GLASS, FOR DECORATIVE AND HOUSEHOLD

PURPOSES.

STAINED GLASS.

The display of Painted Windows in the Exhibition was a very large one, and the first of the kind that has been seen in this country. It was, however, fuller of promise than performance,in the original treatment of subjects, in place of copying epochal styles and methods of execution. Some years have elapsed since Mr. Ballantine published his treatise exposing the absurdity of continuing to copy bad drawing and other antique grotesqueness; and it has, doubtless, contributed to the improved taste evident in this branch of art. In the Builder, No. 1019, is an excellent review of this progress; and from this source we borrow the substance of our notes.

Among French exhibitors, M. Gloner, of Nancy, showed a Window, 12th century, good as imitative art: but in a Window of the 16th century ("Christ crowned with Thorns"), the artist has made the leaded joinings as inconspicuous as possible.* M. Bougens, of Rheims, showed an example, in which no brilliant colours are made use of, but all the effects are produced through subdued tones of comparatively pale colour. M. Lusson had some powerful imitations of old glass. Some of the cleverest Foreign Glass was exhibited by Maréchal and Co., of Metz; but, it is remarked, in the Builder, "their works are rather pictures on glass than glass-painting." Signor Bertini, of Milan, exhibited a Virgin and Child," to which a Medal was justly awarded "for colour, design, and execution."

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Hardman and Co. showed their fine series of Windows for All Souls', Oxford; each wholly filled with figures rising one above the other. This series and the artists' Window for the Norwich crypt gained their Medal. Their immense Window for Doncaster Church was the largest work of painted glass in the Exhibition: it consists of eight lofty lights, each containing three pictures from the life of Christ: the ornament is better than the figure-subject. It is admirably engraved in the Illustrated London News, No. 1166.

Chance Brothers showed a small three-light Window, "The Adoration," 16th century, of high finish. But their chief work was their Robin Hood Window, designed in the Albert Durer feeling, or still later German style; the canopy-work is florid flamboyant.

Ballantine and Son, Edinburgh, exhibited three Windows, Italian, late Cinque-cento, executed for the Glasgow Commercial Bank: the figures, Commerce, Agriculture, Mechanics, &c., are

*This concealment of the frame-work was well carried out in the large Painted Window of the Tournament of the Field of Cloth of Gold, executed by Wilmshurst, and exhibited in Oxford-street, in 1830: in this window, which occupied the entire end of a room, all the frames were concealed in the dark shadows of the composition, which resembled a vast sheet of painted glass it was, unfortunately, burnt in an accidental fire, which entirely destroyed the premises. The size of the window was 18 by 24 feet.

good. The artists 'had also a large "Crucifixion" Window, for Prestonlee Church, in which the compositions are so managed that no leadwork joinings are visible.

Lavers and Barraud gained a Medal for their Window of "The Last Judgment," with a myriad of figures, marvellously minute— the most intricate stained glass in the Exhibition-in fact, a transparent mosaic.

Messrs. Cox showed in a Window some brilliant effects, by the irregular thickness of the glass-sparkling with "palpitation of light." Heaton and Co. received a Medal for their Window for St. Alban's Abbey. Baillie and Co. showed a portion of an "Adoration" Window for Morton Church, Lincolnshire, rich, yet sober in colour, and cleverly shaded. Clayton and Bell showed a 13th century Window, with excellent qualities; the subjects commencing with "The Temptation," and ending with "The Death of Abel." Messrs. Warrington exhibited examples of the gradations of this class of art during the whole of the Pointed Period: the subjects large, and the work sound: the heraldic work of this firm was specially commendable. Messrs. Powell received a Medal for their very skilful reproductions of Medieval examples : an elaborate specimen of Grisaille was very fine. Altogether, our artists distanced Foreign competition, in the Exhibition.

The Embossed Glass of different colours is well spoken of for its rich, jewel-like effect.

HOUSEHOLD AND FANCY GLASS.

The manufactures of works of art in Glass proved as attractive as any class of the Exhibition; and British superiority over foreign competition was marked, and frankly and cordially acknowledged. France made very little attempt at rivalry; the Austrian glass was good in colour, and in their chandeliers was most effectively and artistically arranged; the Bohemian and Hungarian glass are special manufactures which were also admirably represented in the Building; but the pure cut crystal glass, for exquisite forms, whether cut, blown, or moulded, and, above all, for the very highest effects of the engraver's art, the visitor found in the English Court. The display was really wonderful. Here Dobson and Pearce, Pellatt, Phillips, Defries, Copeland, Green, Hodgetts, Naylor, Powell, and, in short, all the great glass-manufacturers and glass-dealers in England, sent their finest wares. Here were such triumphs of the engraver's art as Venice never knew: even wine-glasses fetched 67. and 77. a-piece. There were lustres and chandeliers, too, of all descriptions and almost every grade of excellence from the simple classic design of Dobson and Pearce, worth 127., up to the gorgeous crystal temple of Defries, which cost over 3000l. to manufacture.

