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Coomaraswamy Papers
C0038
1998
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Papers
Table of Contents
Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3
Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4
Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 4
Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 6
Series 3: Notes.......................................................................................................................................31
Series 4: Correspondence...................................................................................................................... 33
Series 5: Memorabilia............................................................................................................................53
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Summary Information
Location mss
Location rcpxm
Location This collection is stored partially onsite at Firestone Library and partially
offsite at the ReCAP Facility.
Language English
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Biography/History
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy was a noted art historian and champion of Ceylonese and Indian culture. Born
in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), in 1877, Coomaraswamy moved to England in 1879 and attended
Wycliffe College, a preparatory school, from the age of 12. In 1900, he graduated from University
College, London, with a degree in geology and botany, and in 1906, he received a doctor of science for
his study of Ceylonese mineralogy. He served as director of the Mineralogical Survey of Ceylon from
1902 to 1907 before moving to the United States to serve as curator of Indian art at the Boston Museum
of Fine Arts, where he stayed for the remainder of his life. Coomaraswamy devoted himself to the study
of traditional Ceylonese and Indian arts and crafts, the cataloging of Indian art collections, and research
on Indian art, religion, metaphysics, and culture. He died in 1947.
Administrative Information
1998
Form/Genre(s)
Geographic Name(s)
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Occupation(s)
Personal Name(s)
Subject(s)
• Aesthetics, Oriental.
• Aesthetics.
• Art, Indic -- Photographs.
• Buddhist art and symbolism.
• Buddhist art.
• Buddhist philosophy.
• Dance -- India -- Photographs.
• Dance -- Indonesia -- Photographs.
• Gods, Hindu.
• Gods, Vedic.
• Hindu art.
• Hindu philosophy.
• Islamic art.
• Jaina art.
• Temples -- India -- Photographs.
• Art history
• Philosophy
• Religion
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Collection Inventory
Consists of bibliographic information on Ananda K. Coomaraswamy and information held in the Finding
Aid.
Arrangement
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Papers - Detailed Collection Outline, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Series 2: Works
Arrangement
This series is arranged into three subseries: Books, Articles, and Untitled, Unidentified, Fragmentary.
Consists of manuscripts for "A New Approach to the Vedas," "Time and Eternity," and "Yaksas."
Arrangement
A New Approach to the Vedas, dates not examined. more than 1 folder.
Time and Eternity. Ms. with corrections and notes, dates not examined. 3 folders.
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Yaksas Part II. TMs. with corrections, dates not examined. 2 folders.
[NOTE: Titles with an asterisk (*) have had additional copies added, or are new titles, as of Dec. 1996]
Arrangement
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*Ajanta Fresco Fragment in the Boston Museum, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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The Bugbear of Democracy, Freedom, and Equality, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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The Christian and Oriental, or true, Philosophy of Art, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Does "Socrates is old" imply that "Socrates Is?", dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Early Indian Architecture I, II, III; Illustrations, dates not examined. 7 folders.
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*An Eleventh Century Silver Salver from Persia, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Foreward to The Gesture Language of the Hindu Dance, dates not examined. 1 folder.
The "Four Causes" in the Bhagarad Gita, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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A History of India and Indonesian Art. With Illustrations, dates not examined. 2 folders.
Horse Riding in the Rg Veda and Atharva Veda, dates not examined. 1 folder.
An Icon Pertaining to the Cult of Sri Natha-ji, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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The Indain Doctrine of Man's Last End, dates not examined. 1 folder.
*Indian Opinion on the State Regulation of Vice, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*An Indian Temple: the Kandaryo Mahadeo, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Khwaja Khadir and the Fountain of Life, dates not examined. 1 folder.
*Mahayana Buddhist Images from Ceylon and Java, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*The Nature of "Folklore" and "Popular Art", dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Note on Review by Richard Florsheim of "Is Art a Superstition...", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Note on the Iconography of the Cock on the Column, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*The Origin and Use of Images in India, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Includes some files related to the "The Origin of the Buddha Image."
The Origin of the Buddha Image. With Illustrations, dates not examined. 4 folders.
