THE MUSEUM. 
2 9 
In the library of the American Philosophical 
Society, at Philadelphia, are half a dozen genuine 
Mexican manuscripts of the fifteenth century— 
tribute rolls of cities and states under Montezuma. 
They are beautifully drawn and colored, on maguey 
paper, a substance resembling the cotton-fibre paper 
of Japan, of which fans are usually made. They 
were brought from Mexico by Mr. Wm. H. Keating, 
about the year 1823. Old Mexican picture-writings 
are rare and very valuable, and we would be glad to 
hear of any other examples which may be in libra¬ 
ries or collections in the United States. 
Mr. A. E. Douglass, of New York, possesses a 
curious terra-cotta mask, from Quiche, Guatemala, 
Central America—an unusually fine and perfect 
specimen. 
Mr. C. F. Gunther, of Chicago, Ill., has recently 
come into possession of an old volume which he 
is satisfied is the identical copy of the folio edi¬ 
tion of Shakespeare, possessed at one time by the 
Rev. John Ward, vicar of Stratford-on-Avon, in 1661, 
and a great admirer of the famous dramatist. The 
top board of the binding, and the portrait, unfortu¬ 
nately, are missing. Across the top of the second 
page, however, is pasted a strip of paper, on what is 
supposed to be a genuine signature of the great poet, 
—one of the very few in existence. Below the au¬ 
tograph is written— 
Printed 
1623. 
The works of William Shakespeare, 
born in April, 1564, and died in 
April, 1616. 
[Signed] Ino. Ward. 
‘ Mr. Gunther purchased the book from a gentleman 
into whose hands it had fallen, after having circulated 
through the West for many years, its true nature not 
being suspected. We shall await with interest the 
announcement of the result of the discussion which 
will undoubtedly take place in England over the 
authenticity of the book and the signature. 
RECENT SALES. 
One of our foreign correspondents, Monsieur 
Charles Cournault, writes from Paris in relation to 
the general stagnation of business in that city, espe¬ 
cially in art. One prominent dealer complains not 
only that people do not buy, but that they do not 
come into the shop to price his goods, or even stop 
to look in at the window. One important sale, how¬ 
ever, has taken place recently—that of the collec¬ 
tion of statuary, terra cottas, bronzes, pictures, en¬ 
gravings, and bric-a-brac, belonging to M. d’Epinay. 
This magnificent collection was sold, by auction, 
on April 20th and 21st. It was valued at 400,000 
francs, but only brought 178,700. The following 
quotations are made : Marbles.— The Three Hours, 
from life, 20,000 frs.; David Casting the Sling, 
2650; Callixene, 5400. Antique Sculptures — 
Centaur Embracing a Bacchante, 4960; Faun, 1680; 
two chandeliers, in marble, 680; allegorical group, 
in honor of Louis XIV, terra cotta, 1000; Venus 
and Cupid, group in marble, by Falconet, 7000. 
Faience.— Two statuettes of kneeling angels, by 
Lucca della Robbia, 155; terra cotta Tanagre 
figurine, 205. 
Mr. W. Elliot Woodward’s 75th sale was held in 
New York, by Messrs. Bangs & Co., on May 1st 
and 2d, last. We make the following quotations: 
An amulet or bird-shaped stone, from Ohio, sold for 
$9.75 ; a discoidal stone, of compact sandstone, from 
Georgia, $17 ; a stone pestle, nearly 22 inches long, 
from Massachusetts, $9 ; a string of 42 copper beads, 
from Waterbury, Ct., modern, $9; three fine grooved 
axes, from Ohio and Pennsylvania, $8.50 each; a 
mound vessel in form of a human female figure— 
very fine and rare—costing originally $35, sold for 
the low sum of $14; another, with human head, 
$10; one with head of a fox, $12; an urn made by 
the Eastern Indians (only 11 or 12 similar specimens 
approaching completeness are known), from the col¬ 
lection of Prof. Ralston, was sacrificed at $10; aU.S. 
local stamp, Am. Letter Head Co. (rare), went for 
$1.25; a Squier & Co., City Letter Dispatch, 75 cts. 
Mr. Woodward informs us by letter that he has 
recently purchased the entire numismatic collection 
of Mr. J. Colvin Randall, of Philadelphia, compris¬ 
ing the largest collection of U. S. silver and gold in 
existence; also his enormous stock of American and 
foreign coins and medals. Mr. Randall has for 
many years been the most prominent wholesale 
dealer in coins in this country, and has been an in¬ 
defatigable collector for thirty years. The catalogue of 
this magnificent collection, which is being prepared, 
