'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎314] (359/714)

European manner, with bookcases behind glass doors, and in
which I saw several well-bound European books. It is reported
to contain many Arabic MSS. of inestimable value. Upon the left
hand at the top is the entrance to the new Museum, a great hall
or gallery, constructed after the return of the Shah from his first
visit to Europe in 1873, to contain not only the Eoyal Regalia,
but also the vast collection of ohjets (Tart and curiosities, which the
generosity of foreign crowned heads, or his own whims, have
enabled him to amass during a reign of over forty years. This
extraordinary chamber, which with its contents alternately re
sembles an Aladdin's palace, an old curiosity shop, a prince's
wardrobe, and a municipal museum, consists of a long parallelo
gram, crowned by a series of low domes, with plaster decorations
in white, blue, and gold, there being a number of deep recesses,
terminating in windows along one side ; while the partition be
tween these recesses, and the remaining walls of the room, are
fitted with glass cases, in which are displayed, side by side,
treasures of priceless value and the most unutterable rubbish.
The central part of the chamber, which is, in part, tile-paved,
contains a number of immense porcelain vases, mostly from
Europe, candelabra, lustres, armchairs covered with a thin plating
of real gold, etc., whilst upon tables or under glass cases are dis
posed with some slight effort at arrangement, but in ludicrous
juxtaposition, Swiss musical boxes, Persian antiquities and speci
mens, meteorolites, European purchases or presents, and heads of
game shot by His Majesty.
Perhaps the objects in this bizarre collection that most attract
the stranger are the infinity of gems, cut, uncut, or set in every
Crown variety of fashion, that are seen behind the glass panels,
jewels Here are the enamelled and bejewelled arms of the great
Sefavi kings, here the swords of Timur, Shah Ismail and Agha
Mohammed Shah, here the magnificent Abbas' coat of mail. A
square glass case contains a vast heap of pearls, four or five inches
deep, into which one can plunge the hand and spill them in cas
cades and handfuls. Upon a separate stand appears the globe of
jewels which was constructed out of his loose stones by the reigning
Shah, at a cost (exclusive of the gems, provided by himself) of
o20,000^., and which is looked upon as the artistic chef dceuvre
of his reign. Its alleged value, with the stones (75 lbs of pure
gold, and 51,366 gems, weighing 3656 , 4 grammes) is 947,000/.