*The Painter's Art in Ancient India: Ajanta, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*The Philosophy of Mediaeval and Oriental Art, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Portraits of Akbar, Raja Man Singh, and Others, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Quod Factum est in Ipso Vita Erat, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*References to the Theory and Practice of Art in the Silpa S_stras, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Relation of Early Indian and Western Asiatic Art, dates not examined. 1 folder.
*The Relations of Art and Religion in India, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*The Religious Foundation of Life and Art, dates not examined. 1 folder.
A Royal Gesture; and some other motifs, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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The "Self" in Greek and Indian Metaphysics, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, dates not examined. 2 folders.
Some Ancient Elements in Indian Decorative Art, dates not examined. 1 folder.
The Source of, and Parallel to, Dionysus on the Beautiful, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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*The Technique and Theory of Indian Painting, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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The Time Factor in Indian Wall Painting, dates not examined. 1 folder.
*The Tree of Jesse and Indian Parallels or Sources, dates not examined. 1 folder.
The Tree of Jesse and Oriental Parallels, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Usnisa and Chatra: Turban and Umbrella, dates not examined. 2 folders.
*The Village Community and Modern Progress, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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What is Common to Indian and Chinese Art?, dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Arrangement
Replacement for Part III of Why Exhibit., dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Series 3: Notes
Arrangement
This series is arranged into three subseries: Notebooks, Files, and Loose Notes.
Arrangement
Some Notes
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Arrangement
Consists of miscellaneous notes related to domes, Hindu sculptures at Zayton, and other topics.
Arrangement
Notes and Illustrations relating to "The Hindu Sculptures at Zayton", dates not examined. 1 folder.
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Series 4: Correspondence
Consists of correspondence with such individuals as T. S. Eliot, Carl Schuster, Jaidera Singh, and
Thomas Whittemore, as well as family correspondence.
Arrangement
This series is arranged into three subseries: General, A-Z, Family, and Unidentified.
Consists of correspondence with such individuals as T. S. Eliot, Carl Schuster, Jaidera Singh, and
Thomas Whittemore.
Arrangement
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Albright, W. F., TCS, 1942, TL from AKC, 1942, 1942. portion of 1 folder.
Archer, John Clark, 5 TLsS, 1946-1947, TL from AKC, 1947, 1946-1947. portion of 1 folder.
Bayley, Charlotte, ALS, 1924, TL (carbon) from Assoc. Dir. of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1924,
1924. portion of 1 folder.
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Brown, William Norman, ALS, 1940, 3 ALsS from AKC (with replies from Brown added), 1932,
1932-1940. portion of 1 folder.
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Clark, Walter E., ALS, 5 TLS, 1929-1935, ALS from AKC, 1932, 1929-1935. portion of 1 folder.
Cross, S. H., TLS, 1944, TL (carbon) from AKC, undated, 1944. portion of 1 folder.
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Davids, C. F. Rhys, 2 ACsS, 7 ALsS, Al (fragment), 1913-1941, 2 ACsS, TL (carbon) from AKC,
undated, 1913-1941. portion of 1 folder.
Eastman, Alan C., ALS, 1940, TL (copy) from W. Norman Brown, 1939, 1939-1940. portion of 1 folder.
Edgerton, Franklin, 2 AlsS, 4 ACsS, 1931-1946, ALS, ACS from AKC, 1938-1945, 1931-1946. portion of
1 folder.
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Ferm, V., ALS, 1946, TL (carbon) from AKC, undated, 1946. portion of 1 folder.
Fowler, Murray, ACS, 1947, ACS (initialed) from AKC, 1941, 1941-1947. portion of 1 folder.
Frankfort, Henry, TLS, 1943, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1947, 1943-1947. portion of 1 folder.
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Ghosh, TLS (date torn off), dates not examined. portion of 1 folder.
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Hocking, William Ernest, TLS, 1942, TL (carbon) from AKC, undated, 1942. portion of 1 folder.
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Hungerland, Helmut, 5 TLsS, 1945-1947, TL (carbon) from AKC, undated, 1945-1947. portion of 1
folder.
