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The Walters Art Gallery
600 NORTH CHARLES STREET, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21201 (301)547-9000

February 4, 1976

Mr. Germain Seligman
5 East 57th Street
New York, New York 10022

Dear Mr. Seligman:

I am delighted to know that your book will go into a second edition. Of course you can reporduce anything in the entire Walters Art Gallery, especially the great pieces your father sold to Henry.

However, I have a small problem with the facts as we see them and as I believe you understand them. The great mirrorback of the "Siege of the Castle of Love" was, according to our records, sold to Walters by Daguerre in 1928. It came from the Cistercian Abbey of Rein in Styria, and the card says it was sold by the Abbey in 1928 and then purchased through Daguerre.

Now there is a second mirror with the god of love throwing down darts on pairs of lovers. This one comes from an unknown source. However, it is important because on the back is a description of the subject written by none other than Viollet-le-Duc in 1858. It was bought by Walters in 1926, but we do not know from whom.

Two other mirror cases were definitely bought from your father. One is the example called, "The Lover Crowned" (former collection Victor Gay, pub.in Koechlin, no. 1001), and the other is again one of the finest examples, a young couple on horseback. This latter ivory has a history going back to a 19th century English collector, and I enclose its history, as well as a picture of it for you.

Let me know if your memory contradicts the information that we have on the "Castle of Love" ivory. The credit line for any of the objects, would just be "The Walters Art Gallery."

God speed,

Sincerely,

Richard Randall
Richard H. Randall, Jr.
Director

Enclosures - 4