Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-10-07
A LOVE OF A SHAWL.

We were in the Crystal Palace last week; and as
We passed one Of TIC glass cases in the southwest
corner of the lower floor, we were attracted by the
earnest exclamation of u lady-apparcntly an En-
glish one-saying to hcr compnion:
Nv hat u love of q shawl ~
To her it was so, no doubt; yet we might have
looked at it, or toward it, a dozen times without
noticing its beauty.
The lady's companion was a fnc-looking, dark
skinned gentleman, with II very black mustacbe
and black hair covered with u rcd cap.
lie was a Turkish merchant from Constantinoplc
Our curiosity was awake now. We had heard of
the shawls of Thibct, made by years of patient
hand labor, in The families of Princes or the nobili
", and that their value was often counted, like
gold or diamonds, by weight and incness, to the
amount of thousands of dollars, but we had never
seen one Of the articles.
'IIow much" said the lady, sis it worth?
The Turk gave an uneasy shrug OF the shoulders,
and a very dissatisfied curl of the lip, before he
answered"
II am told, Madam, that q Thing in this country
has no regular commercial valuc-that it is worth
what it will fetch. cannot tell what this is worth.
| know its cost"
GLOW much?"
1.-TWO thousand seven hundred dollars"
1t ccrtainly was u love Of II shawl. We put on
our spectaclcs, but the view through the glass case
was Unsatisfactory. Fortunately just then cur
friend Brcvoort, Custom-Ilousc Officer at the Pal
ace, came up whore we were standing wrapt in
not the shawl-astonishment at what we saw and
heard. The lady and the Turk walked away to
look at four other shawls of the same character,
but not quite so costly. We addressed the officer.
"NIr. Brovoort, is this shawl in bond" at is"
"What is it invoiccd at for duty?"
"Iet me scc-this is The fine onc-S2, 700
Would you like to look at it closer? 1t is q perfect
gem"
lie unlocked the case, and we actually handled a
shawl more valuable than some good farms; more
costly than some pretty COED country stores well
filled with dry goods and groceries"
This shawl is Of the finest fabric and needle
work, known as India Cashmere and was made
in Thibct by the patient industry of one of the
must celebrated artists of India, lIadji Mehcm-
med Hassan, for q prince of the royal blood
ShawlS Of this class are never made in manufacto
ries, but in private families, generally in the houses
of the nobility, for their own use, and are only
procurablc by special favor, rs some favorite piece
of n~ccdle-wo1k, made under similar circumstances
would he in this country.
Mr.. Brcvoort assured us that nothing has ever
been seen in this country before that was even an
approach to this in texture and general excellence
of perfect workmanship. A part of the work in
the corners tells its history in Turkish character.
that is, the name of the prince for whom it was
designed, and when and where made. Its size i
over one and a half hy three yards within the
border. Its value, rs the owner said, is what i
will fetch. We hope, instead of sending it back
to Constantinoplc, as he intends, after the close OF
the exhibition, that he will prove that value b,
Offering it to the ladies' Of New York at auction
We think we can assure him II thousand dollars
son speculation" for the first bid. Certainly in ;
city where opera tickets sell for two hundred ant
fifty dollars apiece, such Il shawl us this will FIND
Il purchaser at half price.
The other slawls are very beautiful, though val
ucd mt only about half as much as ''thc jewel o
Persia" They have been but a short time in the
exhibition, and perhaps have never been seen Ivy
dozen ladies Of the City, who are able to wear sucl
costly articles.
These shawls are owned by V. Chiragy, thu
Turkish Commissioner to the Worlds Fair. They
were found in a state of progress, during his tray.
els in Thibct, and engaged to be forwarded to hin
here for the purpose of exhibition, as soon as com
pleted, and have only lately arrived. Will
ladies' who can afford to wear diamonds of greater
value, allow them to be sent back to adorn some
favoritc of the harem, where they will be handed
down, as they might be here, in perfect condition
through several generations?
Now ladies, don't all start at once, only one car
have the best. Only one lady in America will
probably ever have a chance to wear ''such n love
of a shawl" You can all have a lock at it. If il
is sold at auction we will let you know, and you
can have the pleasure of bidding on it, and hearing
"Who bids for a two thousand seven hundred dol
lar shawl! Going" 1t will soon be gone-back
to its own country, and the Turks will say
"Amcrican ladies are very pretty, but they don
wear pretty shawls, "-1riJUnc.