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Royall Tyler to Robert Woods Bliss, December 4, 1926

League of Nations
Geneva. 4th December, 1926.Saturday.

My dear Robert,

I hope you have received my wire sent off after I had read your letter of November 30th.

I know the reproductions of the objects, and I had been intending to write to you about them for some time past, and would have done so before now had I not known that Elisina had written on the same subject.See letter of November 26, 1926. The objects look very good to me, and nothing could give me greater pleasure than to go to Cairo and see them and give you my considered opinion.See letters of November 26, 1926; November 30, 1926 [1]; and November 30, 1926 [3]. I cannot be sure whether it will be possible or not for me to do so for another week or so, but I have a reasonable amount of hope that it will prove possible—perhaps towards the end of January. I have got to go back to Budapest for a bit now, and I want to be at Antigny for part at least of Bill’s holidays. I do not suppose there will be any great objection from your point of view to the expedition being put off till the second half of January, would there?

If it turns out that I cannot go I am sure that Hayford Peirce would willingly do so, and I would have entire confidence in his judgment in the matter.For Peirce as an alternate, see letters of November 26, 1926, and November 30, 1926 [3]. In the latter, Robert Woods Bliss asked Royall Tyler: “But if you could not go, how do you think Pierce [sic] would do?” I will let you know as soon as I can come to a decision.

In the meantime perhaps you might drop me a line to Budapest saying whether the end of January would do.See letter of December 8, 1926.

As to the price and the commission asked by the middleman I think they are both pretty high and I suspect that with ready money to offer one would be able to get the things for less.See postscript to letter of November 22, 1926. I doubt whether you would make any saving by excluding some of the less interesting pieces, but I do not wish to attempt to make up my mind on this point, or on the artistic merits of the objects themselves, until I have seen them. Two of the chalicesProbably Chalice with Apostles Venerating the Cross, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, acc. no. 57.636, and Chalice, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, acc. no. 57.642. look very fine indeed. They are very nearly as big as mine, and one of them is very like mine, except that there does not appear to be any gilding, and the inscription appears to be engraved but not nielloed.Probably Chalice, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, acc. no. 57.642. The candlesticksPair of Lampstands, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, acc. no. 57.634–635. look magnificent. Taking the collection as a whole it is certainly of enormous interest, and especially to you in view of the paten.

I take it that if you do decide to purchase the things, you would make arrangements to have them sent “by the pouch,” as I do not think I could stay in Cairo long enough to complete the purchase, considering that there is likely to be some bargaining, and bring the things back myself.

In Mildred’s letter to Elisina there was something about my giving a lecture at Stockholm.See letter of November 22, 1926. Considering that we are now planning a journey for me to Egypt I think I had better defer making other projects for the time being, as I really have got to pay a little attention to Hungary. You may be certain that I shall come to Stockholm to see you as soon as I can possibly manage it, and if you will not receive me there without my giving a lecture I will even go to the length of giving a lecture.In fact, Royall Tyler did not go to Stockholm during the Blisses’ stay there from 1923 to 1927.

With much love to you both

Yrs affly
R. T.

Bill has won the Fifth Form Shakespeare Prize at Harrow.Royall Tyler also won this prize; see letter of November 26, 1926.

 
Associated People: Hayford Peirce; William Royall Tyler
Associated Things: Kaper Koraon Silver Treasure
Associated Artworks: BZ.1924.5