rich, and consists of small star-like floral forms in two reds, falling softly and pleasantly on a maroon ground. The border is in good Italian ornament, harmoniously coloured, yet it is rather strong, the ground here being white. Altogether this is a very excellent work.

The Velvet-pile Carpets of Messrs. Jackson and Graham are made in the Jacquard loom, worked by steam-power, and the designs might be seen in process of weaving in a loom which the firm had at work in the Western Annexe. The rhododendron design, the bayleaf pattern, and the jasmine trellis, were very successful. Two Persian designs were remarkable for their richness and harmony of colouring, and close imitation of the beautiful Oriental originals.

Jackson and Graham also showed a large square carpet, which, while very florid and strong in its contrasts of colour, has yet delicacy and beauty and a certain amount of repose; the colouring, also, is harmonious, and the masses are well disposed.

Lapworth Brothers, Old Bond-street, showed a very large carpet, the greatest merit of which was its flatness: blue prevailed, and the pattern was good. Lapworths' carpets were admirable examples of woollen fabrics: they are the production of the hand and not of the loom, and they still maintain an enviable superiority over all the varieties of textile carpets. These carpets are the produce of their establishment at Wilton, which enjoys a special celebrity in carpet-making: it was here that the Flemish weavers found refuge from religious persecution, in the reign of James I., and set up their looms to manufacture Brussels carpets, under the patronage of William, Earl of Pembroke, then chamberlain of the royal household.

Crossley and Son were among the largest manufacturers in the country of Velvet Pile and Brussels carpet, to the production of which power-looms have now been applied in the place of the handlooms which were in use at the time of the Exhibition of 1851. Of their designs it has been said that they will not please the Professors of the Kensington School of Science and Art. Kidderminster carpet calls for few observations; its texture remains the same, and the mode of production the same as at the Exhibition of 1851.

A noteworthy specimen of Axminster carpet, designed for and intended as a wall-decoration, after the style of the Gobelin tapestries, was manufactured and exhibited by Tapling and Co., of Gresham-street. The design is by Mr. W. A. Parris. It contains figures, considerably larger than life, of Louis Napoleon presenting the treaty to Queen Victoria, and is designed to commemorate the Treaty of Commerce between France and England. The figures are surrounded with an elaborate framework of laurel and oak-leaves in gold colours. The panels are of a rich maroon, having an interlaced ornament alternately of the rose and bee, emblematical of the two countries. The French emblem is introduced on a shield at the top of the design, surmounted with branches of the palm, depending from which are large swags of fruit, sym

bolical of Peace and Plenty. At the base are the English and French flags, supporting the Rose, Thistle, and Shamrock, with a blue ribbon containing the motto, "La reciprocité est la base vraie et durable de la Paix." In a work of this character, so novel in design and treatment, there were many difficulties to contend with, but they have for the most part been successfully overcome. The work is woven in one piece, twenty-two feet by eighteen feet.

Messrs. Filmer, of Berners-street, exhibited Velvet Pile and Brussels Carpets, from designs by the Government School of Art. The latter present a conventional treatment of flowers, without shading, and presenting the appearance of a uniform flat surface, following in this respect the patterns of the carpets of the East. In the velvet pile carpets six strongly contrasted colours are so well and evenly balanced, and are mixed in such small quantities, that no one colour offends the eye; and the whole blends into a soft, warm, greyish tint, forming a very appropriate ground for the furniture and decorations. Sewell and Co., of Compton House, were exhibitors of a fine Axminster carpet, the pattern of which is an adaptation of an original design by Mr. Digby Wyatt. It is deserving of notice on account of its fineness of pile and texture, the beauty of its colours, and the symmetrical arrangement of all the parts of the design.

FOREIGN CARPETS.

It may be convenient to notice here, for the sake of readier comparison, the Foreign Carpets in a group, rather than under their respective countries. The paper in the Illustrated London News will best supply the staple, inasmuch as its writer shows very considerable knowledge of the general subject, and a judicious amount of artistic taste.

