The National Art-Collections Fund: Ninth Annual Report, 1912. (Issued only
to members.)—We take the opportunity offered by the publication of this report of drawing our readers' attention once more to the excellent work done by the National Art-Collections Fund. In the nine years of its existence it has prisented to our national collections many priceless works of art. The wide scope of its activities is well shown by the present report and the excellent photographs contained in it. Among the objects pre- sented during last year are a collection of Persian pottery, another of Italian medals, an early Georgian panelled room, an eighteenth- century cope of Portuguese embroidery, a painting by Mr. Steer, an engraving by Darer, and two Chinese marble statues. The latter, which now stand near the main entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum, aro perhaps the most delightful of the new acquisitions. They probably date from the fifteenth century, and represent two mandarins dressed in elaborately embroidered robes and top hats. The touch of humour in their appearance by no means detracts from their dignity and beauty, and we should advise anyone who has not seen them to visit South Kensington for the purpose. But even more, we should advise them to join the National Art-Collections Fund, and so help to endow the nation with other objects of similar charm. The annual sub- scription is only one guinea, which should be sent to the Hon. Secretaries, National Art-Collections Fund, Queen Anne's Chambers, Tothill Street, Westminster, S.W. This year's report has the additional interest of containing the speech made by Mr. Balfour at the last annual meeting, in which he dealt on general lines with the attitude adopted by the State towards its art collections.
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