Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎257r] (516/1814)

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er ° f dee P recesses,
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1* of the room, are
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in part, tile-paved,
vases, mostly from
with a thin plating
glass cases are dis
it, but in ludicrous
tiquities and speci-
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id the glass panels,
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.rtistic chef
(75 lbs o f P l
It is a little difficult to determine the respective countries amid the
flash of the various stones ; nor does the artist appear to have been
as good a cartographer as he was a craftsman. However, as well as
I could discern, the sea is composed ot emeralds, England and France
of diamonds, Africa of rubies, India of amethysts, and Persia herself
of the national stone—turquoises. 1 I can imagine the day when some
future and less economical sovereign, or possibly even some conqueror
from the north, shall handle , this glittering plaything in a more
practical spirit, and shall perhaps desire to ascertain by personal
experience the worth of the constituent elements into which his
curiosity may suggest that it should be again resolved. At the upper
end of the room, beneath glass cases, are a number of royal crowns,
dating from the Sefavean days to modern times, prominent among
them being the mighty head piece, pearl-bedecked, and with
flashing jika or aigrette of diamonds in front, which is worn by
the King at No Ruz, and was so familiar an object upon the head of
Path All Shah, as depicted in the illustrations, English and Persian,
of the early part of the century. Here, too, is a superb tiara, manu
factured by order of the present Shah, in Paris. The number of
jewelled swords, scabbards, epaulettes, and cups, Versos* ctud
kalians, is enormous, while in separate glasses repose huge, solitary,
uncut gems. At the upper end of the chamber stands a throne of
modern shape, if not of modern construction, viz., a lofty chair
exquisitely enamelled and completely covered with rubies and
emeralds. I shall have something to say presently about the
history of this beautiful work of art. I was informed that the
Shah, when he uses this hall, as he not infrequently does, as an
audience chamber to the Ministers and Foreign Representatives
at No Ruz, prefers to stand near the lower end of the hall
to occupying the throne itself. Upon the walls on the right
hand side of the room are displayed a heterogeneous collection
of the treasures or trifles which the august traveller has brought
back from Europe. Here are suspended the ribbons and stars of
a multitude of orders, including the Garter, and an imposing
array of Russian decorations. Elsewhere are arrayed gorgeous
sets of silver-gilt plate, enamelled snuff-boxes, gold and silver
1 Of the remaining gems, M. Orsolle {Le Can case et la Perse) says that the
ruby which marks Demavend was the last jewel torn from the miserable Shah
Rukh by the myrmidons of Agha Mohammed Khan ; and that the diamond which
marks Teheran was found upon the body of Ashraf, the last Afghan king, by a
Beluchi, who presented it to Shah Tahmasp II.