First, for fine art work, both in form and marvellous perfection of engraving, was the collection shown by Dobson and Pearce. One of the great gems in this collection-an engraved Glass Tazza,

12 inches high, was purchased almost the first day it was shown for 250 guineas, incomparably the largest sum ever paid for a single and very small piece of modern glass-work. The panels in the cup, with their fine cut designs, are as delicately marked as steel engravings and as deep as intaglios, all cut with the wheel, even to the minutest chasing of its flower scroll-work. A very small Engraved Cup, not much larger than an ordinary tumbler, exquisitely engraved, was bought for 50 guineas the first hour it was seen. No piece of Venetian glass of the same size ever fetched so high a price.

A Claret Jug sold for 50 guineas, one side of which is deeply cut with a grotesque Raffaelesque design, of surpassing excellence; the foliage scroll-work-apes, dragons, and other monsters-being a perfect chapter on the weird combinations of Raffaelesque ornament. The birds in this piece seem to have an actual plumage, so exquisitely is every feather worked out in the cutting. In a somewhat similar work, the centre ornament is a group of waterlilies floating in a lake, produced with an effect almost equal to an optical delusion. So also with fountains on another class of works-they are not so much engraved as they seem to flow and ripple from the very body of the vase. Above Messrs. Dobson's collection was hung a wonderful Venetian Chandelier, of their modern manufacture, which in design and drooping of festoons was equal to the rarest old Venice types, only much more brilliant in its metal. In this Collection were also shown the cheapest, simplest, and most beautiful designs of Mr. Marsh, of the Lord Chamberlain's office, for table decoration, which took the first prize at the Horticultural Society's fête last year. Messrs. Phillips exhibited in the form of a Crystal Table, the most brilliant piece of cut glass in the Building. Behind it was placed a kind of épergne, or centre-piece for fruit and flowers, representing a pool with weeds and bulrushes in glass, and surrounded with nautilusshells at the base, which altogether made up the most original and effective piece of this class in the display. Both these were manufactured by Messrs. Webb, of Stourbridge. Messrs. Pellatt's Engraved Glass also attracted such admiration that the firm received orders to make large Dessert Services of the same kind for the Prince of Wales and the Viceroy of Egypt: each service is to be so elaborate in design that many months will be required to complete them. The same firm showed cups, tumblers, and jugs of the most beautiful forms, covered with a perfect embroidery of exquisitely engraved designs: their copies of the Koh-i-noor in Crystal Glass, cut in the form in which this great diamond was first exhibited in 1851, were infinitely more brilliant than the renowned gem on its first début.

Alderman Copeland exhibited a few but most exquisite specimens of Engraved Glass, which, both for shapes, colour of metal, and minute elaboration, of engraved design, were inferior only to the gems of the same kind shown by Dobson, though the interval is wide between the comparative excellences of the two competi

tors. But in the general average of his exhibition of Cut Glass, Alderman Copeland had no superior. The jewelled Dessert Service of the brightest crystal, was a signal triumph of manufacturing skill each piece has a lustre of its own that is brilliant beyond description. It is but just to add that this magnificent service was made from Mr. Copeland's designs by the firm of Webb, of Stourbridge.

Mr. Green, of the Thames Cut Glass Works, had a beautiful display of Cut Engraved Glass of every kind.

One of the newest and most effective objects in Decorative Glass was shown by Powell and Co. These were Vases of double glass, the outer one of pure flint, the inner coloured to resemble dark serpentine marble. Between the two are placed lightly printed photographs of statues, designs, flowers, &c., which show out as if finely engraved upon the marble; and these artistic effects are produced at the lowest possible cost. Messrs. Powell also showed some glass Chandeliers of a mixed twisted crystal and blue glass, which have an exceedingly pretty effect as branch lustres for a wall.

Naylor exhibited some exquisite chalice-shaped Cups, on which were engraved copies of the celebrated picture of the "Last Supper," equal to anything shown in the whole Class.

