Golconda of Jewels

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 February 1912, Page 4

Golconda of Jewels

SCENES AT THE SALE OF AN EX-SULTAN'S GEMS. A necklace of 154 Oriental pearls was sold by auction in Paris for ,£36,804. The bidding began at (J'24,000, and ran up to £30,804. The buyer was Lindenbram, the Paris jeweller. That was the first day of the salo of the magnificent collection of jewels which belonged to the fallen Sultan of Turkey. Abdul Hamid. It was held at the Galerie Georges Petit, and lasted there for three days. Then, after a week's interval, it was resumed for three days more at the Hotel Drouet, which is to Paris what Christie's is to London. And the proceeds will be spent by the Turkish Government on building a battleship. One day's Bale realised £100,691. Thero were policemen at the doors in twos and threes, and there were jjol icemen in the corridors— six or eight in each oorridcr. Thero were twenty policemen at the entrance to the saleroom upstairs, and when one got into the room the first, things to attract the eye were the crimson tapestry and the six policemen standing round the auctioneer. Of the 1500 people in the crowded sale-room, there were, perhaps. 100 women.

The auctioneer announced a lot for safe. The clerk repeated it. Then there was a* stir in the wall of hlnck frock con is in ml top hats nnd .nn attendant in blue livery strode forward with a policeman Hose beside "him. The attendant carried a plain black tray. On the tray were the i'ewels, <ind whoever wished might Hook at them and handle them. But the attendant could _ not move a. step without Hie policeman. The policeman's eyes never left the jewewls on the tray, and whenever anyone examined the jewels at all 'closely thero were alwavs two or three unohstrusive keen-eyed men. immediately behind him in the crowd.

The second highest price bid durinsx the day's proceedings was C? 1.832 for a necklace of pearls— ne.nrls of the East," the auctioneer on lion t noin. There were ninetynine of thorn, and a murmur arose as they were passed round the room.

Two cups nnd saucers had been sold for GIOOB fust before, and no one had taken much notice of tho m . thon<rh the cups were of troM with diamonds, and the sanC T ar,ns Abdul Hamid set in diamonds on the rims. A TVM r rnmnien walking-stick with a. r f I;r; oT1r1 V 1 handle, had gone fov C...00, and nobody had turned a hair. A TRAY OF JEWELS. But. when tho tray came up with ninety-nine pealrs on it there was a thrill of admiration. * Th e * m .A U n',e ' Cl4 -9?° : the next one «as 1140,010. "Come along, gentlemen » said the auctioneer cas- '! n 7' >'1 '™ow what it is worth." Ami the little group round the lable apparently did know, for the bidding ran up pretty smartly a I a time till Jt reached £16,'-

( f r 't s ,t o for a moment. I Will wait. said the auctioneer cheerfully. nnd he asked for a The crowd laughed. "Bixleeu thousand find fortv pounds " sn ' f someone: "povpritoon thousand. <wd someone else: and a lev in „ninnt« later the hammer ca-.!(. down witli a banc. "Twentvtour I lions,nnd nine hundred and th'H v-f wo. ' 90id the auctioneer. 1 d" not know very muoli about t-- intimate home life of Abdul l ;i "iid. but some of the details ol 10-rl.nv * ~n l p or 0 f 0 pmvc fhnt ho ny-st have lived very uncomfortably. I'.rery ia'.v remembers tTie crazv little smol-ors' tables" which ' used :1 favourite Christmas preY'ul tnn nr fift-een years ago. T do not I bink oven <n Sultan of TnrV,' v ;'...1d avoid knoekin <r a thing like t.hnt down every time • be need 11 1 1-1 T7nmif l's little smoking iabe, wkieh was as crazy ajid un- * '7 ; ™ SO . tR all used to ./el- a I Christmas, bad gold ashtrays on it. diamond initials on then., and fetched £466. One wonders a little what Abdul Hamid .said in Turkish wben one of thoso rroldcn ash-trays rolled somewhere out of ''each. An oiiera-nrkips fetched £906. Tt was the o-lass through wbicb Abdul Hamid wnMied manv a battle, and manv more executions. A liitlo leokinc?-<xla ss of red enamel'ed <rold. with diamonds on it u-nc kiiM-1.-od down for €984. Tt, was llnv mirror which Abdul Hnmid olM.'iys linrl ItcßiVlo liim, so that if anyone approached wben bis back was turned to the door be could soe tb cm immediately. Amomr other _ things wbiob wore sold in a Paris side street was a little alarm clock. Tt was sold for CI 121. Tt was made of pure <i'old. the imperial arms and initials were sot in large diamonds on it, and parts of the fa.ee and framework were studded with diamonds, too. Tt was this little clock that was carried from room to room in the palace, and smuggled socofly into the room where its owner chose to spend the night. The clock wakened him for the surprise visits which he used to pay his rrnard ko as to ma.ke sure that there_ was no plot afoot to lake his life before the morning.