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 Mishima 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.
In addition, the Center houses an archive of Elling Eide’s own research notes, papers, personal correspondence, notes on the development of his collection, his time in the military, and a broad range of material Eide preserved related to the property, its history, and its development. See our Archives page for more information.
