New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-05
By John Walker Harrinsto,

Of gold and glowing in
81 u bright hues, the set Of six
great tapestries depicting
she martial glories Of Louis XIV Of
France, the Grand Monarch, and
leng In the collections of the late Lord
Amherst Of Hackney, has reached
ihis country. It's arrival at the Gus
tom House a few days ago marks
The end of negotiations which have
Aeen in progress for several years.
With the growing tendency in
England to follow the example Of
ether European countries in pre-
wanting the expectation of notable
works Of art, it may not be long be-
fore the flow of the stream which
has borne such treasures to the
United States will be checked. The
treat war has impressed upon the
world as never before the intrinsic
as we'll as the aesthetic value of such
works. the sale Of which is urged
from time to time by British states
men as an excellent way for Ger
many and Austria to raise funds for
paying indemnities.
Many Changes of Fortune
The Amherst tapestries, reputed to
be valued at half a million dollars in
ell, are in the possession of P. w.
French & Co., Of this city, pend
Ing their delivery to a client whose
name at present cannot be an
aounced. They are here after many
changes in fortune of their original
owners, one q German count and tt
second Lord Amherst, but they a.
undimmed by time, and their cole
ore IS clear as they were when the
wonder fabrics came from the his
warp looms. Their condition is d
to the great care with which tn
we're kept, especially in the years
which they hung in the ancest..
halls Of the House of Amherst.
Had it not been for che fnanci
disaster which, through no fault
bis own, overwhelmed Lord All
harst few years since, these not.
BE examples from the eighteent
century looms would still have bee:
ia their English setting. They wou.
hsve had wonderful company, toe,
for the castle was filled with rar.
Old paintings, with priceless tones
from the first days Of the printing
press, with rare objects Of art which
bad been gathered by scholarly taste
uaderwritten by what at one time
seemed limitless wealth.
When the crash came what a pitt
able sight it was when the broken
spirited and aged owner came like a
pale wrath of the days that were to
see his precious Cations and his
Hiumphs of medieval craftsmen go
under the hammer at Christie's. The
Cd mart Of art is not given to emo
tons, and yet there were men at the
DISPERSAL whose hearts were wrung
By the low-spoken words of the
! bankrupt peer.
: His Till He Died
when the collections were scat
aned in 1908, however, certain of
tie family and friends of Lord AM
lesst, seeing that the tapestries
vsse going ct a sacrifice, bought
aem IN and sent them back. The
\ hled antiquarian was therefore able
sosee them for the few months which
sapsed before his death, the news
Of which was in 1909 brought to
this country. The rare fabrics were
retained until recently, when they
we're disposed of at private sale.
mad it not been for the World War
n pey would have been consigned to
~is country, as after the passing
saay Of Lord Amherst there was no
aner reason for retaining them, as
De left no children.
4 Visitors to the Louvre have seen
3 sssai Of the noble Gobelins made
spm the same cartoons as were
aaese Of the Amherst set. The origin
q shs six which were so long held
- tt