Roman general Scipio Africanus (larger figure in gold armor at the left) was a favorite example of mercy in warfare in Renaissance and Baroque art. During the siege of New Carthage, Scipio returned a beautiful female prisoner (possibly the figure seated at right) to her fiance. For this generous act he received a ransom (the gold vessels and armor shown here at the left), which he returned to the couple as a wedding present. In return, the families of the couple pledged their allegiance to Rome. There are three other tapestries in the Stair Hall from this set, which Doris Duke bought in 1958 for Rough Point.

This portrait originally hung in Batsford Park, the ancestral home of Thomas Freeman, Jr., Esq. (d. 1788), a member of British Parliament from Steyning in West Sussex. The artist, Prince Hoare, is not a household name by any means, partly because he left painting early on to pursue a career in literature and theatre criticism. He was, however, an accomplished painter and a good friend of Sir Joshua Reynolds who painted the Portrait of Mrs. Thomas Freeman, Jr. (1758-1782), which originally hung alongside the Rough Point painting. The pair were separated when the contents of Batsford Park were sold at auction in 1919. Doris Duke's father, James Buchanan Duke, bought the portrait from the dealer Knoedler & Co. in New York in November 1924.

Prominent in the decoration of these two large pricket style candlesticks (only one is shown here) are red bats confronting the Chinese shou character. Because the Chinese word for bat is pronounced the same way as the word for happiness, and red is the color of joy, red bats in Chinese art can be interpreted as symbols of happiness. Given her deep interest in and knowledge of Asian art, it's possible that this symbolism added to the appeal of the candlesticks when Doris Duke bought them at auction in New York in 1975.

Ferdinand Bol studied in Amsterdam with Rembrandt from 1636 to 1641 and later became one of the most successful portraitists in The Netherlands. The sitter of this portrait is unknown. Her fanciful costume differs considerably from the usual somber attire of the wealthy Dutch merchant class of the time and could signal that the subject is meant to be read as either a historical or biblical character or an allegorical figure. The abundance of pearl jewelry associates her, according to the symbolism of the day, with the virtue of purity and often can be found in portraits commemorating a betrothal or wedding. Doris Duke purchased the painting at auction in New York in 1971.

These four wingchairs were recently reupholstered, and when the old fabric was removed, our curator and conservator found a surprise. What were thought to be 19th- or early 20th-century reproductions of a distinct 17th-century style of armchair, turned out to be mid 20th-century copies that are so poorly constructed under the upholstery, they might have been intended as props for the stage or a movie set. Certainly they look great in and are appropriately scaled for the Great Hall at Rough Point, where they add a bit of whimsy and flair. Perhaps that is all that mattered to Doris Duke as well!