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Royall Tyler to Mildred Barnes Bliss, March 31, 1932

Finance Ministry
Budapest
31.3.32Thursday.

Here I am again, dearest Mildred, in the thick of it—and what an it! How I should have loved to spend another week in Paris, and only to leave when you left! However, I was lucky to be there at all when you were, considering all things.

Fettich has sent off to you, today, the 6 vols. of Archeologia Hungarica, which, with the two you have already, constitute the entire collection.See also letter of February 15, 1932. The volumes of Archaeologia Hungarica are 1: Nándor Fettich, Az avarkori müipar Magyarországon. I. Fogazási ornamentika és ötvöseszközleletek, Das Kunsigewerbe der Avarenzeit in Ungarn. Mitteilung I. Zahnschnittornamentik und pressmondellfunde (Budapest: s.n., 1926); 2: István Paulovics, A Dunapentelei római telep (Intercisa) A maradványok története, a kutatások irodalma, 1926. Évi leletek, Die römische Ansiedlung von Dunapentele (Intercisa) Geschichte der überreste, Bibliographie der forschungen, Fundergebnisse von 1926 (Budapest: s.n., 1927); 3: Nándor Fettich, A Zöldhalompusztaiszkita lelet, La trouvaille Scythe de Zöldhalompuszta, près de Miskole, Hongrie (Budapest: s.n., 1928); 4: Jenö Hillebrand, A Pusztaistvánházi korarézkori temetö, Das frühkupferzeitliche Gräberfeld von Pusztaistvánháza (Budapest: s.n., 1929); 5–6: Tompa Ferenc, A szalagdíszes agyagművesség kultúrája Magyarországon: A bükki és a tiszai kultúra, Die Bandkeramik in Ungarn: Die Bükker und die Theiss-kultur (Budapest: s.n., 1929); 7: Géza Fehér, A bolgár-török müveltség emlékei és Magyar östörténti vonatkozásik, Les monuments de la culture protobulgare et leurs relations hongroises (Budapest: s.n., 1931); 8: Nandór Fettich, A szilágysomlyói második kincs, Der zweite Schatz von Szilágy somlyó (Budapest: s.n., 1932); and 9: Andreas Alföldi, Leletek a hun Korszakból és ethnikai szétválasztásuk, Funde aus der Hunnenzeit und ihre ethnische Sonderung (Budapest: s.n., 1932). You’ll find them interesting. If you want photographs of objects mentioned in “Arch. Hung.” and preserved in the Nat. Museum here, or in any other Hung. Museum, you might give the reference in “Arch. Hung.” to avoid possible mistakes. Excuse this scrawl; I’m in rather a rush, and want to get this off to you this morning.

I forget whether I made it clear, the other day, that the price I paid for those Luristan bronzesSee letter of March 14, 1931. is frs. 4,700. for the whole lot. It was a very cheap buy, and from what I saw the other day in Paris I do not think it would be possible to get them for that now. Kalebdjian was indignant with a couple of runners, and ground their faces and allowed me to profit by the occasion.

Please don’t leave France without letting me know what news of the tapestries.Probably two of the three “mille fleur” tapestries made in the southern Netherlands or northern France in the sixteenth century that were acquired by the Musée du Louvre, Paris, in 1945. They were in the collection of the Duc de La Trémoille, Château de Serrant (Maine-et-Loire), and then in the collection of Édouard Larcade, who gave them to the Louvre in 1945. One tapestry (OA 9408), known as the Noble Pastorale, has figures processing wool from sheep against a background carpeted with sprays of flowers. The tapestries also have the coats of arms of Thomas Bohier (died 1524)—administrator of the royal finances under Charles VIII, Louis XI, and François I—and his wife Catherine Briçonnet (died 1526), which were added to the tapestries. I assure you it’s a test of my desire that “The Oaks” should contain A 1 things when I tell you that I hope you’ll get them, for if it weren’t for you I should sorely regret their leaving France, so much would I like to see them myself, frequently.

HunkeydomHunkeydom was Royall Tyler’s term for a Hungary. looks grey and sad; not a sign of Spring yet, and people very down in the mouth. I have now got another quarterly report to prepare, and that will keep me busy for a fortnight; also there’s the budget, which has got to be laid before the Parlt.—and it don’t balance yet.

Love and blessings, dearest Mildred.

Yrs
R. T.

 
Associated People: Nándor Fettich
Associated Places: Budapest (Hungary); Paris (France)
Associated Things: Kalebdjian Frères
Associated Artworks: BZ.1929.9-58