Professor A.K. Bhattacharyya, former Director of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, primarily a numismatist of established repute, is also well-known for his distinctive contribution to the study of Indian and Trans-Indian art and iconography. His first major work on Indian numismatics was written as co-author in a comprehensive book on Indian Art published from Tokyo, Japan. This was followed by a grand treatise on the collection of the Hackin collection of Indian coins in Musee Guimet, Paris. In course of this scrutinising work and subsequently as Director, Indian Museum, during 1965-75, his study of Indian coins continued unabated. He was elected a Member on the Council of the Numismatic Society of India.
Along with his intensive study of numismatics, he devoted himself to the study of Buddhist, Jaina and Brahmanic art as they flourished in India and abroad -with unparal-leled attention and devotion. It continued throughout a long span of more than fifty years, producing, more than twenty-four volumes touch-ing upon, epigraphy, textiles, paintings, and sculptures, emphasizing their iconographic niceties, wherever they so presented themselves. For his outstanding contribution in the field of cultural history of the country he was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship.
With a brilliant academic record throughout from Matric to the two M.A.-s, one in Sanskrit and the other in Islamic History and Culture, both with First Class, the latter with Perso-Arabic epigraphy and numismatics as special subjects, he is the awardee of PRS from the Calcutta University. He was sub-sequently elected a Fellow from the Museums Association of England, and awarded a Senior Fellowship from the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, a Japan Foundation Fellow-ship, and a Fellowship from the Pacific Cultural Foundation, Republic of China, with Research Grants from Germany and the Royal Govt. of Thailand. Prof. Bhattacharyya's teaching assignments include Lectureships and as Principal of a College in West Bengal, Lectureship at the School of Archaeology, New Delhi, Hony. Lecturership at the Calcutta University and a Visiting Professorship at the National University and the University of Chinese Culture in the Republic of China.
