Agnes Kelecsényi and Kinga Dévényi
Agnes Kelecsényi and Kinga Dévényi are curators in the Oriental
Collection of the Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences in Budapest, where Stein’s bequest is preserved.
They have been strongly involved in disseminating knowledge about
this collection including various digitisation and cataloguing
projects with IDP. Their chosen item is Aurel Stein's manuscript of
the Sand-buried Ruins of
Khotan.
Agnes Kelecsényi and Kinga Dévényi write:
The two volume manuscript, bound in brown leather, consists of
two parts: The text of the Preliminary Note in Stein’s
pagination Vol.1.:434 ff. and Vol. 2.: 435-812 ff. completed in
London, 6 February 1903. At the end of the manuscript two parts
are inserted from his diary written during his return journey to
Europe: Osh, 8 June 1901 (13 ff.); and Samarkand, 15 June 1901
(6 ff.).
This manuscript was donated to the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences by Stein as a part of his first donation of
books to the Academy of his native land.
It is our
favourite item because his neat handwriting and scarce
amendments reflect his scholarly way of composing and his well
disciplined character. While the dried flowers put among the
leaves of the manuscript, and which are from the Mohand Marg,
his mountain retreat in Kashmir, are a sign of his tender heart,
love of nature, and spirituality.
Link to original post on IDP blog.