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- Basil Gray
- Also known as
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Basil Gray
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primary name: Gray, Basil
- Details
- individual; academic/intellectual; curator; British; Male
- Life dates
- 1904 July 21-1989 June 10
- Biography
- Scholar, specialising in Chinese art; CBE and FBA; educated at New College, Oxford. In 1928, joined excavations undertaken by the British Academy at Istanbul, and also in that year, entered the Department of Printed Books at the British Museum; Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities (1946-1969); Acting Director and Principal Librarian in 1968. Honorary appointments include: CBE in 1957; President of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1962-64; 1971-74; and 1977-78; Chairman of the Visitors to the Ashmolean Museum. Married Nicolete Binyon, daughter of the late Laurence Binyon (qq.v.) in 1933.
Publicaations: "Persian Painting", 1930; "Persian Miniature Painting"', 1933, compiled with Laurence Binyon and J. V. S. Wilkinson; "Chinese Art" (with Leigh Ashton), 1935; "Rajput Painting" 1948; (joint) Commemorative Catalogue of the Exhibition of the Art of India and Pakistan, 1947-48; "Early Chinese Pottery and Porcelain", 1953; "Sung Porcelain and Stoneware", 1984; "Studies in Chinese and Islamic Art", vol. 1, 1985 and vol. 2, 1988. 'Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society": 'Blue and White Vessels in Persian Miniatures of the 14th and 15th centuries re-examined, vol. 24, 1948-49, pp. 23-30, 6 Pls; The Development of Taste in Chinese Art in the West, 1872-1972 (First George de Menasce Memorial Lecture), vol. 39, 1971-73, pp. 19-42, 8 Pls; The Export of Chinese porcelain to India, vol. 36, 1964-66, pp. 21-37, 8 Pls; 'The Export of Chinese Porcelain to the Islamic World: some reflections on its significance for Islamic art before 1400, vol. 41, 1975-77, pp. 231-49, 12 Pls; 'The Influence of Near Eastern Metalwork on Chinese Ceramics', vol 18, 1940-41, pp. 47-60, 3 Pls; Introduction to the Catalogue of the Exhibition of Pre-T'ang Wares, vol. 27, 1951-52, Appendix; 'Introduction to the Catalogue of the Exhibition of 'The Ceramic Art of China', vol. 38, 1969-71, pp. 5-9; 'Introduction to eh Catalogue of the Exhibition of Wares of the T'ang Dynasty, vol. 24, 1948-49, pp. 65-67; 'Liao Pottery - Exhibition of the Arts of the Sung Dynasty, vol. 32, 1959-60, pp. 29-32; 'Painting, Printing and Textiles - Exhibition of the Arts of the Ming Dynasty', vol. 30, 1955-57, pp. 13-24; 'R. L. Hobson Bibliography', vol 19 1942-43, pp. 61-69; 'The Royal Academy Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-36 in Retrospect, vol. 50, 1985-86, pp. 11-36, 25 PLs; Gray, B & Neave-Hill, B., 'Some Reflections on Sung and Yuan Wares - Exhibition 'The Ceramic Art of China', vol. 38, 1969-1971, pp. 33-40.
- Bibliography
- Jessica Harrison-Hall, "Catalogue of late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum" 2001, p. 590; J. M. Rogers, 'Basil Gray', "Iran", British Institute of Persian Studies, 1979; Roy Davids and Dominic Jellinek, "PROVENANCE: Collectors, Dealers and Scholars: Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America", 2011, p.203 & 204; “Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society”, vol. 53, 1988-1989, pp 9&10, obituary, William Watson; Who’s Who 1972, p. 1278)
