18 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manu- 

 scripts has purchased an important series of Coptic MSS. and 

 a very rare Nubian MS., of Biblical and hagiological interest, 

 of the 10th and 11th centuries ; and, among Arabic MSS., one 

 of great rarity and age, written in a.d. 1039. 



In the Department of Prints and Drawings an acquisition 

 of great interest is a collection of first sketches and studies 

 by Tintoretto, the greater number painted in tempera and 

 oil on paper. The series of Japanese woodcuts has also been 

 augmented by a selection of upwards of three hundred 

 examples acquired by purchase, and by an equal number the 

 gift of Sir Hickman Bacon, and by others presented by Sir 

 Ernest Satow and Mr. W. C Alexander. 



The Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities 

 has acquired, in addition to the objects from Asyut referred 

 to above, a collection of Egyptian antiquities, many being 

 of the early periods, presented by the Egypt Exploration 

 Fund ; and two good collections of Egyptian scarabs. To 

 the Assyrian section have been added the bronze figure of, an 

 Elamite king, inscribed, of the period 2,000 B.C. ; and an 

 inscribed boundary stone of about 1,100 B.C. 



To the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities have 

 been added a beautiful statue of a woman standing in an 

 attitude of mourning, executed by a Greek sculptor late in 

 the 4th century B.C., and two handsome Roman marble lavers, 

 from the Duke of Sutherland's collections at Trentham Hall. 

 A miniature bust, worked in plasma, of Agrippina the Elder 

 is the gift of an anonymous donor. 



The Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities has 

 acquired a remarkable gold hoard, consisting of a number of 

 bracelets of the Bronze Age, used as currency, which was 

 discovered at Bexley in Kent ; and a fine specimen of 

 Carlovingian carving in whale's bone, originally the cover 

 of a casket. Among the gifts to the Department are : a 

 cordoned bronze bucket, made in North Italy about the 7th 

 century B.C., recently found at Weybridge and presented by 

 Mr. William Dale ; a series of silver personal ornaments and 

 ingots, from Kieff* in Russia, the gift of Mr. J. Pierpont 

 Morgan ; and an ancient Mexican obsidian mask and mirror 

 and a jadeite dagger presented by the Misses Thornton. 



Among the Greek coins acquired by the Department of 

 Coins and Medals will be noticed several of great rarity ; 

 and some interesting specimens have been added to the 

 Anglo-Saxon and early English collection. A very important 

 series of foreign " sterlings," imitations of the English silver 

 penny, was bequeathed by Mr. Samuel Smith ; and some 

 valuable foreign medals were given by Mr. Alfred de Pass 

 and by Mr. Max Rosenheim. 



Gifts of Museum publications, including reproductions of 

 prints and drawings by Old Masters, and sets of electrotypes 

 of British Historical Medals, have been made to Free 



