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The Limit of
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First Sketches of Paris Aris- 4J
if LLi
tocracy's Gorgeous Arabian f?
Nights Ball That Startled
Even That Gay Capital.
Pari#, June 4.
HE whole continent is
• Wy- J v stm ta,l<l ' , R abs " l! * he
'/tf | marvel lous Arabian
1 Nights hall given bv
. the Countess Aynard da
Chabrlllan. one of the
proudest leaders of Par
. Islan society. There
/ were few untftleri
Prince guests in that apectac-
Louis ular gathering There
Ferdinand were countesses, duch
of Spain in esses. princes see.
• Hindoo counts, dukes and prin
Costume ceß and a few Ameri
With a cans The Countess.
Green Face. however, Invited the
well - known French
artist Monsieur Vibart to attend for she
wanted him to paint a realistic picture of
the wonderful scene. To paint just wlia'
be saw and as he saw it. A few of his
sketches reproduced here do give hints
of the marvellous entertainment, but
what pen or brush can portray the bril
liancy of color, the beauty of the
women or the sumptuousness of the
Jewels displayed?
Five million trance were squandered to
make this Parisian holiday. Jewels val
ued at a hundred million francs were dis
played within the marble walls of the
Hotel de Chabrlllan. The extravagances
of the 'uxurious, voluptuous past were
Exceeded, the epoch-making extravagan
ces of Louis XIV and his court, that led
to the French Revolution, were outdone
Could the ill-starred Marie Antoinette
•nd her weakling husband, Louis XVI..
have looked upou that scene, they would
have stared unbelievingly and said'
"What beginners we were in those
days"
The Countess de Chabrlllan Is one of
the most chic women of France; her set
is, oh. so exclusive. Few American
women are admitted o it. Those who
do belong, belong because they are orig
inal, daring, interesting, not because they
kave wealth. The Countess dares much
at all times She outdared herself when
she sent forth two hundred and fifty in
vltations to an Arabian Nights bai
-Eastern dress obligatory" was engraved
on the cards and each woman guest was
urged to portray some notable or notori
ous Oriental character
Gay, frivolous Parts was hungry tor
some sensation, and for weeks the smart
set studied and talked nothing but On
ental history. The majestic bub very pop
ular Maharajah of Kapurthala was con
•tantl> called upon to aid the fair ladies
in their search for something unusual. Tue
Maharajah Ilves much In Paris, his wife
was a beautiful Spanish dancer whom he
married a short time ago. She is lot
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Duchesse de Clermont-i onnerre end Comtesse Stanislas de Castellane in Gold Cages, Carried by Negroes, and
Dressed in Golden Wrappers, the Hair Done in Egyptian Style.
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Ihe Hostess Comtesse Aynard de Chabrillan In Persist
Costume of Green and Gold With Huge White
Osprey Plumes in Her Hair.
allowed u> te jealous, auj me Maharaja
devoted himself to designing unique cos
tumes for saver*) pretty duouesses and
countesses
Tba reHuit sf the Maharajah's efforts
and of the weeks of preparation stag
gered even the most blase Paris!in.
Imagine, If you please, a series of so
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perb white marble ballrooms, opening
one into the other. The Countess has
three such rooms, which, In turn, open
into other rooms equally beautiful, but
decorated in delicate blues and pinks and
gold. The marble ballrooms were draped
with jewel studded hangings. Lights
shone through jewelled lamps, some of
which were from the Maharajah’s own
palace. Balconies were built out over the
floors and hung with sumptuous hangings
from the Maharanee’s own rooms. It
was a bit of the Orient transported
to Paris.
I j. With such a setting the costumes
. worn by the titled guests seemed
h doubly wonderful.
i 1 Being original, the Countess bad
I: a surprise in store for her guests
V A huge tent was erected in the
j “| courtyard; this was also hung*with
i Oriental cloths aud rugs. Each
| i'll,' guest was ushered alone Into this
' y tent, passed her hostess and Mon-
| ;■ sieur Andre de Fouquieres, the
, petit Andre —the Harry Lehr of
RfT Pans, as be is called— announced
each guest under his or
her assumed character.
