• Dr. Alexandra Green (British Museum) – Sir Stamford Raffles: Civilised Views of Java

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

    Alexandra Green is Henry Ginsburg Curator for Southeast Asia at the British Museum. She has a PhD on the subject of 18th century Burmese wall paintings from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She recently curated an exhibition entitled Pilgrims, Healers, and Wizards: Buddhism and Religious Practices in Burma and Thailand (2014) at…

  • Dr Sarah Tiffin (Author): Raffles and the Course of Empire: Decoding Ruin Imagery in The History of Java

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

    When Raffles wrote his landmark publication The History of Java in 1817, ruin sentiment was a fashionable if rather wistful turn of mind that had a considerable influence on British art and literature. The ruin was a popular motif in picturesque imagery, serving as the stimulus for melancholic musings that ranged from deeply felt personal…