New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-03
Most Valuable Private Col
lection in the World
Freely Given.
$500 PIECES TO BE
SHOWN IN OCTOBER
History for Many Centuries De-
picted in War Implements
at Metropolitan.

! Official announcement was made yes
! terday at the Metropolitan Museum OF
! Art of the gift to the institution by
| William H. Riggs, of Paris and New
| York of his entire collection of arms
and armor, his library of books on the
| subject and the pictures and material
! relating thereto. Although several re-
! ports had come from Paris 10 the eff
| feet that Mr.. Riggs intended giving his
| collection to the museum, no previous
, announcement had been made by the
museum.
! In telling Of the gift Edward Robin
son, the director. said:
! 1T is the most important private
collection of arms and armor in the
world The value and importance of it
would he hard to oyerstate. 1t is one
( Of the greatest gifts ever received BY
the museum and is next in importance
| to the Altman bcquest."
/ The Riggs collection has been re-
ported as being worth S5,Vo,OOO. Mr..
! Robinson said ii had not been the pol
icy of the museum TO say how much
any of its collections were worth. and
Mr.. Riggs had refrained from saying
anything about its value.
Experts have said the suit OF armor
Of the Duke of Alva in the Riggs col
lection could bring 100000 any time.
Mr.. Riggs. it was added, had made
the gift free Of all conditions, and it
! was made absolute by formal deed,
which has been accepted by the trus-
/ tees. He expressed the wish that the
collection should not be separated from
other armor collections in the museum,
but be merged if necessary to make 1t
historical or chronological.
| The collection numbers in all 2,oOo
pieces. IT will he shown in OCTOBER on
the lower floor Of Addition II, the new
north wing. The Morgan collection
will also b. shown in this wing.
Plan Approved by Riggs.
1t was explained by Mr.. Robinson
that last spring Mr.. Riggs came to
this city and approved the plan of the
museum officials TO place the arms ana
armor collection in this wing. Prepa-
rations are now being made for its in
stallation. Mr.. Riggs expects TO come
10 New York TO supervise the instalia-
ton.
The decision of Mr.. Rigs TO give his
collection to the museum was material
~ influenced by his lifelong friend, the
late ]. Pierpont Morgan. IT would De
impossible TO duplicate ii at the pres
ent time. Mr.. Robinson said.
The more important parts OF the COL
lection are as follows
20 suits and half suits OF armor.
800 separate pieces of armor.
20 bucklers, shields. targes.
10 hauberks. brigandines.
20 ancient banners.
900 swords.
600 halberds and similar shafted
weapons.
10 maces and short pole arms.
40 daggers.
300 firearms and accessories
20 arbalists.
80 various pieces OF horse armor' IN
addition to spurs, brides. etc.
The Riggs collection contains many
historical pieces. including the armor
for horse and man of Marcus Antonius
| CoIonna. which was formerly In the
town hall OF Bozen, in the Tyrol and
earlier in the Ambras collection. 1t IN
cludos armor which belonged TO LOUIS
XIII. the Duke OF Alva, Charies de
Bourbon. the Count Of Frioourg' the
MARQUIS de Bassompierre' pieces or
armor. such as helmets, breastplates'
gauntlets, belonging TO Henry VIII OF
England. Tremouille. Alva, Henry ~,
Henry II. Louis XIII, Lorenzo de Med
lei: swords of Henry ~ ana Charies
V: coronation gauntlets OF CHRISTIAN
I Of Saxony: numerous arms OF Ausus-
tus the Strong; stlrrups OF inc rope
odoscalchi and of can Grande; nal
herds Of the state guards OF humoer
Continued on third page thn" ss'u"H