£20,000 WORTH OF ANTIQUITIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 8053, 6 March 1912, Page 4

£20,000 WORTH OF ANTIQUITIES

AND A LOST OPPORTUNITY. The Now Zealand Government is possibly not likely, to concern itself just now about Egyptian and other antiquities, but a splendid opportunity to purchase a collection of no fewer than 12,965 specimens has been, brought under the notice of the Director of the Dominion Museum, Mr A. Hamilton. Mr Andre Biroher, of Cairo, wlio has spent many years in the collection of these antiquities, has written to a New Zealand friend, asking him to brine under | tli© notice of the Government the fact that he is prepared to dispose of the collection for, ,£20,000, and the verdict of Mr Hamilton, after going through the catalogue, is that the whole would be quite cheap at that price. There arc nearly five thousand figures, vessels, weapons and tools in bronze, statues, stelae, reliefs, 1 weights, amulets,'vases in alabaster, rare -- boxes for papyrie, human mummies, also those of crocodiles, oats, snakes, and hawks'; sarcophagi, coffins of papiermache and wood. The Greco-Roman collection of over 5000 pieces is equally comprehensive and complete, and in addition there are 80 pieces of jewellery, hundreds of beautiful specimens of beads, 2800 scarabs {engraved gems), and a largo number of rare embroideries. The only chance of New Zealand obtaining such a magnificent collection of treasures of a period not too well represented in the museums of the Dominion is for some rich and patriotic New Zealander to come forward with a generous offer. A lost opportunity of this kind is brought to mind by the references in the January number of the English scientific journal "Nature" to a great collection of Maori antiquities added to the museum of the ■University, of Philadelphia by Mr B. W. Clark. "It is much to be regretted," remarks that journal, "that this remarkable collection has not ftrand a home in one of our Imperial or colonial museums."