Amazing Artifacts in Old House

Jewel encrusted gold chalice

Icon with Apostles

French desk with hideaways

Sevres soup tureen

Despite living in Washington DC for decades, it was only recently that we visited the Hillwood Museum and Estates. It's an old house that I'd heard about that was owned by very rich woman, Marjorie Meriweather Post. Apparently, she inherited a lot of money from her dad who'd founded Post food products (including Postum, the coffee substitute that was the source of their original wealth).  She collected all kinds of stuff including some very interesting things she bought during the 1930s from the then Soviet Russian "Republic."  The Communists were selling and melting down chalices and icons from the churches and otherwise obliterating any vestiges of the aristocracy, such as china, furniture and jewelry from rich families, much of which incorporated the history and culture of Russia.  So she bought things up and brought them back and displayed them in her house. She also liked French aristocratic items, including jewels and ornate furniture which can be seen in this house all placed where she actually lived with it.  You get to walk through the dining room and her bedroom and see a lot of her collections.  Also, there's some interesting photographs and pictures and lovely garden.  This place is worth seeing, just for seeing a way of life and the icon and china collections. Quite interesting!

View from the Japanese Garden of the house with the collections