Reconsidering the Topography of al-Balīd (Oman): A Preliminary Review of the Graphical Documentation

In the last 70 years several groups investigated the ancient site of al-Balīd. From Costa onwards all researchers placed their spatial data on the grid provided by the Italian archaeologist; in order to precise the positioning of the monuments and of the single excavations, the scholars sub-divided the original grid in smaller units. Jansen introduced a completely 3D digital recording system by the use of total station. Isenberg improved the information system using more sophisticated and accurate spatial technologies. From Jansen onwards all data were geo-referenced according to local cartographical coordinates. The paper focused on the graphical documentation provided by each research group and on the methodology underlying the data.

From India to Egypt: Note on a Mamluk Ewer Dating Back to 698/1298–99

This note aims to open up a discussion regarding a particular group of Islamic metalwork. It is the case of some particular ewers attested by three objects produced in Mamluk Egypt dating back from the end of the 13th century. Later specimens are evidence of a broad Indian production and exportation of this type of objects. The note poses some issues on the first production of this group of objects in India and its likely diffusion towards Egypt.

Hâjj Sayyâh in 19th Century Iran: A Voyage in Search of an Identity

The travelogues from the late-19th century voyages of Iranians offer important knowledge on the political, social and cultural history of the modern state. Attention has been directed mainly towards the diaries of travels in Europe, less to the works recording the impressions of those who, for various reasons, travelled within the country during the Qâjâr era. Among these, the Khâterât-e Hâjj Sayyâh, by Mirzâ Mohammad ‘Ali Mahallâti, better known as Hâjj Sayyâh, is of remarkable interest. The article examines several aspects of this ‘travel diary’; in particular their revelation of the author’s critical and pessimistic vision of his homeland and those who are currently governing it. We observe the processes of defining a national ‘self’ in contrast to the ‘other’, influenced by comparisons between Europe and the needs for modernisation, but also from memories of greatness.

An Investigation on Giuseppe Ros’s (1883–1948) Book Collection

Giuseppe Ros, an Italian diplomat in China during the period of the Republic of China (1912–1949), was famed for his book collection, which was very rich but only seen by few. During the years of turmoil in China, Ros’s collection went through great hardship and was lost, remaining an unsolved issue today, it could not be found anymore in its entirety. Nevertheless, according to the diaspora course of the collection, the overview and the storage place of the collection at present can still be speculated at a certain extent of precision. After years of study the author has come up with the conclusion that Ros’s collection can be grouped into five categories: 1) The earlier collection, stored in the National Library in Beijing, made up of books written in foreign languages; 2) A number of Chinese maps of the collection are retained in Dalian Library; 3) Ros’s partial collections stored in Guangzhou, now conserved in Guangzhou and Taiwan; 4) A special section on Hainan historical data is kept in the Sun Yat-sen Library in Guangzhou; 5) Scattered parts of the collection are currently stored outside China. This paper offers an insight on the usually neglected figure of Giuseppe Ros by outlining the main features of his outstanding collection of books.