BRITISH MUSEUM. 9 



the rest can be represented by good facsimiles. It was also fortunate in 

 other acquisitions. It received from Dr. Alan Gardiner a collection of 

 coloured drawings of Egyptian tomb-frescoes, made by Mrs. N. de Garis 

 Davies ; a gold signet-ring of about the sixth century from Egypt and 

 two Egyptian jewels, presented by Robert Mond, Esq. ; an Egyptian 

 sphinx of the Xllth Dynasty, with the features of Amenemhat IV, pre- 

 sented by the National Art-Collections Fund ; and two miscellaneous 

 collections of Egyptian antiquities. On the Mesopotamian side the 

 most important event (apart from Ur) was the completion, with the 

 assistance of the National Art-Collections Fund, of the purchase of the 

 Mocatta collection, the outstanding feature of which was a carved 

 Sumerian trough of about 3100 B.C. 



The Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities acquired a number 

 of interesting vases, including a Corinthian vase of the early sixth century 

 B.C , a black-figured funeral vase, and three lekythoi of the fifth century 

 with outline drawings on white ground, besides four from the Parrish 

 collection and 28 from that of Mrs. W. E. Hall, presented by C. W. Scott, 

 Esq. In addition, special reference should be made to a slab with 

 Greek inscription from Sakkarah ; a Hellenistic bronze head, half life- 

 size ; and a marble head of the second century from Asia Minor. 



In the Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities the friends 

 of Mr. 0. M. Dalton took the occasion of his retirement from the Keeper- 

 ship to present to the Museum in his honour an iron bronze-plated 

 buckle of Frankish workmanship, of the seventh century, with one of 

 the earliest known representations of the Crucifixion. Another note- 

 worthy acquisition was a clock made by Tompion for the Astronomer 

 Royal, Flamsteed, in 1676, which was probably the first clock made to 

 go for 12 months on a single winding. It is still in good going order. 

 The Department also obtained a silver astronomical watch made by 

 Daniel Quare (1648-1724), and a wooden Staffordshire clog-almanack 

 of the first half of the seventeenth century. 



The Department of Ceramics and Ethnography received a large 

 number of valuable accessions, almost wholly by gift or bequest. 

 Prominent among these were a large bowl of thirteenth century Persian 

 pottery, the greater portion of the purchase price of which was given by 

 the National Art -Collections Fund, and a Ming cup with an European 

 silver mount of about 1530, presented by Mrs. Leverton Harris in 

 memory of her husband. Among other gifts were nine selected pieces 

 from the collection of the late Rev. J. F. Bloxam, presented in pursuance 

 of his wishes by his brother and sisters ; 22 pieces of Early Persian 

 pottery, presented, with a cabinet, by H. Van den Bergh, Esq ; 22 

 selected pieces of English and Meissen porcelain, formerly in the Frank 

 Lloyd collection, presented by Mrs. Garwood ; a Chinese ink -pallet, 

 presented by A. de Rothschild, Esq. ; a Rakka vase, presented by the 

 National Art -Collections Fund ; and a selection of objects obtained by 

 Sir Aurel Stein during his third Central Asian expedition, presented by 

 the Government of India. On the ethnographical side, a remarkable 

 bronze figure from Benin, representing a Portuguese soldier of the end 

 of the sixteenth century was purchased, as was a series of objects from 

 the Caroline and Marshall Islands ; and the Christy Trustees made their 

 usual annual addition to the collections. 



The Department of Coins and Medals made perhaps the most remark- 

 able acquisition of the year, in two unique Roman gold medallions from 

 a find made near Arras, commemorating the recovery of Britain for the 

 Empire by Constantius Caesar after the revolt of Allectus. By far the 



