The Elling Eide Center Research Library and Preserve features several notable items collected by Elling O. Eide, including a large Persian ceiling panel from the Qajar period (1789-1925), artifacts from the Tang Dynasty (618-904), an ornate tapestry from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) featuring Daoist themes, and ceramics from Central Asian kingdoms along the Silk Road. In addition to our collection of Asian decorative arts, the Center also has a diverse collection of Chinese and Japanese scrolls and screens, some of which date back to the eighteenth century.
The Center also houses several rare manuscripts and collections, including: 23 sets of Chinese rubbings, most of which are from albums of calligraphy from the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries; a handwritten manuscript by acclaimed Japanese author Yukio Mushima 三島由紀夫 (1925-1970); a Heian period fragment of a Japanese Buddhist text; local histories of Sarasota and Sarasota Native Americans; and a substantial collection of newspaper clippings, personal letters, photos, and other documents concerning Alicia Little’s efforts to end footbinding in the late 19th and early 20th century.
