Chap. VI. BENEFAC TORS OF DAYS. bowl cut into facets, found near Merseburg, in Germany; BOOK III, and a cup, similarly decorated, found near Cambridge. OTHER The last two specimens are of a brilliant clear white, imitating rock crystal, a variety of glass much esteemed by the RECENT Romans. Several vessels found in Germany are remarkable for having patterns in coloured glass, trailed as it were over the surface. There are two very fine bowls of millefiori glass, one of them with patches of gold, and very numerous polished fragments illustrating the great variety and taste shown by the ancients in such vessels. Two vases exhibit designs in intaglio; one of them, a subject with figures; the other, a bowl found near Merseburg, exhibits the story of Diana and Actæon; the goddess is kneeling at a pool of water in a grotto; Actæon is looking on, and a reflection of his head with sprouting horns may be distinguished in the water at the goddess's feet; to prevent any mistake, the names of the personages, in Greek, are added. This bowl may be of a late date, probably early Byzantine. Of vases decorated in cameo, fragments alone are to be found in the collection; but as only four entire vases are known, this is not surprising. One of the fragments seems to be part of a large panel which has represented buildings, &c., and has on it remains of a Greek inscription. There are several glass cameos and intaglios, the representatives of original gems that have long since been lost; one of the cameos is a head of AUGUSTUS; another represents an Egyptian princess; whilst among the intaglios are several of great excellence; of these should particularly be noticed a blue paste representing Achilles wounded in the heel, and crouching down behind his rich shield, a gem worthy of the best period of Greek art. One of the rarest specimens in the collection is a circular medallion of glass, on which is painted a gryphon; the colours appear to be burnt in, and BOOK III, OTHER TORS OF RECENT DAYS. it is therefore a genuine specimen of ancient painting dimpo ilding To a ferred sque zade in e tensive Torkers In the fourth and fifth century it was the habit to ornament the bottoms of bowls and cups with designs in gold, either fixed to the surface or enclosed between two layers of glass. These specimens have generally been found in the Catacombs of Rome; but two or three have been found at Teni Cologne, one of which is in the collection. It is the re- make mains of a disc of considerable size, with a central design, now destroyed; around are eight compartments, with subjects from the Old and New Testaments: Moses striking the Rock, the History of Jonah, Daniel in the Lions' Den the Fiery Furnace, the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Nativity, and the Paralytic Man; of these, the Nativity is a very rare representation. the T creased dass vas are of t with gilg geled; her g Of glass of a Teutonic origin there is but one specimen in fine the collection, a tumbler of peculiar form, from a cemetery at Selzen, in Rhenish Hesse. Like other glasses of the time, it is so made that it cannot be put down until it has me been emptied, and thus testifies to the convivial habits of the Teutons. sively four hu Among ong shallow 'Of early Byzantine glass but little is known; the bowl with Diana and Actæon, already noticed, is very probably of that period; and a Byzantine cameo with the head of CHRIST of should be mentioned. arms FARDO hird th Order selected 'Of glass of the middle ages, from the West of Europe, but little or nothing has been preserved save the exquisite painted glass in cathedrals and churches. Of the Eastern The glass of the same period several specimens are in the collection. Among these is a very beautiful bottle, probably design. of the thirteenth century, decorated with a minute pattern co of birds; a lamp of large size, made in Syria to hang in a mosque, bears the name of SHEIKHOO, a man of great wealth led he BE and importance in Egypt and Syria, who died in 1356, after BOOK III, building a mosque at Cairo. Chap. VI. DAYS. To a later period of the Eastern glass works may be referred an ewer of a sapphire blue, resplendent with gold RECENT arabesques, and several other richly decorated pieces, all made in Persia. Venice for many centuries held the foremost place among the makers of glass. Enriched, to begin with, by her very extensive trade in beads, she received gladly the Byzantine workers in glass, who had been driven out of Constantinople by the Turks. Henceforward the variety of her glass wares increased, and must have brought much profit. The earliest glass vases which can with certainty be referred to Venice are of the fifteenth century; of these, a