Skip to Content
 

Robert Woods Bliss to Royall Tyler, January 12, 1925

Royall Tyler, Esquire
Generalkommissariat des Volkerbundes
Finanzministerium
Budapest
in der Festung
Hongrie
Stockholm, January 12th 1925.Monday.

Dear Royall,

Yesterday afternoon, I had a “field day” with F.R. MartinFredrik Robert Martin (1868–1933), a Swedish specialist and dealer in Islamic art. and wished that you might have been here, for I thought of you many times during the two hours and a half talk with him. He was much interested in the patène which he seems to have known before, having seen it in Egypt before it came to Paris. Unfortunately Mildred was not feeling well, having had a slight attack again, and was unable to come downstairs.

There is a new member of the family whom I am very keen to introduce to you. He is at present in the Metropolitan Museum where I think he will cause much interest. It is a splendid bronze owl, of the Chou dynasty, 40 centimeters high, and is much finer than either the one of the EumorfopoulosGeorge Aristides Eumorfopoulos (1864–1939), a Greek merchant and art collector of mainly Chinese, but also medieval, art. The owl zun from his collection is now at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, M.5:1, 2-1935. Chinese, Shang dynasty, ca. 1200–1100 BCE, bronze vessel, 21 cm H. or PeytelJoanny Peytel (d. 1924), a French banker and collector. The owl zun from his collection is now at the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 1954.48.7a–b. Chinese, Shang dynasty, Yinxu period, thirteenth–eleventh century BCE, bronze, 20.7 x 9.8 cm (8 1/8 x 3 7/8 in.). collections. You would delight in it and he was one of the finest pieces in a collection which Loo showed in New YorkEach autumn, C. T. Loo held a sale exhibition at the Wildenstein Galleries in New York. just before we sailed. That collection, by the way, was very remarkable showing the finest bronzes that have ever come out of China.

We long to see you and wish there was more chance of your running up here to pay us a visit; perhaps you can arrange to do it after all!

Our two months visit at homeThe Blisses’ stay in America was somewhat longer than two months. They acquired the owl-shaped zun (HC.S.1924.003.[B]) in New York on September 24 and were at sea, returning to Europe, on December 5. are marred by Mildred being ill for the latter half and having to spend some time under treatment at a nursing home in New York. The house and garden in WashingtonDumbarton Oaks. are a joy and satisfaction and we had a beautiful month of October there reveling in living out of doors.

This is just a hurried line of affectionate New Years greetings to you both from us two.

As ever
[unsigned]

 
Associated People: C. T. Loo
Associated Things: Wildenstein et Cie
Associated Artworks: BZ.1924.5; HC.S.1924.003.(B)