The Carpets both from India and Turkey are, in some respects, widely different from each other; yet they have features in common, and both may be said to be founded upon equally correct principles. Thus, both are rigidly flat in treatment: that is, no attempt at light and shade is made, nor is the evenness of the surface (which is a very desirable quality in a floor) in any way disturbed. The decorative shapes employed, and the arrangement adopted, are such as does not give to the patterns a right and wrong way upwards, but emphasizes them equally in all directions, which is the only treatment consistent as a floor enrichment. Yet in how many cases does this requirement remain unfulfilled in the carpets which we see in the shop-windows, and even on the floors of the opulent; yet no arrangement in which the pattern runs in one particular direction can be satisfactory, as it must of necessity be wrong way upwards to the greater portion of the occupants of the room, and thus impart pleasure only to the few.* A low neutral aspect also marks these carpets, which is due,

Prayer-carpets have a pattern running in one direction; when in use the pattern points to Mecca.

primarily, to the nature of the colouring, but also, in part, to the judiciously vague distribution of the shapes used for the purpose of enrichment. We are thus led to see that the Indian and Turkish designers are possessed of most valuable knowledge, which has led them to endow all their carpets with this neutral aspect. But the artists of the two countries achieve their results in different ways; for we find in the Turkish carpets large masses of negative colour employed as general and partial grounds, such as low-toned or tertiary red, which is their favourite colour; and forms of a semi-geometrical character filled in with ornament of various hues, in which blue and green predominate; they, however, depend for their effect chiefly upon the exact tone of the colour which is to prevail in the work as the ground-tint, and throughout the colours are used in such masses as to affect the eye separately. The Indian carpets, on the contrary, owe their negative aspect to the precise balance of colour which is introduced into the works, whereby a neutral colour-bloom is produced: thus, they impart a glowing effect by letting orange slightly prevail. Yet, while we say that the Indians adopt this mode of producing their neutral effect, and that the Turks use masses of colour which are in themselves low in tone, we only mean that such modes are the more general with these people yet in some cases the Turkish works exhibit a very full admixture of colours, and the Indian rugs have grounds of a single tint.

Excellent examples of the more characteristic Carpets and Rugs of the Turks were exhibited by Watson, Bontor, and Co.; Tapling and Co.; and Lapworth Brothers; and of the Indian Carpets and Rugs by Major M'Andrew, who exhibited a carpet made at Lahore by the Thugs; Watson and Co. showed one from Masulipatam, a carpet made by the prisoners in the gaol at Meerut (which closely resembles that shown by Major M'Andrew), and a series of rugs. These, together with a carpet made by the native Thugs at the Government School of Industry at Jubbulpore, were the most important works, and their excellences can scarcely be overrated.

The Carpets furnished by the natives of Hindostan are unrivalled in every respect, but unfortunately their production requires a considerable length of time, the Thugs being ignorant of the modern process of carpet manufacture. To remedy this evil, an attempt has been made to introduce the Kidderminster process amongst the natives, but with this result: the beautiful patterns of the natives having been thrown aside, and some of the worst of a worn-out English school substituted. Thus we had one of the hideous specimens of Kidderminster exhibited side by side with the beautiful productions of the native loom which had fortunately escaped the debasing influence. In the carpets of the natives due regard is paid to the relation of the carpet to the furniture of the room. The Kidderminster carpet exhibited, on the contrary, by its coarse vulgarity, immediately calls the chief attention to itself. Though this importation of bad taste into India was pointed

demand will never be great at any time, as it cannot be produced for the price of ordinary floorcloth, and does not, therefore, enter into competition with it.

PRINTED AND DYED FABRICS.

Probably in no Department of the whole Exhibition has there been so thorough a change since 1851 as in that of Printed Fabrics: mousselines-de-laine, barèges, and other printed fabrics of kindred make having been superseded by alpacas, mohairs, and various light and elegant mixed fabrics. Nevertheless, the leading printers, both of Manchester and Glasgow, contributed little to the display. In the matter of design the great body of English and Scotch Calico-printers are pretty much where they were fifteen years ago; except that in the English Division, simple effects were worked out in one or two colours, instead of elaborations in form and colour, which are generally costly and failures.

