It was owned by the late Louis Franck, a prominent Belgian banker who assembled a first-rate collection of Ensors; Franck died in 1988.

"It's a first-rate collection," said William H. Truettner, a curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and a consultant on the project.

Of greater value than the pictures of this artist are his designs, which are altogether superior, and bought dearly to adorn the first-rate collections.

Between Mr. Ghesquiere and Helmut Lang, who showed a first-rate collection on Thursday, lies the direction of fashion for next spring and perhaps beyond.

The 110 objects in this exhibition come from two first-rate private collections.

PARC assembled a first-rate collection of research talent, especially in the area of computer science.

Beneath its self-effacing veneer lie numerous treasures - first-rate collections of art, supreme cooking, unique beers, and master-chocolatiers.

But we had no qualms about showing that first-rate collection.

Mr. Acheson, who is also chairman of the Council of Colleges, said: "This is a first-rate collection, one of the few cultural assets we have.