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Royall Tyler to Mildred Barnes Bliss, March 24, 1936

Finance Ministry

Budapest

24.III.36

Dearest Mildred.

I’ve had good news from Robert, telling me that you are now getting on so well. I’m delighted about that—if only I could be there to see. I’m glad you’ve bought the peacock silkBZ.1936.50. This textile is now considered to be a forgery.—there are bits of similar silks—the best and biggest in the Church of Le MonastierThe abbey church of Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille in the Haute-Loire. The textile has not been identified. (Hte Loire)—hitherto unpublished; we are reproducing it in Vol. III.L’art byzantin. Another, not so big or so good, in Sens Cathedral.The Dumbarton Oaks textile (BZ.1936.50) may have been copied from the textile in the treasury of the cathedral at Sens. See Eugène Chartraire, Les tissus anciens du trésor de la cathédrale de Sens (Paris: H. Champion, 1911), 35–36, no. 36.

Please tell Robert that I haven’t yet had the photo. of the iron bird,This iron bird has not been identified. It was in the collection on Prince Alfred Antonin Juritzky (1887–1961), an artist and art collector, and was eventually acquired by Hayford Peirce. See letter of May 26, 1936. and beg him to send it if he hasn’t done so yet, so that I may forward it to Hayford.

I’m glad you took the two peacock headsBZ.1936.27–28. and the braceletBZ.1936.30.—all of them objects of the very first quality. They will be a little monument to recall Robert’s visit here. If this old world will hold together long enough, we’ll celebrate a proper visit here the next time you come. Things look pretty bad just now, but I’m confident that they won’t break up in the near future.

I’m very much harassed these days. I’m losing a valuable assistant and having to break in a new one, always a troublesome business, and there are lots of other problems on hand to while away the time till the new budget is upon me, next week.

I’ll write again soon with notes for Italy, assuming you go there. Tell Robert to let me know as soon as possible.

Much love, dearest Mildred.

R. T.

 
Associated People: Hayford Peirce
Associated Things: L'art byzantin
Associated Artworks: BZ.1936.27-28; BZ.1936.30; BZ.1936.50