8 SEPTEMBER 2001, Page 32

V&A has lips of Mae

From Mr WC. Gore Sir: Martin Gayford in his review of the Roland Penrose exhibition at Edinburgh (Arts, 25 August) states that the Edward Jones collection 'went under the hammer and was scattered to the four winds'. He then quotes two examples: the Dali sofa in the form of Mae West's lips, and the stair carpet with the imprint of Tilly Losch's bare feet. While I am no authority on the dispersal of the Edward Jones collection, I can say that this statement is incorrect. The Mae West sofa, although on loan to the Victoria & Albert Museum, is still owned by the Edward Jones Foundation, and the stair carpet with the footprints is still in situ on the spiral staircase at West Dean.

W C. Gore

Andover, Hampshire