The New York herald., 1922-02-12
ART FROM CASTLE
OF SAYOYS ON VIEW
Furniture Centuries Old In
cludes Bed i'm Which Ma
pOleOn Slept.
PLEDGED FOR WAR LOAN
Collection to Be Sold at Afc-
tiOn Once in Hands Of
Royal House.

The American Art Association placed
on free public view yesterday collec-
tion of furniture and works of art from
until the seventeenth century by the
Savoy family. to which the reigning
house of Italy belongs.
simultaneously the Italian Consul
General issued an official communique
70 the press in which he declared that
''in order 20 avoid any error or mis-
understanding the Consul General of
Italy in New York notifies the public
that the sale of furniture which is 70
be held under the auspices OF the Ameri-
can Art Association on February 16. IL
and is does not relate to furniture form
crly belonging TO the royal house OF
Italy. and at the same time informs that
to-day the royal Italian dynasty has no
branch which bears the name or Savoia-
Saluzzo.'
When c. T. Kirby OF the American
Art Association was shown the com
munique he said there was evidently g
misunderstanding and that apparently
the Consul-General had not taken tho
trouble to read the advertisement or the
eale or the predatory notice to the Ca Ia
logue of articles to be sold.
about a week ago. he said, "a friend
of the Italian Ambas ssador in Washing
ton told me the Ambassador had been
informed that we We're about TO place
on sale some furniture belonging to the
royal house of Italy and that a number
OF Italians in this country were annoyed
because they thought an impression was
being given that the present King OF
Italy is impoverished.
"We do not claim the collection pe-
lonsed TO the reigning house at any time.
The collection was made by the Chcva-
1icr Raoul Tolentino. connoisseur. who
acquired it from Italian bankers 20
whom the entire contents of the castle
were pledged for a loan during the war.
The castle was occupied by the Savoy
family when it was the ruling family In
Just one of the Italian cantons. It was
then ducal family. and when it became
the royal house of Italy the castle and
its contents passed into other hands"
Mr.. Kirby said that even If the coll
lection had been advertised as the prop
crty Of the King of Italy there would
be nothing strange about the sale. 1t
is not unusual he declared, for reignins
houses to dispose OF part of their prop
erty, and instanced King Leopold OF
Belgium and Edward VII. of England as
monarchs who sold large collections.
The advertisement of The sale states
simply that the castle was occupied
until tne ScNcuttenti ccHluTy pS I've
Savoy family and makes no reference
10 the reigning house of Italy.
In the predatory note to the catalogue
q Is stated that for many centuries
the House OF Savoy has oeen intimately
connected with the history OF Italy. To-
day the King OF that country can trace
back in direct lire to Umberto Blanca
Mano CUmbert the White 1Ianded). whr
died in 1o4s. and to whom is attributed
the choice OF the site OF the Savoy castle.
reerccted in the fifteenth century.
The collect ion includes the contents of
the bedroom of the Order OF the Az
nunciation, Instituted in 1913 by Charles
III, Duke OF Savoy. in the castle ct
verzuolo. from which tie collection
comes. The bedroom was place OF pill
grimage for the knights of the order. OF
whom Napoleon was one. and he Is BE-
licved to have slept in the fifteenth ce"-
tilry bed which is included in the COZ
lection. There Is also portrait by Sir
Joshua Reynolds of Governor Of Sa-
luzzo.