Category Archives: From the desk of Her Serene Highness, The Princess Vilma

This bit of fabricated controversy appeared in the New York Times on December 6, 1909. Princess Vilma caused much stir with her feminist operations. Princess Vilma has also declared that she is the cousin of the Dean of Harvard…

“But I haven’t come to see the men; I have come to examine your portraits.”

HARVARD CLUB BARS PRINCESS
Russian Portrait Artist Not Permitted to Enter Its Doors.

The Princess Lwoff-Parlaghy of Russia, who is staying at the Plaza and paints portraits, encountered a rebuff yesterday at the Harvard Club on West Forty-fourth Street. She created a sensation when she arrived in her gilded and colorful crested landau in front of the club in the early afternoon. Young men at the windows observed her footman, adorned with epaulets and cockades, jump from the box and approach the door. He was met by a bellboy who, after much discussion, fetched a member of the House Committee.

This committee member took a visiting card from the Princess, which belonged to a club member, with the following note written on it:
‘Please allow the Princess to inspect the portraits in Harvard Hall.’

The House Committee member stated that this was impossible.
“If you could visit on another day, Princess,” he began.
“But,” she said,
“I have come today,
and I am introduced by a club member’s card.”
“This is a men’s club,” said the member.
“There are only men here.”
“I understand,” replied the Princess,
“But I haven’t come to see the men; I have come to examine your portraits.”

By this time, a crowd had gathered on the other side of the street to witness the incident. Children were marveling at the splendid coachman and footman, and onlookers peered out from all the windows. So, the Princess instructed her coachman, and the glittering landau turned around and rolled away up the avenue.”

Harvard Club remembers Princess Vilma Lwoff Parlaghy and has created this 7-page dossier about her

From: PAINTINGS & OBJECTS OF ART, THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE PRINCESS VILMA LWOFF PARLAGHY, 1924

IMPORTANT PERSIAN KASHAN SILK THRONE RUG

This rug is a true masterpiece of Persian artistry. It features three borders, with the main one showcasing extremely well-designed undulated vines and flowers on a deep indigo-blue background. In the center, there is a pictorial composition showing a Persian prince seated on the lion throne, with a water basin and fountain in the foreground. The rug boasts very fine knotting and silver overcast on the sides.

Accompanying the rug is a certificate copied after a statement of Professor Abraham Yohannan, Professor of Oriental Languages, Indo-Iranian Department, Columbia University. The certificate reads:

“The gift and the glorious Shah match perfectly,
As the Sun fits the vault of Heaven, as the rose the goblet, and
the diadem the throne,
Throughout the Eastern land it is well known,
That this is the product of forty years of study of the art.
The date is equivalent to ‘Bagdad’
Consequently, its value cannot be overestimated.”

According to the certificate, the word “Bagdad” is a chronogram, and the numerical values of the letters are: B equal to 2, A to 1, G to 1000, D to 4, and I to 1, totaling 1012 A.HI., which corresponds to 1608 A.D. This would date the rug very early 17th century at the time of Shah Abbas the Great, according to Professor Yohannan’s certificate. The rug was most likely woven for Shah Abbas and was plainly a state rug intended for use in the throne room hanging back of the throne. It passed as a most cherished heirloom from the royal family to the late Prime Minister Ali Asker Khan, who presented it as a mark of distinguished courtesy to Princess Lwoff-Parlaghy.

The rug measures 6 feet 6¾ inches x 4 feet 2½ inches. The certificate will be handed over to the purchaser.

by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1896)