A unique collection of letters from Aurel Stein

A unique collection of letters written between 1913 and 1938 by Aurel Stein to one of his very few close friends, Filippo de Filippi, Italian physician, explorer and mountaineer.

Subjects covered include efforts to publish de Filippi's scientific reports on the Karakorum, and Stein's repeated attempts to explore and excavate in Persia and China against a growing background of what he termed 'ignorant nationalism encouraged in the East by the growing disruption of Europe' and the 'tergiversations' of the Nanking government. There are numerous references to the expatriate community in Florence, with frequent mentions of the Berensons. The letters show growing concern at the chaos in Europe.

Stein's enthusiasm for Marco Polo is set out in detail in the context of Professor Benedetto's efforts to produce a translation of various texts with notes. He devotes several letters to the question of potential note makers: the brilliant French scholar Paul Pelliot who could not be relied on because 'he has always many irons in the fire' and the British scholar A.C.Moule who 'hates to make up his mind'.

This fine archive which sheds new light on Stein's human side is almost certainly the only remaining collection of his letters in private hands.