SOAS Special Collections

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A handwritten native Siamese primer. With an inscription by G.Perry stating that he received it from Captain Francis Light (whose signature is added at the end) at Madras on the 14th July 1778. #EYAHandwriting ow.ly/q9Ec50YSqbQ

The Stencl papers contain hundreds of scribbled drafts of poems and memoirs, often written on the back of re-purposed paper, such as napkins or receipts. ow.ly/h4ZP50YRF0f #EYAHAndwriting

This manuscript map was draw and annotated by David Livingstone documenting his '‘Journey thro’ Barotseland’ in 1853 digital.soas.ac.uk/Documents/Deta… #EYAHandwriting

This letter, dated 1777, is from Than Phya Phimon Aisawan, Siamese Governor of Thalang and Than Phya Surintharacha, Siamese Superintendent to Captain Francis Light. The letter relates to the supply of 4000 muskets by Light to the Siamese Gvt. MS380629 #EYAHandwriting

The hand captured in these images published by the International Association of the Vrindaban Research insitute show three gestures traditional in Indian dance: Bherunda, Chatura and Garuda. #InternationalDanceDay digital.soas.ac.uk/documents?retu…

This portrait of Honourable William Ainslie, Puisne Judge of the High Court, Calcutta is from Sketches of Indian military and civil service notabilities of the Victorian-Edwardian age. See more portraits here: ow.ly/6vLj50Ysocn #EYACrime

This example of mail art by Hassan Musa, 1933 is titled 'En taule avec des amis Hollondais' (in jail with Dutch friends'. See more of his work here: ow.ly/YXuU50YsnOS #EYACrime

This manuscript contains illustrations of the ten halls of Bhuddistic judgement with their various kinds of punishment. This image shows the Hades or Hall of Buddha, also known as the Courts of Hell.#EYACrime ow.ly/uoHZ50YsmGQ

Next time you're at SOAS Special Collections why not check out some of our comic magazines? This didactic cartoon comic showcases the inadvisability of crime with a comedic twist! (PP MS 46, Hake, Box 29) #EYAcrime

Smuggling shadowed every China Navigation Co. voyage - bold, audacious, and woven into daily life. In the chaos of departure, 'pidgin' contraband slipped aboard: opium, alcohol, tobacco, textiles. Sailors looked away… or helped. #EYACrime Read more here: ow.ly/638L50Ysl2U

In 1925 William Reid, a Taikoo Sugar Refinery employee was accused of embezzlement. The event led to the revision of accounting practices #EYACrime Read more here: ow.ly/xiza50YskHv

This 1839 essays discusses the repercussions of British army soldiers drinking too much. #EYACrime ow.ly/RbyA50Yskyx

The six men in this photograph were accused of carrying out the Kucheng massacre in Fujian in 1895 when 11 British missionaries were killed by members of a Luist fasting group. #EYACrime ow.ly/FQYA50Ysk34

These beautiful watercolour illustrations of moths, and their caterpillars is from an Album of Paintings of Insects by Cantonese artist Fatqua (early-mid C19th) #EYAWildlife ow.ly/ZiBz50Yp7yl

This fantastic image of men fishing with cormorants was taken in China by businessman George E Cormack, 1915. Cormorant fishing is a traditional method in which trained birds dive for fish, and it has a long, layered history across East Asia #EYAWildlife

#WomenHistoryMonth An illustrated work portraying Edo‑period women from various social classes, including geishas, townswomen, samurais and sex workers, depicted in everyday life and rendered with a graceful dignity that subtly challenges social norms. (JWP 45B-1)

Fish being sun-dried in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, photographed by Henry Rue in 1910-1913. #EYAWildlife ow.ly/FaPn50Yp6el

When the beauty of a book begins with its cover! A paper collection of woodblock prints with motifs from Chinese flora and fauna by Rong bao Zhai (ANA/1434)

This cheeky monkey in a tree was photographed by anthropologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf somewhere in the border region between Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in 1943. #EYAWildlife ow.ly/boZM50Yp5Ro

Anthropologist, Christoph von Furer Haimendorf was lucky enough to capture a photo of this young wild elephant in upland Kerala in 1953 #EYAWildlife ow.ly/4hzv50Yp501