Jackson, A. V. Williams, ALS, 1932, ALS (draft) from AKC, undated, 1932. portion of 1 folder.
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Kallen, Horace M., TLS, 1943, TLsS (1 copy, 1 carbon) from AKC, 1943, 1943. portion of 1 folder.
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Layard, John, ACS, 2 ALsS, 3 TLsS, 1945-1946, TL (carbon) from AKC, undated, 1945-1946. portion of
1 folder.
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Luzac & Co., TCS, 3 TLsS, 1943-1947, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1943, 1943-1947. portion of 1 folder.
McNamara, Joseph L., TLS, 1943, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1943, 1943. portion of 1 folder.
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Meyer, J. J., 2 ACsS, 2 ALsS, 1929-1932, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1932, 1929-1932. portion of 1 folder.
Morgan, Christiana, ALS, undated, ALS from AKC, undated, undated. portion of 1 folder.
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Pike, Royston, 4 TLsS, 1945-1946, 2 TLs (carbons) from AKC, 1945-1946, 1945-1946. portion of 1
folder.
Plumer, James Marshall, 3 ALsS, TLS, ACS, 1904-1944, AL (draft) from AKC, 1943, 1904-1944. portion
of 1 folder.
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Pope, Arthur Upham, 11 TLsS, 1930-1947, 4 TLs (carbons) from AKC, undated, 1930-1947. portion of 1
folder.
Rapson, E., 2 ALsS, 1929-1931, ALS from AKC, 1946, 1929-1946. portion of 1 folder.
Rawlinson, H. G., 2 ALsS, 1913-1946, TL (carbon) from AKC, undated, 1913-1946. portion of 1 folder.
Rebay, Hilla, TLS, 1947, TL (carbon) from AKC, circa 1947, circa 1947. portion of 1 folder.
von Reich, Frances, TC, 1944, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1945, 1944-1945. portion of 1 folder.
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Richards, I. A., ALS, 1940, ALS from AKC, 1943, 1940-1943. portion of 1 folder.
Rogers, Meyric R., TLS, 1933, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1933, 1933. portion of 1 folder.
Rowley, H. H., 3 TLsS, 1945-1946, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1945, 1945-1946. portion of 1 folder.
Sarasin, A., 3 TLsS, 1931-1934, 2 TLs (carbons) from AKC, 1931-1934, 1931-1934. portion of 1 folder.
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Schapiro, Meyer, ACS, 5 TLsS, 1928-1939, 3 TLs (carbons) from AKC, 1932, 1928-1939. portion of 1
folder.
Schuster, Carl, ACS, 4 TCsS, 2 TLsS, 1940-1941, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1931, 1931-1941. portion of 1
folder.
Shipley, Joseph T., ACS (initialed), 2 ALsS, TLS, 1943-1946. portion of 1 folder.
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Ulich, Robert, 4 TLsS, 1945-1947, TL (carbon) from AKC, 1945, 1945-1947. portion of 1 folder.
Vallée-Poussin, Lousi de la, 4 ACS, 2 ALsS, 1921-1932, AL from AKC, undated, 1921-1932. portion of 1
folder.
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Webster, J. Carson, ACS, 2 ALsS, 1947, TL from Dona Luisa Coomaraswamy, 1947, 1947. portion of 1
folder.
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Arrangement
Arrangement
Arrangement
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A. K. Coomaraswamy: Some Selections from his Writings. Edited by S. Durai Raja Singam, dates not
examined. 1 folder.
Consists primarily of photographs of Indic temples, artwork, and dance, collected by Coomaraswamy
as part of his ongoing research on Indian art and religion, and during his long career as a curator at the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Some photographs of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy and glass slides are also
included.
Arrangement
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Arrangement
Arranged by genre.
Subseries 6B: Photographs of Indic Temples and Artwork, 1827-1969 (1906-1948) . 31 boxes.
Arrangement
Arranged into six file groups by genre, followed by mounted and oversize prints and a group of
postcards.
