Shaping the Stein collection’s Dunhuang corpus (2): the items from Cave 17’s ‘miscellaneous’ bundles

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In a previous blog post , we looked at the instrumental role played by Wang Yuanlu during the selection of the items from the Cave 17. Wang, who directly chose from the small repository what to hand over to Stein for inspection, was very keen to divert his attention from the so-called ‘regular’ bundles, which were composed for the most part of Buddhist sutras in Chinese and Tibetan. During their first ever transaction, which took place between 21 May and 6 June 1907, Wang Yuanlu therefore began by handing over the ‘miscellaneous’ bundles, which he seemed to hold in low estimation. To Stein’s delight, these contained mixed and diverse materials, such as manuscripts in non-Chinese languages, illustrated scrolls, paintings, drawings, ex-votos, textiles, etc. Stein picked out any of the items that jumped at him as being particularly interesting and made sure to put them aside for ‘further examination’, the phrase that he used to refer to their removal in his transaction with Wang. This ...
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IDP News 40 now available

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The 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)

The image above shows Albert Grünwedel sketching in Kizil in 1907.

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