There was, for instance,
the Countess de Luber
sac, who was Constance
Livermore, of Newark,
garbed as a H1 n doo
dancer Her jewels were
worth a queen’s dowry
Theo came a series of
grunts -and weird shouts
from outside the tent.
The whole structure
shook, in walked a large
%ray elephant, richly cap
onsoned. In the jewel
bung howuah sat the
P r,i nce s s d’Arenberg
dressed a Hindu prin
cess of high rajik. Her
costume might have been
made by Tiffany, said the
Count de Noailles, who
was himself dressed as
an Indian fakir.
The tent again qui»
ered A jangling of
chains was heard. The
petite Andre blinked bls
eyes. In came two large
golden bird cages, car
ried by coal black slaves
“ ,n the cages were curled
the Countess Stanislas
de Castellan e, the
grande uarne of the t „steilane family
and the Duchess de Clermont-Tonnerre,
equally the grande dame These two ma
trons were birds of paradise, ts you
please. When their cage doors were
opened they danced daintily about ‘.M
rooms. What jaded man of the world
could fail to thrill over this sight?
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Marquise de Brantea in Flower-Strewn \ \ B
Egyptian Litter With Pharaoh and Slave*. '|\\ 'll
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Princess cTArenberg On an Elephant.
But, oh, the glory of the Maharajah
himself. Paris has seldom seen anything
to equal this Indian ruler in his most
royal robes of torquoise blue silks, heav
ily embroidered with gold. His beaddreis.
or turban, seemed one vast ,• «' T L
glowing ruby. His chains and
bracelets were diamonds, ruble* '
and emeralds. His entrance was (JiZ AX’ '/
greeted with applause, for the
Maharajah, cunning man, was a 'T s 'o , R'k v i
,ate arrivai - 'l v l \\
Then a pause, a dance, and in \ L - VL-- ‘\ c ■’ ' K .
came the Marquise de Brantes. .'bw " / ; "T ‘ " Z ii' "J • > 2 W
m . litter. « . R AIU V I
true Cleopatra, she was accom « (,? L •' il It V> </?' >
panted by slaves and a much- 1 Ikx,'R : •* Kv ZZY \ 4z v ''\/
jeweled lover. it was a pic- 'i ’ t
ture to make Cleopatra jealous « V I /
of her own reputation for R- l l 'jff // ■' / <•
beauty. V £< \
Then a herald anounced the /W' 7k —— *
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beautiful Countess CoUoredo- <R"
Mannsfeld, who was Nora Iselin Troupe of Beautiful Women, Including the Comtesse de Vallombrosa, a>
of New York, and the Countess Geishas.
de Vailombrosa, as Eastern
queens of long ago, bearing proudly tbs
weight of Jewelled crowns and wearing
robes of brocade and jewelled bands.
Would not the hoi polio! of the revo
lutionary days have cried; "Off witn
their heads; give us bread to eat," could
they have looked at this spectacle?
The gorgeousnesg of this extravagance
was almost overpowering by the time
half the guests bad been announced All
phases of early Eastern society were rep
resented, The senses of those watching
the scene were almost dazed. Then from
outside the tent came the exquisite
strains of “Celesta Aida." The curtains
were opened and there was portrayed
that superb Nile scene, so familiar to all
lovers of Aida There was the curious,
long-prowed Egyptian boat, propelled by
bronzed slaves. In this boat were the
Countess de Breteull, that vivacious
brunette; the Duchesse de Vendome, and
the Countess de Vogue. Their robes were
of cloth of gold, their heads banded wits
rows of jewels, their bare feet encased
in gold sandals. It seemed as though
the ancient temples had been looted al
their most cherished jewels,
The clever hand of the .Maharajah waj
shown In the way these women wore
their jewels India, ancient and modern,
bolds perhaps *bi most gorgeous, the
most valuable jewels ot the world. Orien
tala, both men and women, know how
to wear jewels, and the Maharajah under
stands this art, as a French woman ua
derstands the art of wearing clothes.
Dainty ankles were turned with sparkling
bands; emeralds, rubies and diamonds
sparkled on ankles and shoulders, and
outlined slender waists. The Maharajah
draped many of these jeweled bands with
his own supple Angers.
