history, origin, sources, fisheries, culture, mystical properties, and the literature of the pearl.
The
senior author has had exceptionally favorable opportunities to examine
the precious objects contained in the various imperial and royal
treasuries. Through the courtesy of the late Count Sipuigine, Court
Chamberlain, and of the late General Philamanoff, custodian of the
Ourejena Palata, he was permitted to critically examine the Russian
crown jewels in the Summer Palace on the Neva, and in the Palata in the
Kremlin, at Moscow, he examined the crowns and jewels of all the early
czars. Through the courtesy of Baron von Theile, he was permitted to
inspect carefully and in detail the wonderful jewels of the Austrian
crown, which are beautifully ordered and arranged. The English and
Saxon crown jewels were also seen under favorable conditions which
permitted detailed examination, and the jewel collections of almost all
the principal museums of Europe and America were carefully studied. As
regards the literature of the subject, the senior author has gathered
together the largest known existing collection of works treating of
pearls and precious stones.
In
covering so comprehensive a subject, many obligations have been
incurred from individuals and officials, to whose courtesy and
assistance is due much of the interest of this work. To list all of
these is impossible, yet it would be ungrateful not to note the
following: her Majesty Queen Margherita of Italy; his Royal Highness
the Gaikwar of Baroda ; to H. R. H. le Prince Ruprecht of Bavaria, of
Munich ; to the late Prince Sipuigine, then chamberlain of the Russian
Imperial Appanages ; to Sir Edward Robert Pearce Edgcumbe for data
relative to fisheries of East Africa ; Dr. H. C. Bumpus, director of
the American Museum of Natural History, New York, for many courtesies
in regard to materials and illustrations; Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke,
director, Dr. Edward Robinson, assistant director, J. H. Buck, curator
of Metal-work, and A. G. St. M. D'Hervilly, assistant curator of
Paintings, all of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for numerous
courtesies; Archer M. Huntington, founder of the Hispanic Society and
Museum in New York City; Dr. Bashford Dean, Prof. Friedrich Hirth,
Chinese professor, Dr. Berthold Laufer, Prof. Α. V. Williams Jackson,
professor of Indo-Iranian languages, and Prof. M. H. Saville, all of
Columbia University, New York City; J. Pierpont Morgan, for the right
to publish the illustration of Ashburnham missal ; Dr. W. Hayes Ward,
Assyriologist ; Dr. Charles S. Braddock, formerly Chief of Medical
Inspection for the King of Siam ; Robert Hoe, for the two plates of
unique Persian illustrations from his manuscripts; Edmund Russell, for
East Indian material; F. Cunliffe-Owen, the author of diplomatic
subjects; Ten Broeck Morse; Walter
