achievement was unveiled – a 240-page bilingual (Georgian-English) catalogue published through the collaboration of the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia and the Dadiani Palace Museum (officially known as Dadiani Palaces Historical and Architectural Museum) in Zugdidi, Georgia. Authored by Professor Giorgi Kalandia, President of the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia, the catalogue was prepared under the initiative of Anzor Okujava, Director of  Dadiani Palaces Historical and Architectural Museum.  The catalogue offers, for the first time, a comprehensive presentation of both visual and textual insights into numerous artefacts from the museum’s collection.


The Dadiani Palaces Historical and Architectural Museum in Zugdidi is one of Georgia’s most significant repositories of antiquities. Established in April 1921, the museum was founded on the treasury of Prince David Levan Dadiani of Samegrelo, as well as Georgian relics transferred from churches and monasteries in the region. Today, the collection includes approximately 50,000 artefacts, including unique Orientalist works

This bilingual catalogue provides readers with an opportunity to explore the history behind the creation of Orientalist collections in Georgia. It not only celebrates the treasures of the Dadiani Palaces but also serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, historians, and art enthusiasts worldwide.

Pages from the catalogue

Further details about the exhibition can be found on the website of the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia.

Future Vision
Whilst the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia is a nascent society, the society continues to demonstrate its commitment to preserving and promoting Georgian art and history on a global platform. Stay tuned for more ground-breaking projects as the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia celebrates and shares the country’s rich cultural heritage with the world.

We are grateful to the Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia for sharing this exciting news, particularly to Professor Giorgi Kalandia and Tamar Latsabidze for keeping us informed of the initiatives of the RAS Georgia.