BRITISH MUSEUM. 9 



the Egypt Exploration Society ; and over a thousand negatives of 

 air-johotographs of sites in the Near East, presented by Mr. O. G. S. 

 Crawford and the Air Ministry. 



The Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities acquired a fine cup 

 by the M'ell-known artist Epiktetos or a member of his school, and six 

 other Greek or Graeco-Italian vases of importance ; also a basalt disk 

 from Egypt with a head of Sara23is in relief and a Greek inscription. 



The Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities, in addition to 

 the Celtic bronzes mentioned above, received from Mr. A. W. Rumney 

 the interesting mazer known as the Rumney mazer ; twenty-four 

 Scj^hian bronzes of the Early Iron Age from South Russia ; and an 

 Anglo-Saxon sword of about A.D. 700 from the Thames. 



The Department of Ceramics and Ethnography acquired two neo- 

 lithic burial urns from China, presented by Professor Andersson ; 

 23 pieces of Chinese porcelain, bequeathed by Mr. H. B. Harris ; a 

 Chinese model of a tower, of the Han period, presented by Mrs. Chester 

 Beatty ; a Persian ewer in the form of an ox with rider ; a Maya plaque 

 in jadeite, with a human face in high relief, presented by Mrs. H. Yates 

 Thompson ; and an ethnographical series from Polynesia, presented by 

 Lord Leverhulme. 



The Department of Coins and Medals obtained two of the very rare 

 tetradrachms of Mende, presented by Mr. S. L. Courtauld and Mr. C. S. 

 Gulbenkian ; a rare silver coin of Cnidus, struck after the battle of 

 Cnidus in 394 B.C. ; 267 bronze coins of Athens, presented by the 

 Rev. E. Rogers ; sixteen rare Indian gold coins and a gold sovereign of 

 Henry VIII, presented by Mr. H. Van den Bergh ; and 88 gold nobles 

 of reigns from Edward III to Henry VI, from the Horsted Keynes 

 Treasure Trove. 



Finally, two most desirable acquisitions remained in suspense at the 

 end of the year. In July, 1929, two illuminated MSS. of the first 

 importance, the famous Luttrell Psalter and the hitherto unknown 

 but extraordinarily interesting Psalter and Book of Hours of John, 

 Duke of Bedford, brother of Henry V, were in the market from the 

 Lulworth Castle Library. By the kindness of the owner, Mrs. Alfred 

 Noyes, the Luttrell Psalter was withdrawn from auction and sold direct 

 to the British Museum for £31,500 ; the Bedford book was bought at 

 auction on behalf of the Museum for £33,000. The money for both 

 purchases was advanced, with extraordinary kindness, by Mr. J. 

 Pierpont Morgan, as a loan for one year, without interest, on the 

 understanding that if the price of either MS. was not repaid within the 

 year, that MS. should become his property. Substantial gifts from 

 the National Art-Collections Fund and His Majesty's Government, 

 in conjunction with private subscriptions and the funds at the 

 Trustees' disposal, have covered the obligation incurred by the 

 Museum in respect of the Luttrell Psalter, which may therefore be 

 included among the acquisitions of the year ; but the fate of the 

 Bedford book is still in suspense 