There can be no doubt that in mechanical modes of production, as well as in the chemistry of the art of Printing and Dyeing, considerable progress has been made during the last ten years; and that by these means the British producer is enabled to meet the wants of the various markets of the world with much the same, if not greater advantage than heretofore.

The French printers made a great effort to completely illustrate everything they were doing, especially in the way of improvements in Printed Fabrics: the result was, they made a valuable display, and deservedly carried off the largest proportion of the honours.

At the suggestion of Dr. Lyon Playfair, a systematic illustration of the various improvements in the Chemistry of CalicoPrinting and Dyeing since 1851 was given by Mr. Rumney, of the Ardwick Chemical Works, Manchester. All the new dyes and chemicals of any importance introduced into the trade during the last eleven years were here shown, as illustrating "the latest chapter in the history of Calico-printing." The various dyes and chemicals were exhibited in bottles; and the examples in cotton, silk, wool, and mixed fabrics were also shown. Amongst them was the application of Mr. Perkin's discovery of Coal-tar and its remarkable product Ailine as a colouring agent. Aniline colours were shown in their varied forms of dyeing and printing as applied to cottons, cotton-velvets, silk, and woollen, in shades of purple, reds, and blues, known as mauve, magenta, &c. The colours in silk were especially brilliant. There were also illustrations of murexide colours on cotton and woollens. Murexide, generally called Roman purple, was in great vogue amongst printers and dyers about 1856. This is a guano colour, as the uric, and is found in sufficient quantities in that substance, which is first treated with hydrochloric acid and subsequently with nitric acid. The final result was seen in the specimens exhibited. To these were added pigment colours fixed with glue and mercury, under

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Venice-The Assumption of the Virgin," by Titian. Here we have needlework entering into competition with the pigments of the artist, which can be spread as transparent films, heaped in effective masses, modified by mediums so as to be fitted for producing the most varied effects; having tackiness in the one case, which renders them fit for "dragging;" and fluidity, which renders them adapted for " glazing" in another; and, with all this, being susceptible of diversified modes of hanging.

The " Assumption of the Virgin" realizes all the charms and delicacies of the original work-expression, energy, delicacy, and tone of colour being rendered with the utmost truth, the rich harmony and glow of refulgent light being also fully embodied in the work. The toil and labour necessary to the production of such a work it is difficult to conceive: not a thread can be placed without the most careful consideration, and not a colour used without the sanction of a most experienced eye, as colours when juxtaposed acquire abnormal hues: yet this tapestry in which the figures are lifesize, finds its commercial equivalents in 6000l. To the right of this central and most important work was the portrait tapestry of Louis XIV. of France, in which the flesh is rendered with a faithfulness seldom witnessed.

The Tapestries from Beauvais were in no way inferior to those of Gobelins: yet they differ so widely in character that a mere glance will suffice for the distinguishing between the works of the two manufactories. Those from Beauvais are of still-life and fruit, while those from Gobelins are of an historical character.

FLOOR-CLOTHS.

To Floor-cloths the Exhibition were less indebted for any general ornamental effect than to carpets. Smith and Baber exhibited two large cloths of considerable merit: the one, a simple design of marbles, with a border that is elegant in effect; and the other a geometrical pattern, having sprays and flowers in imitation of a mosaic inlay on a marble ground. Downing and Co. exhibited several very good specimens ; one of 10 yards or 30 feet wide had a combination of the squares of a chess-board and samples of encaustic tiles. James Rolls and Son showed an example of a tile pattern cloth, admirable for its fidelity to the simple forms that make up the detail of the design, and for its excellence in colour. Hawksworth, of Doncaster, exhibited some remarkable specimens of Mosaic Floorcloths. Nairn and Co., of Kirkaldy, exhibited a number of carpet patterns" where the attempts to produce roses and leaves were very creditable under the circumstances. Their specimens of marquetrie and parquetrie were also commendable.

Kamptulicon was exhibited by Taylor and Co., and is a Floorcloth made of cork and India-rubber. It is admirably adapted for all situations where the floor is damp, being exceedingly durable. The quantity manufactured of this most useful material has hitherto been exceedingly limited, and the probability is that the