A #EYASurprise in Persian poetry ms 46453 is a snake skin! It came to London in the 1920s via St Petersburg. We think it may have been used to ward off pests and rodents from eating the manuscript.

The Chōsen shisetsu gyōretsu zukan handscroll painting shows a procession of Korean Ambassadors on a visit to Japan in 1655. It is over 12 metres long! #EYASurprise https://ow.ly/EBEc50ZwzIX

Example of mail art by Hassan Musa. These small-scale works are sent through the regular mail as “free art” to surprise friends and all persons who glimpse at them along the way and afterwards #EYASurprise #https://archives.soas.ac.uk/records/MS_381333

A view of Mount Fuji from under Mannen Bridge by Hokusai Katsushika, c. 1830 #EYAArchitecture https://ow.ly/i0Wo50ZriBe

Chinese post office at Nanning photographed early C20th by Reginald Follett Codrington Hedgeland, officer in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service. #EYAArchitecture https://ow.ly/4bb850ZriiQ

Nyatapol temple is one of the few traditional buildings in Bhaktapur that survived the 2015 earthquake intact. Photo by cIRcle, Uni of British Columbia Library, 2018 as part of a project to document the aftermath of the earthquake. #EYAArchitecture

Photograph of the Augustus Bridge and Dresden cathedral, Dresden, Germany taken by tea merchant, John C Oswald in 1887. #EYAArchitecture

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Hong Kong. Photograph taken by Herny Rue c. 1910-1913 #EYAArchitecture #https://digital.soas.ac.uk/Documents/Detail/r.c.-cathedral-hong-kong/204650

Plans by W. Deans Cowan showing front view and pulpit of church at Ambalavao, pulpit of church at Antranobrika, pulpit of church at Ivohidahy. A note on reverse of plan reads "The roofs are at present thatch, but we hope to have tiles. The walls are brick." #EYAArchitecture

This photograph, taken by Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, probably of the town of Cochin, shows an interesting mixture of architectural styles. The conical roof of the early Kerala temple is set against the tower of a colonial building and other roof tops. #EYAArchitecture

Kuruma-ebi (prawns) and Aji (horse mackerel, Trachurus japonicus, Caranx trachurus), from the first series of fish published by Eijudo, c.mid 1830′s, with a poem by Toshinoya Tomiharu. #EYAColourful https://digital.soas.ac.uk/Documents/Detail/974993

This stunning painting of a fishing boat in India was painted by Gopal Ghose (1913-1980). #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/6NOK50YYVe4

This beautiful lacquer binding shows a bird perched on a spray of roses and a butterfly on a dark chocolate ground. The centre bears the date 1165 AH (1751 CE) #EYAColourful https://digital.soas.ac.uk/Documents/Detail/muraqqa-covers-exemplar/918586

This Japanese illustrated popular reader for children, 1916 tells the story of General Nogi. #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/GQnG50YYSM1

This Mamluk tile reflects the growing impact of Chinese ceramics, most evident in the colour scheme mimicking Chinese blue-and-white ceramics of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/3JUT50YYSBq

We love this illustration of the African Grape Vine by missionary and scientist Richard Baron during his time in Madagascar, 1872-1907 #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/Aook50YYRzt

Despite its vibrant colour, this painting by Ehigbor Osagie-Bruce Jude lyoghiojie highlights his concerns for the difficulties that confront ordinary people. #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/YKWw50YYRcp

This beautiful print, 1852, by Kuniyoshi Utagawa, Sankai medetai zue, shows a combination of a beauty and a provincial product: Bonseki of Bichū and a woman looking at buds of plum blossoms. #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/21hU50YSrL9

Front binding of Muhammad Zuhūrī's Divan (late C16th). The cover is painted in a wonderfully colourful collection of flowers in reds, pinks and blues on a gold ground with small stylised birds appearing here and there. #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/lz6T50YSryC

'Royal Lamba' from Madagascar, presented to Rev A. R. Down as the district missionary. The age of this burial cloth is unknown. Lambas used for royal burial were of finer quality with gold threads. #EYAColourful https://ow.ly/kbSH50YSqWp in

18th century Christian liturgical texts in Bohairic Coptic with Arabic glosses. Coptic was derived from Ancient Egyptian and written in a modified Greek alphabet. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/Jra450YRJMc

Early C13th manuscript edition of the Kokin wakashū of 905, the first imperially commissioned anthology of waka, Japanese court poetry. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/MUKw50YRIVm

Hausa poem in praise of Muhammad written by Dāwūd, Son of the Imam of the Mosque of Bello. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/hZmg50YRICG

Notebooks of William Dawes, 1790, documenting the grammar and vocab of the language spoken in the area around Sydney, Australia. These books are the major source of information about the Aboriginal language of Sydney. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/iW7n50YRHmE

This palm-leaf manuscript contains three religious works written in Pali with Sinhalese. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/xuiK50YRH01

Vocabularies of the Taheitian & some other languages, compiled by Joseph Banks during Captain James Cook's first voyage in 1760. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/1fPX50YSp3C

A handwritten native Siamese primer. With an inscription by G.Perry stating that he received it from Captain Francis Light (whose signature is added at the end) at Madras on the 14th July 1778. #EYAHandwriting https://ow.ly/72O750YSqbS

This manuscript map was draw and annotated by David Livingstone documenting his '‘Journey thro’ Barotseland’ in 1853 https://digital.soas.ac.uk/Documents/Detail/david-livingstone-manuscript-map-of-journey-thro-barotseland/948746 #EYAHandwriting

This letter, dated 1777, is from Than Phya Phimon Aisawan, Siamese Governor of Thalang and Than Phya Surintharacha, Siamese Superintendent to Captain Francis Light. The letter relates to the supply of 4000 muskets by Light to the Siamese Gvt. MS380629 #EYAHandwriting

The hand captured in these images published by the International Association of the Vrindaban Research insitute show three gestures traditional in Indian dance: Bherunda, Chatura and Garuda. #InternationalDanceDay https://digital.soas.ac.uk/documents?returning=true