The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-16
ART TREASURES
 AT ST LOUIS FAIR Benguiat Collection of GreaI
 Value and Beauty IN NOW ON EXHIBITION In the Artistic Pavilion Are to Be Found Costly Weapons, Rugs of
 Exquisite Texture and
 Many Rare curios.
IN NOW ON EXHIBITION

St. Louis October 15.-(Special.) It is no matter of surprise to any one visiting l the Benguat Collection of Fine Art An l tiquities at the Worlds Fair, to hear such econiums as "Beautifull Interest ing Instructiver from the lips and pen of one spectator; and "Grandl Superb! ;, Of surpasslng lnterest!' and other | equally laudatory remarks from others 1 after the real gem of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition has been seen. It Is one of the sights of the Fair for even from New York comes the voice saving that that city would gladly welcome the l Fine Art museum collection of MT. Eph- l rian Benguiat, which has lately thrown l open to the public on the grounds of the Worlds Fair at St Louis; while from | Canada comes the echo that this price less exhibit should not be allowed to leave the country.
 1 There is one very peculiar feature about this collection that is worthy of attention before it's contents are discrib- ed It is not for sale Neither the whole ] collection nor any portion of 1t is made the subject of gain It Is purely instruc- tive in its design, the object of the ex- hibition being for the purpose of grau- flying the tastes of the lovers of art and the. artistic with a view to instructing them in ideas of design, architecture, combination of color and patterns for future design
 The opening day was attended by a host of notables, nearly all of whom in- scribed their names in a register kept In the pavilion and the econiums showered by each one as expressive of his or her views were in no way undeserving.
 The Pavilion.
 The pavilion itself, which is near the Palace of Foresty, Fish and Game, has i been most faithfully constructed and l finished commensurate with the object for which 1t was built. Passing the portals of admission one has to gape with astonlshment al the real magnifi- cence of the display presented. It is a i real feast for the eyes. It makes the heart of the artist bound with joy to behold concerted in a most tastefully arranged tout ensemble so many objects, all of which are worty of his study and attention.
 MT. Ephrian Benguiat, who has amas sed these art treasures, traces his line 1 age back to beyond the time of the fa- nous Alhambra of Spain, of which coun- try both he and his son, MT. Mordecai Benguiat, are natives.
 l The collection as whole is made up of several separate subsidiary collections of oriental and European relies and speci- mems of old time embroideries, textiles, faces, velvets tapestries Indian and Per sian shawls costumes, rugs, ecclesiasu- cal vestments, church paintings. embroi- dered pictures, porcelain tiles, gold and silver objects, sanctuary lamps, jewels, worries, bronzes, arms and armor, metal objects and wood carvings, besides real relics of two wars, being Turko-Greek ' s.41. A clesiastical treasures of the Phuipine Is- lands.
 The arms and armor comprise many weapons never hitherto seen in this coun- i try. Turkish, Syrian, Egyptian and Per sian scimtars Yachtans Kreeses, and 1 curved daggers, many of which have i their jeweled hilts and scabbards taste fully adorning the wall. Old English lances, some of which date back to the i time of Charles l and James l of Great ] Britain, together with qua1nt watches ] and other time pieces of that period do not fail to attract deserved attention.
 Rugs from everywhere have been and are even now much in vogue in this country and in Europe as floor coverings. yet it would be very difficult to find such masterpiects as the famous Marquand rugs collected by the late Henry G. Marquand late president of the Metro poltan Museum of Art and purchased from his estate for the Benguiat collec- ton at auction sale for the sum of $3S,- 0O0 The Alhambra silk rugs are another relic of a.slost art dating it's orign from the time when the Moors invaded spain
 Caps 1t All.
 l But to cap all is the Persian royal silk carpet which is said to have taken eleven persons twenty-eight years to make. It Is the choicest morsel in the study of carpet and rug making that is here shown. It's size covers an area of forty by seventy feet. The body and pile of this carpet is made of silk twist and with surface skin of plush. The I colors are harmonous, uniform and blend with each other perfectly from end to end and the design is what can safely be termed unique. It is alleged that this is the thickest piled carpet ever ex- hibited made exclusively of silk
 A unique silver canopy of the early seventh century occupies the center Of l which