New-York tribune., 1902-05-10
CTRTO DEALERS N RUSSIA.

HOW FOREIGN TRADERS ARE SHUT OUT
From The Pail Mall Gazette.
The Russian curio dealer is lucky fellow
For the last ten years. to say the least, ne mas
leen making his fortune rapidly. a tact not
10 b" wondered at when We consider that ne mas
a his own private preserve, the whole OF Nus
sia's great colony I'm Central Asia, "hlch
stretches from the Caspian Sea 10 the hpf"erS
of China.
No foreigner may land on the eastern side Of
the Caspian without having first obtained Spe-
Cial permit from the Foreign once At 81 felerS-
burg. The permit Is very rarely granted 70 any
hut Russian subjects. and never to foreigners
Of the mercantile class. that the Russian
curio dealer has no one TO interfere with the
splendid monopoly upon which he is growing so
fat and sleek He has hts emissaries all over
the country. In Khiva. in Bokhara. in khokand
and in kashgar. which last named, being a
Chinese border town. Is Of course open 10 all
Many OF these emissaries are of the Hebrew
race, and this point is greatly in their favor
for II enables them To gain an easy adIhlttah'e
TO the houses OF native Jews. which in them
selves are mines of wealth to the collector OF
Antiquities | came across such emissary
in Khokand. and interested in looking
over some OF his latest booty. which consisted
OF several Greek coins, on which it was easy to
distinguish the name and features OF Alexander
the Great Roman one Of purcst gold, on which
read the inscription OF the Emperor Titus,
and several beautifully carved metal Caskets.
How do YOU know that these coins are genu-
ne?" | asked.
SHOW me the man in Khokand who could
make one of these" was the quick reply.
ITO whom do you sell these coins| was my
next question
Il sell a good many 10 private gentlemen in
England and Scotland, who arS themselves
clever numismatoloEsts. and possess priceless
collections. that have been handed down from
ia ther to son for generations. l also sell a
great many in America, but the Americans only
began to collect about fifteen or twenty years
ago. They are keen At it, but have not the un-
derstanding that | find in Britain still they
very ready to buy"
The Russian CuTio dealer has his agents in
every capital in Europe, but the two principal
Moscow. in particular is grand centre for the
purchase of Central Asian antiquities. Five
years the traveller might yet pick up In
the bazaar at Bokhara "A curious copper vase,
Il turquoise covered saddle a sword of an
cient date; hut he would look there in vain
for any article hearing the stamp Of age.
In Merv it is the same We have all heard
Of the exquisite carpets made by Turkoman
women which rival in their beauty and dura-
bty the finest rugs that India Persia
produce, but now the traveller searches for
them i'm vain in their native land. An inferior
quality, frightful in pattern and hideOuS in col
oring but dear to the heart Of the Russian
Hausfrau has entirely taken their place. The
genuine article is still to be had by those who
willingi to pay the enormous price that is
asked; but il is in the warehouse of mer-
chant prince i'm Moscow hat 1t will be found. To
go further afield would be useless.
Among the native population Of Turkestan
there yet many skilled workmen. but their
masterpieces predestined for the Curio shops
CT Moscow They will never appear in the
native bazaar. where their place has been taken
sad say, by a class OF goods. cheap and
with the express view of pandering to low
taste for paltry show and color. that never ex-
listed in the country TIN the Russians brought il
with them.