The Washington herald., 1911-08-12
SOME FURNITURE OF
MARIE ANTOINETTE

Three pieces of furniture recently were
placed on public sale at Paris with the
monstrous limit of one million francs, a
valuation altogether out of proportion
even with objects of this nature, for
they were royal furniture of the unfor-
tunate Queen Marie Antoinette OF
course, that limit was not reached, and
the articles were withdrawn. only to be
later once more offered at the we'll
known Hotel Durout. when they were
knocked down at 10000 francs.
The prices first asked may possibly be
In reason for objects of this nature IL
adorned with bronzes, paintings, or
PLAQUES in Sevres porcelain but so far
ho million valuation ever has been set
upon three pieces of carved wood fur
niture, no matter how beautiful they may
be. The pieces consisted of a simple
couch, an armchair, and a screen
1t Is true that they could not be sur
passed In beauty. and that the fineness
or the carving of the ornaments renders
them comparable with the finest objects
or that Kind ever made. Moreover, they
have great historic interest, for it ap-
pears undoubtable that they were made
for Marie Antoinette's boudoir at Yer
sailles. so perfectly do they seem to be
fitted for that destination
This fact appears to be so much more
plausible since when this furniture was
in the Queens boudoir in the Palace of
versailles, 1t was seen to be in it's proper
framing.
1t is not uninteresting TO recall to mind
that VI. Pierre de Nolhac in his his
tory of Queen Marie Antoinette has re-
constituted the Queens cabinet, which
he describes as follows:
The principal of all these little rooms
is the one called the Queens cabinet.
The ornamentation, like that of the rest
OF gold on white, is almost rich The
panels, all uniform in size, show winged
sphinxes, with their backs turned to
smoking tripods, wreathed with roses
Below are hlindfolded cupids In front
or the mirrors that separates the win
doWs Is a niche OF mirrors larger than
that Of the -boudoir the arch being
draped with silk. Slender fine furniture
edorns this retreat In which Marie An
toinette passed the greatest part Of her
time. a harp. music stand loaded
with notes. pianoforte always open
show her favorite taste The piano bears
the name of Sebastian Evard.
1t is to be regretted that de Nolhac has
not in the same manner reconstructed lin
imagination) the furnishings of the bou-
DOR. Perhaps then one would be able
again to find the images of this couch,
the posts of which form terminals with
female busts, while the bands at the
head and foot are ornamented with deli
cate garlands Of flowers: the armchair. the
arms Of which rest on the sphnx-headed
terminals. and the screen, so delightfully."-
decorated with little figures of women
seated and resting. The web, in discolor-
cred silk. bears the initials M. A. form
ed OF flowers. The woodwork is painted
white and gilded in parts.
1t is quite a long time since the family
of the Princess YOuriewsky has attracted
any public attention. When they first
came % Paris the princess, as widow of
Gar Alexander III, seemed desirous of
surrounding herself with a court mostly
composed OF authors, artists, servants,
and archaeolCgists from the Institute of
France. She had the name of being a
multimillionairess and benefiting TO the
extent OF some 50 100000 rubles in sums
deposited in non-RussIan banks by her
late imperial husband. whose policy she
undoubtedly governed conjointly with
Loris Malikoff, just as soon as the death
of Empress Feodorowna enabled the
Car TO regularize her position at the |
court by the Neva
The princess. upon arriving at Paris, |
chose her residence with good judg-
ment in the very quiet and ultra
aristOcratic Las Cases Square, within a |
stones throw of the Church of Saint
Clothilde The style of her establish |
ment was grave ard grand. a felicitous |
mixture of Rus"i,r' case and French |
taste. There was. a. st, great deal
published about the = lcess Youriew |
skys famous literary q lers. but when |
these also appeared in le St Petersburg |
Revue, the displeasure of the present |
Czarina was encountered. and all refer