This subseries consists primarily of photographs of Indic temples and religious artwork, sculptures,
figures, drawings, textiles, jewelry, inscriptions, coins, patterns, dancers, theater actors, and people,
primarily from India, and also from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Cambodia, Java, Siam (Thailand), China,
Bali, Afghanistan, Burma, Assyria, Greece, Nepal, Persia (Iran), Tibet, Sumatra, Japan, Korea, Laos,
Egypt, Turkey, Bhutan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Morocco, and Nigeria. Photographs show temples
and artwork dating from the 3rd century B.C. until the 19th century. Though some photographs were
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taken by Coomaraswamy, most were collected from miscellaneous photographers, museums, and
archaeological institutions, and many are unattributed.
A significant group of photographs of dancers from India, Ceylon, Bali, Bhutan, Burma, Java, and
Thailand are present, including some taken by known dance photographers Thilly Weissenborn (Java,
Indonesia, Bali) and Tassilo Adam (Java). Also present are images of local people participating in
theater, crafts, and other cultural activities in India and Southeast Asia.
A small file group of related print materials is also present, including notes, correspondence, clippings,
typescripts, catalogs, and articles providing description and contextual information for photographed
works. Letters, item descriptions, postcards, and black-and-white negatives are also occasionally
included along with photographs. Some photographs have detailed captions and stories from Hindu and
Buddhist traditions written on the back. Also present is a box of postcards and small photographs of
India and Southeast Asia.
Photographs in this subseries were collected by Coomaraswamy as a part of his ongoing research on
Indian artwork, including during his long tenure as a curator at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts from
1917 to 1947. Later correspondence suggests that these files were maintained throughout the 1960s by
Coomaraswamy's wife, Dona Luisa Coomaraswamy, and successors. Many of the dance photographs
present in this subseries can be attributed to Coomaraswamy's relationship with Stella Bloch, a dancer
and artist he later married, who accompanied him on a collecting trip to India and Asia in 1920 and
1921. Bloch studied dances from every country they visited and later performed them in New York and
Boston.
Arrangement
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(Kawa Dol).
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(Lauria Nandangarh).
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(Rajgir).
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(Takht Bhai).
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Arrangement
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Includes one 5x7" negative and a bound pamphlet of Buddhist iconography. Also see oversize.
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Arrangement
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(Kattu Edayar).
(Lauria Nandangarh).
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(Takht Bahi).
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Arrangement
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(Panjab).
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Arrangement
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Arrangement
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Unsorted oversize and mounted black-and-white prints, 14x18" and smaller, showing temples, sculptures,
and artwork. Most are undated, though some contain detailed captions on the back. Includes photographs
of temples and artwork at Sanchi, Agra, Java, Ellora, Mount Abu, Pattadakal and more.
Blank postcards depict temples, artwork, and dancers primarily in Cambodia, but also in China, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. In addition to postcards,
several small photographs and one glass plate negative are also included.
Arrangement
This series is arranged into two subseries: Works of Coomaraswarmy, and Miscellaneous.
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Arrangement
Consists of works by individuals other than Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, such as Agrawala - "Arnheim";
Anand, "The Hindu View of Art"; and Feer, M. L., "A Study of the Jatakas."
Arrangement
Reprints and Books. Anand, The Hindu View of Art, undated. 1 folder.
Reprints and Books. Feer, M. L., A Study of the Jatakas, undated. 1 folder.
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Arrangement
This series is arranged into three subseries: Dona Luisa Coomaraswamy, Others, and Unidentified.
Consists of manuscripts and notes for "Two Years in India" and "A Summary of Values in Hindu
Education and Philosophy." Also includes correspondence of Dona Luisa Coomaraswamy.
Arrangement
A Summary of Values in Hindu Education and Philosphy. Mss. and Notes, undated. 1 box.
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Consists of works by such individuals as Edgar Brightman, Rene Guenon, P. A. Hadiwidjojo, John A.
Pope, and A. Ranganathan.
Arrangement
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Pennington, Isaac. "Selections from the Works of Isaac Pennington", undated. 1 folder.
Plumer, James Marshall. "Dance of Gopis" and "Raise China's Standard of Living", undated. 1 folder.
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Arrangement
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