24 ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The Early Christian Collection has received the following additions ; — 

 An ivory pyx, carved in low relief with pastoral subjects, and probably of the 7th or 8th 

 centuries ; presented by A. W, Franks, Esq. 



A terra-cotta bottle with a figure of St. Menas ; presented by the Rev. Greville Chester. 

 Five early Byzantine gold ornaments, found near Naple??. 



The Mediaeval Collections, of a miscellaneous character, have been increased as 

 follows : — 



Fragments of stucco ornaments from the Alliambra ; presented by Alexander Christy, 

 Esq. 



Twenty-two matrices of seals, and a medallion in hone stone representing Otho Henry, 

 Count Palatine of the Rhine. 



A very remarkable piece of mechanism in the form of a towering ship of gilt brass, with 

 a clock, &.C. In it is represented a German Emperor with his Court, appaiently Rudolph II. 

 The M'hole is covered with elri borate engraving and ornaments, and is probably tiie automa- 

 ton galley maiie for the Eiiiperor by Hanns Schlott, uf Augsburg, about 1581 ; presented 

 by Octavius Morgan, Esq., m.p. 



A bronze ewer in the form of a lion, a bronze censer irom Denmark, a state axe of a 

 guild of Saxon miners, iind several other objects; presented by the Trustees of the Christy 

 Collection. 



A large number of enamelled counters, representing the Emperors of Rome and Germany, 

 made by Christopher Wermuth at the close of the 17th century. 



Four Oriental talismanic stones, with Arabic inscriptions, and an Oriental signet ring of 

 silver. 



A crystal canieo of lai ge size. 



(2.) Ethnography. — The additions to this collection are as follows : — 



An Indo-Scythic figure, found in the Punjaub ; presented by Captain A. C. 

 Tupper, F.s.A. 



A collection of ancient potterv, stone grinding troughs, 8cc., from tombs in Nicaragua ; 

 excavated and presented by Frederick Boyle, Esq., and J. G. Jebb, Esq. 



Nine ancient vessels of pottery from South America ; presented by Lord Boston. 



A collection of silver ornaments brought from Abyssinia by the late Sir W. Cornwallis 

 Harris. 



Weapons and dresses of the Bashkirs, nomadic tribes in the government of Oranienburg, 

 in Russia ; presented by M. Alexandre Zvenigorodsky, of St. Petersburg. 



In this enumeration no account has been taken of such objects in the Blacas Collection as 

 may belong to this department, as that collection forms the subject of a separate report. 



There are likewise two collections which were noticed in the report for the year 1865, 

 but in a passing manner, as they had not then been received by the officers of the Museum. 

 They are the Christy Collection and the Witt Collection : — 



(A.) — Christy Collection. 



In the annual report for 1865 it was stated that the late Henry Christy, Esq., f.s.a., p.g.s., 

 had bequeathed his collections of Antiquities and Ethnography, together with a sum of 

 money, to trustees, by whom the bulk of the collection had been offered on certain con- 

 ditions to the British Museum, and accepted, but that the collection had not yet been 

 received. 



The collections in question being very extensive, and there being no space available at 

 the British Museum for their display, the trustees under the will of Mr. Christy suggested 

 that a temporary place of deposit should be hired by the Trustees of the British Museum, 

 and offered to pay a portion of the rent. 



In accordance with that suggestion, the Trustees of the British Museum have rented the 

 apartments formerly occupied by Mr. Christy, at 103, Victoria-street, Westminster, in 

 which a portion of the collection was already arranged. The specimens belonging to the 

 trust were brought together from their various repositories, both in this country and abroad, 

 in order that a selection might be made ; a long range of glass cases, stored away at the 

 Crystal Palace, was removed to Victoria-street, and fitted up as well as circumstances 

 would admit ; and the selected collection arranged in ihem und in the cases already 

 there. 



The new cases are handsomely made of chestnut and plate glass, and afford about 1,120 

 square feet of wall case for the exhibition of objects. The old cases are made of mahogany 

 and glass, and supply about 350 square feet of wall cases, and 80 square feet of table cases. 

 Two cases not required at the British Museum have been removed to Victoria-street, and 

 furnish 21 additional square feet. 



The whole amount of space protected by glass is 1,571 square feet, exclusive of smaller 

 cases and frames. In these, about 7,000 objects have been displayed, but a considerable 

 number remain in drawers and cabinets. 



In order to give a succinct account of the collection, it may be convenient to describe 

 shortly the contents of each room. The basis of the arrangement is geographical, but is 

 occasionally modified by the exigencies of space and convenience. The collections are 

 placed in four ronras, the ball and corridor. 



Room I. 