large covered cup with gilt ribs is remarkable for its early date and size. The two finest specimens are, however, two goblets richly enameled; one of them is blue, with a triumph of Venus; the other green, with two portraits. These were the choicest. specimens in the DEBRUGE and SOLTYKOFF Collections successively, and were obtained by Mr. SLADE, for upwards of four hundred pounds, at the sale of the latter collection. Among other enameled specimens may be noticed three shallow bowls, or dishes, with heraldic devices: one has the arms of Pope LEO X, 1513-1521; another those of LEONARDO LOREDANO, Doge of Venice, 1501-1521; and the third the arms of FABRIZIO CARETTO, Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, 1513-1521. 'The blown glasses of Venice are numerous and well selected, exhibiting great beauty of outline and variety of design. Among them should be especially remarked, a very tall covered cup, surmounted with a winged serpent, from the BERNAL Collection; and two drinking glasses, with enameled flowers forming the stems. BOOK III, OTHER TORS OF RECENT Franks, as above. The coloured vases display most of the hues made at Venice; ruby, purple, green, and blue, as well as an opalescent white and an opaque white, the latter often diversified with splashes of other colours. To these may be added various imitations of agate, avanturine, &c. Another peculiar fabric of Venice is well illustrated, the frosted glass belonging generally to an early period. 'In the production of millefiori glass the Venetians did not equal the ancients, either in harmony of colour or variety of design. The rosettes were formed of sections of canes, such as were employed in making beads. The specimens of this glass are rare, but there are not less than seven pieces so ornamented in the collection. Of lace glass, one of the most remarkable productions of Venice, and which nowhere has been carried to such perfection, there are many fine specimens, both in form and delicacy of pattern, as there are likewise of the variety called reticelle. Among the latter is a tall covered cup with snakes on the cover and in the stem; there should also be noticed a drinking glass, in the stem of which is enclosed a half sequin of the Doge FRANCESCO MOLINO, 1647. 'Of unquestionably ancient French glass but few specimens are known. This adds much to the value of a goblet in the collection, with enameled portrait of Jehan BOUCAU and his wife Antoinette, made about 1530. 'German glass is fully represented: the earlier specimens are richly decorated with enamel, chiefly heraldic devices; they are dated 1571, 1572, &c. A few are painted like window glass, and among them is a cylindrical cup, dated 1662, on which is depicted the procession at the christening of MAXIMILIAN EMMANUEL, afterwards Elector of Bavaria. The later German specimens are engraved, and some of them by artists of note. Of ruby glass, another production Chap. VI. BENEFAC for which Germany was famed, there are good specimens; BOOK III, one bears the cypher of JOHN GEORGE IV, Elector of OTHER Saxony, another that of FREDERICK THE FIRST. KUNCKEL, to whom these glasses are attributed, was successively in RECENT the service of both princes. Though glass was early made in Flanders, the most ancient specimens in the collection under this head have been regarded as Venetian glasses decorated in the Low Countries. If made at Venice, they must, from certain peculiarities of form, have been designed for the Flemish and Dutch markets. The ornaments are etched, and contain allusions to the political events of the country for instance, the arms of the seventeen provinces chained to those of Spain, and dated 1655; a portrait of PHILIP IV; WILLIAM II of Orange; his wife, MARY OF ENGLAND; OLDEN BARNEVELDT, &c. Some of the later specimens are engraved on the lathe in a very ornamental manner, and others delicately stippled. One of the latter bears the name of F. GREENWOOD, and others are attributed to WOLF. 'In English glass the collection is not rich, the difficulty of identifying such specimens being very great; some of them are referred to the works at Bristol, which produced ornamental glass about a century ago. 'Some valuable additions to the collection of glass have been received from the Executors of Mr. SLADE, purchased by them out of funds set aside for the purpose. They are nineteen in number, and among them may be especially noticed a very fine Oriental bottle with elaborate patterns in gold and enamel, together with figures of huntsmen, &c. It may be referred to the fourteenth century, and was formerly in the possession of a noble family at Wurzburg. Two specimens of Chinese glass, dated in the reign of the Em TORS OF DAYS. |