A group of Geisha girls Included Coun
tess de Vailombrosa and Mlles, de Mon
tebello and de Hlunisdal. These two
young girls are noted for their blonde
beauty. They are what the French call
ash blondes With their darkened eye
brows and eyelashes, they made
fetching geishas.
The chattering and twittering ot num-
.-Jfen
erous birds announced other arrivals.
‘‘What can be coming?” asked those
already present. The petite Andre waved
his wand, silence fell on those watching
and tn came a dozen huge golden cages.
each one dragged by six men
on all fours, dressed, as
white mice. In each cag?
chattered a most magni Scent
blue and gold bird; there was
the Count de Bonvouloir, the
popular cotillon leader; the
athletic Prince Lu
cinge. the Viscountess d’Or
igny, the Countess de Coetlo
gon. the leader of the ultra
exclusive American set of
Paris The Countess was a
most wonderful bird of para
dise When, the cages were
opened each dazzling bird
minced daintily into the first
ballroom. chattering an 1
preeniug its feathers. The
white mice disappeared.
The cotillon was the most
marvellous sight ever given
.A wo*;Tt uaomPfl
Aslans of this generation. It seemed
t° p e one glowing, moving mass of jewels
and feminine beauty There were cos
tumes whose scantiness of fabric was re
placed by diamonds, pearls and audacity.
One handsome Duchesse had planned to
appear as "Mother Eve.” but her hostess,
at the ’ast minute, persuaded bar to dread
as Venus.
The Duchesse de Lesparre. wife of
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Vicomtewe d’Origny as a «
Golden Bird. ;
a duke of most historic family, wore tbfj
costume that Phryne found so effective ta
convincing the elderly members of the
Areopagus of her innocence— that is to
say, she wore the costume as it looked
just before the tinal persuasion of the
judges was accomplished.
Many New Yorkers must be familiar
with the court of King Belshazzar at Baby
lon, as it has been represented by the
painter Rochegrosse. That painting is one
of the few works of art familiar to fre
quenters of the Great White Way. Some
New Yorkers think that Belshaxzar had a
good time. Many Parisians seem to thinx
the same thing.
Belshazzar was able to pick his wives
from the whole world that lay within
reach of him- All the wine in the world
likewise belonged to him Everybody ia
the world had to marry him, or work for
him, or bring bowls of wine to him. He
spent most of bls time passing the wine
bowl and making merry with ills wives
Occasionally he would call in the
magicians and the soothsayers and the
Chaldeans. If they had something pleas
ant to say to him be would reward them
’ilth bowls of wine and ropes of diamonds
and rubies. If their remarks were unsat
isfactory he would hand them over to the
lions or set them to dance on hot bricks.
Belshazzar had a terrible fall, just when
he was enjoying himself the most, and
that is usually the way with people like
him.
Perhaps the greatest impression of all
at this bail was produced by a nobleman
who came as King Belshazzar of Babylon,
attended by a few of bis leading wives.
The nobleman was the Prince de Polignac,
a large, stout man who enjoys a good
dinner and a goo'd bottle of wine as muca
as anybody in Parts, which is saying •
good deal. He wore- a magnificent curly
beard after the fashion of King Belshaz
zar, a high, conical bronze helmet and
an odd costume that included a petticoat
made of little bronze scales.
Then you should have seen the wives
wbo came with him. They were the most
attractive young matrons of Paris, best
fitted by physique and temperament to
Play the part of Oriental beauties. Thera
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that would have made even ancient Bab'-
lon open Its eyes. Then they went ahead
and enjoyed themselves i n a fine old
Babylonian manner-
Every famous Oriental beauty of his
tory or legend was represented, in add'
tion to those already mentioned. There
was Nitocris, the early Egyptian siren,
who was the original of Cinderella; Zeno
bia, Queen of Palmyra, who was wor
shipped as a divinity; Semiramis, also of
Babjlon, who threw r.way her kingdom
for the Jove of a young archar, and more
than five hundred others.
was the Duchesse de
Luynes, the Mar
quise de Segur, the
Camtesse de Mirs
mon, the Coraresse
de Gabri.c, the Com
tesse de Bouboule--
1n fact, quite enough
to keep King Bel
shazzar busy.
They wore daring
costumes of gauze
and fish net, and ail
sorts of pretty hings