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modern style. The ‘Louisiana Purchase’ collection
of royal gifts is another large collection that they
are preserving. It was interesting to hear that so
many of the gifts were engraved or embroidered
with symbolism related to music.
With the approach of the 200 year anniversary
of the Smithsonian/Thailand association, the collec-
tions are now being more closely studied in order
to verify their origin and significance. These experts
are currently on a mission to contact local experts
for advice and guidance on the importance of the
items being documented, the original usage of the
gift types, also the change in item types according
to the time gifts were presented. Why were certain
types of gift presented at different historical times?
Were the musical instruments display pieces, or
actual performance pieces? Many such questions
were posed. They intend to prepare an article
summarising the importance of their Thai displays,
with a view to making these displays accessible
to interested people in the world community, the
responsibility of all good museums.
As anthropologists, curators and ethnomusicol-
ogists, Dr Taylor, Mr Smith and Mr Merrion are very
interested in preservation, not just of artefacts, but
also the intangible preservation of the inner soul
of the music from the times that the gifts were
made, the human spirit in music. They are also
seeking specifics regarding the craft techniques
used in the making of instruments and other display
items. They have the means to digitise as many
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