The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-18

NTHEN it was announced last,week
that the set of Aeneas and Dido
tapestries from the Barberina palace
were sold for 100000 to John r. Nc
Lean of Washington the statement was
made that this was the record price in
America for a sale of this kind. In
view of the fact that there were eight
pieces in this set. ranging from 13 by13
feet to 13 by 20 feet. this figure is small
in comparison with that paid by other
men of wealth in this country for
tapestries.
There are two small textile pieces
now III New York that are valued at
SS5.9 90os--Fer -theiH=size,- they are prob-
ably the the cestliest in the world.
These tapestries are by feet III
size and make a small bundle that, tied
up in cotton cloth, reposes in safe
deposit vault, only to be brought out on
rare occasions to the sight of a pros
pective buyer. The dealer who owns
them admits there are not more than
four men in America who are likely
to buy them. They were made in the
Gobelin factory in Paris and are after
designs by Boucher, one representing
a man attending a woman seated in
swing, the other a group of men and
women lying in picturesque attitudes
tunes are in the manner of Vatican
and the coIoring is exquisitely soft and
lovely.
In the William c. Whitney house is
probably the finest collection of tapes
tries in New York, if not in America.
Just what they cost few persons know,
for Mr.. Whitney always was averse to
telling what he paid for his art objects,
one of his favorite replies to inquiries
being: I'D be ashamed to tell you"
Col. Oliver H. Payne, Mr.. Whitney's
brother-in-laW. has Gothic tapestry
hanging in the drawing room of his
Fifth avenue home that cost $65, 5,000. 1t
is behind glass and represents the
finest work of looms of Arras, in Fian-
ders.
Clarence H. Mackay has a set OF six
Italian tapestries that cost him more
than $250,O00, for local dealer paid
that sum for them in Paris before they
passed into Mr.. Maclzay's possession
two years ago. Paris, which is the
European clearing house for textiles of
this nature, has, in the words of an
expert, "gone mad over the prices at
which they hold these things. One
9x12 Gobelin tapestry now in that city
is valued at $3.50, ,00e-an enormous
sum, considering its size.
H NICK. .Twombly has a set of five
pieces of Flemish tapestries for which
he paid $125, eco, and c. T. Barney has
four pieces for which he gave the same
amount Mrs. Charles T. Sprague, OF
Boston, paid $4e,0e0 for three pieces
Of Flemish tapestry, and Bayard Thay-
er, of the same city, has a collection
that almost rivals that in the Whitney
house for beauty and cost.
James Henry (Silent) Smith bought,
at the sale of the Marquand collection
in this city last year, one French tapes
/ try for which ne paid $4,000. The
tapestries sold at that time brought
considerably more than 100000, the
record for a public sale in this country.
The finest tapestry in the world is
owned by j. Pierpont Morgan, but 1t
may never come TO this country, owing
to the prohibitiye duty imposed on
such things. He paid $500.000 for il
and keeps it in his London home, from
which it was taken at the coronation
of King Edward VII to aid in the dec
oration of Westminster abbey.
One of the curious things about
these old tapestries is that ordinary
| usage improves them. 1t has been
shown in many instances that where
| they have been kept in rooms seldom
opened to the air and sunlight the
colors Of these fabrics have deterior-