Among the more immediate novelties exhibited were Lloyd and Summerfield's Glass Window-bars; Moore's Ventilators and selfshadowed Glass; Mott's "Vessels for vivifying draught beer;" Rust's Soluble Glass, &c.

Osler, of Birmirmingham, the artist of the Great Crystal Fountain in the Exhibition of 1851, had in the recent display a pair of magnificent Glass Candelabra. But the most gorgeous attraction was one of the eight Prismatic Mirrors, which Messrs. Defries made for the late Sultan's new palace on the Bosphorus. This mirror is 15 feet high and 8 feet broad, and contains 1000 prisms. All the prisms join each other at the sides, so as to form one piece, and at the ends are dovelocked together and held into their place by a peculiar arrangement of copper rods. The weight of pure crystal is one ton, and the metal back one ton more. By the side of this Messrs. Defries showed their examples of Cut and Engraved Glass, decidedly the best for their very low price in the Building. Messrs. Defries also exhibited a vast Chandelier, with a base 14 feet in diameter, and 22 feet high.

The body consists of three dishes beneath each other, formed of richly-cut prisms, each 3 feet 6 inches in length; a size which has, we believe, never before been attained. From these spring 112 lights. Then we have columns, and diamond-cut pillars; the upper tier of 56 lights being a prismatic vase, again surporting eight pillars. The dome, surmounted by a coronet and plume, is formed of a single piece of elaborately-cut glass resting on pillars and prisms, the interspaces filled by diamond-cut glass and spangles.

The Bohemian Fancy Glass exhibited was very beautiful, especially in its combinations of glass-enamel colours and painting.

POTTERY.

In the highest efforts of Ceramic art the English exhibitors were as successful as in their superiority in Glass.

The largest Work of this class in the Building was the Majolica Fountain, placed under the eastern dome. In its variety of form and colour it harmonizes with the internal arrangement and decoration of the Building: it was designed and modelled by Mr. John Thomas, the sculptor, and executed under his superintendence for the display of Minton's modern Majolica. The design, while very elegant and symmetrical as a whole, has that bold distribution of parts which is essential in a fountain to be in keeping with the wild play of water, especially in the open air. The mass of the fountain is in stone; the figures and ornaments, which are for the most part emblematical, being added in majolica. This is the finest work of the kind ever executed in this country, and proves that majolica may be made a most important department of industrial and decorative art. The following are the details of the

design :

The central portion is circular in form; having four niches, enriched with diaper pattern in blue and gold. Between these niches are caryatides, emblematical of Victory, bearing between their outstretched arms a wreath of laurel. Each figure is crowned with a coronet of laurel, coloured after nature. The faces and arms are also of natural tints. The wings, which meet in the lower extremities, are white, slightly relieved with grey. The frieze above carries the motto "St. George for Merrie England and Victory." Above these

figures is a cornice, capped with ornaments, the red and white rose, twenty in number. Surmounting the centre stands the figure of St. George, about 7 feet in height, destroying the Dragon. Against the lower part of the pedestal stands a vase, opposite each niche, supported on a tripod formed of winged griffins. Between these, but rather lower, is a lion seated, holding a shield with the cross of St. George emblazoned upon it. These lions are placed at the angles of the main base, which is square on plan, with a truss projecting from the angle. At the end of each of these trusses stands one of the bird fountains, with nymphs and shell-basins, which adorn the Royal Dairy at Windsor. Between the trusses are basins, semicircular in form; the upper one being devoted to plants, and the lower to the receiving of water flowing from above. On the enclosure of the large basin which surrounds the whole are eight tazze, upon pedestals. The outer edge of this basin is decorated with the laurel, of its natural colour, banded, and the rose in full bloom, upon a chocolate ground. The entire height of the fountain is about 30 feet. The diameter of the outer basin is 40 feet. Seven thousand gallons of water per hour are required to supply it. The water was frequently perfumed by the process of Messrs. Rimmell and Co.

Minton's display comprised Earthenware, China, Parian; and specimens of Majolica, Palissy, and Limoges; imitations of the Crackle china of the East; and examples of the Henri II. Oriental style of Pottery. Two large candelabra of Palissy were of beautiful form and fine colour. Here were also reproductions of the famous old Sèvres Bleu de roi, Rose de Barry, turquoise, and others some magnificent Jardinieres are painted from the famous Boucher pictures in the Louvre; and others with the Muses, from Lesneur. Minton's specimens of Majolica included five large dishes painted with the Triumphs of Julius Cæsar, from the tapestries of Mantegna, at Hampton-court Palace. Porphyry and Malachite were imitated in vases, with gold enrichments.

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