Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-14
A SUMP TUOUS BOOK
Only One Hundred Copies and
Will Cost 100000.
ALL WILL BE GIVEN AWAY
To Consist of Two Volumes, Weigh
ing 1874 Pounds,
DUE TO LATE HEBER BISHOP
History and Description of the Col
lection of Jades Given by Him
to the Metropolitan Museum.
ALL WILL BE GIVEN AWAY
DUE TO LATE HEBER BISHOP
BY WILLIAM CTRTIS-

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
rdHerud.
Probably the most sumptuous and expen-
sive book that has ever been published
since the invention of printing was issued
from the press Of Theodore l.. DeVinne q
Co, New York, last week. 1t consists of
two volumes weighing 124 pounds. 1t is
bound in full green levant with exquisite
toOling by Stikeman & Co, New York city.
The title is "Catalog and Investigations in
Jade" published by Heber r. Bishop, New
York, 1903. The edition is limited to 100
copies. and the cost exceeds $780, goo. No
copies have been or will be sold. The en-
tire edition has been presented TO the King
of England, the Emperor of Germany, the
Gar of Russia. the Queen Of Holland, the
Emperor of Japan. the Emperor of China
and to various art galleries, museums and
libraries IN different parts of the world.
The two copies required by law to secure
the copyright have already been received
at the Congressional Library in Washing
ton, and eighty-two copies are now on their
way by express to the selected destinations.
The remaining copies are retained for the
present by Mr.. Moses TAYLOR Bishop and
Mr.. A. T. Paterson of New York the ex-
ecutors of the estate Of the publisher.
These also will be distributed among pub
lie institutions in accordance with the in
StructiOns of Mr.. Bishops will.
The editor of this remarkable work is
Mr.. George F. kunz the gem expert of Tiff
fanny q Co, who has been engaged since
1856 in planning and directing the prepara-
ton of the text and Illus trationS Mr.
Bishops instructions to him were to spare
no expense TO secure the most beautiful
and valuable work possible from scien-
tthc. literary. artistic and mechanical
standpoint. and the success which he has
attained may be measured by those who
have the privilege of examining the vol
umes. They are a monument to q single
mineral which Mr.. Kunz considers in all
respects the most interesting mineral in the
world.
The two stately folios are printed upon
the finest quality OF linen paper, manufac-
tured especially for the purpose The first
volume contains pa pages and weighs fifty
1--WE pounds. The second volume contains
2D3 pages and weighs sixty-nine pounds
The pages measure II by 10 inches There
are 80 full-page illustrations in the high
est style of eXeCution-water colors etch-
ings and lithogra phs, with nearly 300 pen
and-lnk sketches inserted in the text The
etchlngs were made by Sulpis Guerard
Richard, Piquet, lie Rat, Coutry and
Smillie The Autographs are by Prang &
90. and Forbes K Co. The water-color
sketches are by Chinese and Japanese
artists. The text IS limited to a historical
scientific and descriptive account of the
collection of jades which the late Heber r.
Bishop presented TO the Metropolitan Mu-
MI. Bishops Career.
Mr.. Bishop was a well-known capitalist
and art collector of New York. He came
Of English stock. his ancestors having emf
grated from Ipswich to the Massachusetts
colony in 1895 and settled at Medford.
where he was born In 1910 He received
his education and merchantile training in
Boston and for several years was engaged
N painting and refining sugar In Cuba
during the revolutionary disturbances some
years ago he sold his estates and removed
10 New York, where he became interested
IN large Industrial and financial enterprises
both in that city and in the northwest
lie was one of the builders of the Third
avenue elevated railway and was active
In the development of the Lake Superior
iron mines. He became largely Interested in
Duluth and other western cities and was
a promoter OF several railway enterprises
IN that section, by which he acquired a
large fortune
Mr.. Bishops activities were not confined
10 mercantile and financial affairs, how
ever. He was a man of broad public spirit
and benevolenCe, and the hospitals
churches art galleries. museums and edu-
cational institutions of New York city bear
eloquent testimonials TO his generosity and
public spirit. He had a keen appreciation
OF art and became a collector in his early
manhood. He was known for his dscrimi-
nation and liberality from Petersburg to
Picking as one of his friends said and
the finest apartment in the Metropolitan
Museum is now filled with the choicest
examples of his collections. In 1902 about
six months before his death Mr. Bishon
presented them TO that institution and en-
dowed it with q generous fund for their
maintenance. He provided for new wing
of the museum building to be known as
Bishop Hail." and employed the famous
firm Of Allard Brothers of Paris TO make
it the finest possible example of the period
Of Louis XIV. This magnificent apartment
has been pronounced by the most compe-
tent critics to surpass anything OF that
style that may be seen anywhere in rich
ness OF material and beauty of design, ex-
cept. possibly. rooms at Versailles and
Potsdam. 1t was never exceled IN the time
of the artistic French monarch himself.
The cost of finishing the room and in
staluEg the collection was $4,000.
Collection of Jades.
In the center of this apartment, displayed
in fifteen cases of gilt bronze and plate
glass, IS the most notable assemblage OF
fades ever made in the world. 1t has been
gathered from many lands, from the sales
Of many collections, and contains more
than Il thousand specimens, ancient and
modern. I'm the natural state and carved
engraved and jeweled The central piece
known as the Heard vase, was obtained by
MIR Augustus Heard a Boston tea mer-
chant, in 1850 from the loot carried away
from the famous summer palace of the
Emperor OF China by the French army In
the war of 1860 There are several ex-
amples of the rare and beautiful lettuce
green jades which are very costly, and
a series of ornaments from India, inlaid
with rubies, diamonds, emeralds and other
Jewels. The collections represent all the
varieties of jade known to m5neralogy and
all the types and styles of workmanship
and carving. They have also the largest
piece of Jade ever discovered, weighing
4,7i5 pounds.
This collection. begun in 1878, grew in
course of time until it came to be recog-
uaZed the most complete assemblage OF
jade objects in the world, surprising even
that in the British Museum. In 1856 Mr.
Bishop became convinced that its value and
Importance required q comprehensive scien-
tIhc catalogue, historical and descriptive
I'D