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The Persian Art Galleries
Limited
-2-
128 New Bond Street.
London 25th, August 1913 w.

Telegraphic Address,
Akemenid, London.
Telephone Mayfair 501.

to Nasr-ed-Dim Shah, and whose ancestors for centuries held the same exalted position, owned large tracts of land including the sites of the ancient city of Veramin and all the villages at present left standing. He brought the Mihrab to Paris with a view to exhibiting it at the universal exposition of Paris of 1899, with the result that he was disgraced by the late Shah for this act and further was prevented from exhibiting at the ex-position [[inconsequence?]] of a communique made through the Persian Legation.

His idea of the price for the piece was for a long time not less than a million francs and I know for a fact that at that period he refused several offers, including one of four hundred thousand francs made by Mr. Homberg, one of the Directors of the Bank of France.

The Shah would not forgive Mostofy until he solemnly undertook not to dispose of the secret monument, where-upon he was permitted to enter Persia and accordingly did so. But the monument was mortgaged and could not be released, except by payment of a heavy sum of money and therefore it was left in store in Paris under lock and key.

On the death of the Shah and the ultimate substitution of a constitutional regime, His Excellency Mostofy-ul-Memalik, having played an important role, was called to fill and post of Prime Minister at a most difficult moment, and the great Mushtahid (the religious chief) who was the herald of the Constitution, in return for the services of Mostofy and his gifts of land which he bequeathed to the Jmamzades of Veramin, authorised him to dispose of the monument in question. 

On hearing this I went to Persia last October witch a view to securing the piece, but my efforts were of no avail on account of the price asked being such that the chances of success at the time were very remote. His Excellency, however, came to Europe on a mission on behalf of the Persian Government and his mission included the task of including the Regent to return to Persia. In this connection and on account of my excellent relations with the Regent himself, I rendered services that haven been appreciated by His Excellency.