The Museum Collection in the Oriental Collection

North Africa and Asia

In addition to collecting manuscripts and prints the Oriental Department has over the years acquired a small study collection of writing tools and objects related to the writing and reading cultures in North Africa and Asia. The intention of this collection is to document the various traditions of writing, printing and reading in the areas. The collected writing tools consist of paper, pens (of reed, wood and metal), brushes, ink sticks, printing blocks and metal types. The collection also includes other necessary tools such as ink containers, ink stones, water droppers, brush washing bowls, hand supports, pencil cases, seals, document boxes and pen and brush holders. Objects connected to the reading process have also been acquired but to a lesser degree. They include a Q'uran stand and paper weights used when reading scrolls. Further, the collection contains items such as a decorated Thai bookcase, tools for rubbings, Chinese exercise books and materials connected to book illustrations.

The collection comprises North Africa and the whole of Asia but items relating to China are the most numerous. The objects are mostly used in exhibitions and for ilustrations in books.

A list of the objects including a short description (only in Danish) have been made.