New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-10
LONDON NOTES.
THE MARLBOROUGH GEMS AT Ar-cr,ov
TWENTY OLD ITALIAN PICTURES
London, June 2

London, June 30
The Marlborough gems have been sod =.
Christe's for f34.S27. It has been tho seoo.s
sale OF the famous Blenheim Collection ,r a..
course Of single generation Before tho la.
David Bromilow purchased IT, Professor NJ,
Story Maskelyne prepared a critical ca,a,oo,o
for the seventh Duke OF MARLBOROUGH. ana q
abridged abstract Of this learned treatise IN ,t
history material and technique Of the gems wo.
converted into a selling prospectus for the ben.-
ft Of the auctioneer and his clients The pro
fessor protested in a letter 10 The TinnesY
against this shrewd bit OF trade ENTERPRISE a,a
asserted that all favorable criticism was gun.
pressed in the abridged catalogue Conno,.
seurs who competed for the possession OF these
treasures had access to the full text ana
their own methods Of testing the value Of the.s
rare canoes and intaglios. Even the most high
minded auctioneers cannot reasonably be .r
pected to discredt any wares passing under the
hammer.
There were. indeed. three collections in one
The first made by the illustriOus Earl OF
Arundel OF the Caroline period and was subse-
quentIy transferred from the house OF Howard
through divorced wife TO her second husband
Sir John German. He bequeathed the treasures
TO a second wife and she left them in turn 10
her greatniece. Lady Mary Beauclerk who
married a brother OF the third Duke OF Marlbor
ough. an enthusiast respecting gems. BY
family arrangement they passed into the
Dukes possession. This Arundel collection was
rich in antique works. One famous intaglio
represents the rape Of the palladium from the
Trojan temple: another has wonderful por-
trait OF Marcia a sardine stone another
bust Of Mars; and there is an exquisite cameo
Of md on bor
The second collection was acquired by the
third Duke Of Marlborough from Lord Bessbor-
ough, who had purchased cabinet from the
Earl Of Stanhope and more valuable one in
feghorn. thereby doubling the value Of his
treasures Among the two hundred gems were
intagllos Of Sirius in garnet Caracalas head
on fine sapphire Paas and Jupiter Scraps
cut on amethyst. a large Medusa phalera on
chalcedony Apollo mourning Corons an
admirably cut athlete. the bust Of a muse an
Antoninus Plus, and many other examples Of
classic and medieval engraving. These two
Arundel and BessborOugh cabinets made up
one-half OF the Blenheim collection. The re-
naming gems were collected by the third Duke
Of Marlborough himself, and comprised many
beautiful works Of art Among them were many
lovely Greek ntaglios. a pair OF imperial heads
on a semi-Ova sardonyx Of brilliant hues the
Holderness Hermes deeply cut on yellow sard
a green Jasper Isis, a cameo Of Augustus. ex-
quisite in workmanship. with chased setting.
and many other beautiful examples OF antique
engraving.
GEMS WITH VARIED HISTORIES.
There were nearly seven hundred and fifty Of
these stones In Christies salesrooms Chalced-
ony agate, garnet. lapis lazuli ruby beryl.
turquoise amethyst. jasper. sapphire. sardne
and emerald were ntermingled in the cases and
the commonest material had high polish and
beauty OF color. The engravers OF antiquity.
the Renaissance and modern times have set the
characteristic seal Of their art upon these
stones which have been collected from the old
houses and jewellers stalls Of every country I'm
Europe. Some OF them have been gifts from
popes. emperors or kings others have come
from Egyptian tombs. the bazaars OF Persia
and Constantnople, and the ruined palaces Of
the Roman Empire; others are souvenirs OF the
era Of the Medcis and the luxurious tastes OF
the French nobility. The history Of only few
of the more famous canoes and ntaglios is
definitely known and many OF the secrets OF
the designs revealed 10 the trained archie
-oIogist alone. No English collection OF gems out
side OF the British Museum can vie in range and
technical excellence with these Blenheim stones,
OF civilization. ancient or modern.
It was a fantastic masquerade Of the gods
and heroes of all generations that was here Wit
messed under glass. Iris and Scraps Venus and
Hermes. Hercules and Bacchus. Antinous and
the Horatii. Medusa and Mary Queen OF Scots.
Augustus and Charles V, Cupid and Psyche,
Philip ii and Cardinal Mazarin. and hundreds OF
other partners paired off in this carnival Of the
ting ~ mar nv
coors. for there was blend OF the dark or pale
green OF the jasper. the golden CLEANS and
orange red OF the Greek sard the violets and
yeows OF the amethyst. the light blues Of sap
phire and onyx. and the radiant glory Of garnet
beryl and emerald. Il the last masque OF the
Blenheim gems In the show rooms Of the great
est auction mart in luxurious London
THE FoRMAN COLLECTION.
The Forman collection of objects OF art went
under the hammer at Sotheby's last week.
and the gross total of the sale was about
$111.945. All along the line there was an
advance in prices. AS an illustration. the
Attic vase found at Agrgentum in 1880 was
sold for 5000, whereas Mr.. Forman paid Sl22
for It, This was the Lebes in Attic free style
with a combat OF amaZons with heroes in red
figures II was one of the ornaments OF Samuel
Rogers's house facing Green Park, where
sumptuous dinner parties were once ordered.
with candles all around the dining room 10
show off the pictures and to give point TO sgd
ney Smiths description: above there is blaze
Of light and below nothing but darkness ana
crashing Of teeth" The vase will now hnd
final refuge in the British Museum. At the same
sale a pair OF Hispano- Moorish stirrups OF the
fifteenth century was sold for f2,I0o These
stirrups were OF iron. bordered with cloisonne
enamel on gold. A silver cup and cover OF
Augsburg sixteenth century work found pur-
chaser at fl1OO. and helmet Of the same
period, damascened with gold, brought tl'4V'.
Collectors pay we'll in London for anything on
which they set their hearts.
A collection OF twenty pictures by italian mas
ters, most of them borrowed from private gal
lcries has heen exhibition al the AgneMs. IN