Articulating the shifting interests in Korean art and offering new ways of conceiving the biases that initiated and impacted its collecting, this book traces the rise of the modern Korean art market from its formative period in the 1870s through to its peak and subsequent decline in the 1930s. The discussion centres on the…
The Dervish Bowl The Many Lives of Arminius Vambéry ‘A compelling portrait of one of the 19th century’s most characteristic heroes’ Asian Review of Books ‘Arminius Vambéry was one of the shadier characters to travel the fabled Silk Roads through Persia to Central Asia. His mostly forgotten story is vividly told in Anabel…
In the late-1960s, Malaysia and Singapore established their own national, ocean-going shipping lines. This outcome was unexpected by the leading British shipowners serving Southeast Asia. P&O, Blue Funnel and Ben Line had hoped to form a locally registered consortium to protect their own interests and satisfy national aspirations. Honouring the work of Tony Stockwell on…
While dress code in medieval societies was largely defined by religious, political, and social rules, personal preferences could still play a significant role in shaping dress culture. Focused on Mamluk Cairo, this lecture documents the involvement of sultans and emirs in the design of uniforms and ceremonial outfits to convey their political image, while at…
In this essential new work, Christopher D. Bahl departs from the established historiography on trade, shipping, and pilgrimage to argue for the emergence of Arabic learning as a crucial form of transoceanic mobility from the ûfteenth to the seventeenth centuries. From Egypt to the Hijaz, Yemen and further on to Gujarat and the Deccan,…
The RAS is delighted to announce a Zoom call with the Madras Literary Society on its history and collections on Friday, 28th March at 11.30 am with Ms. Jaya Mahbubani – Chairperson, Ms. Thirupurasundari Sevvel, Secretary Mr. Prabhu Vishwanathan The Madras Literary Society began as a small library in 1812 and in 1830 it became…