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portraits by Petitot, e. g. James II. when Duke of York; Madame de la Valliere and La belle Henriette, daughter of Charles the First. Among the other miniatures executed in the ordinary manner are Mrs. Claypole by Hoskins, Sir Kenelm Digby by Oliver, and two of Charles the First, one representing him a short time before his execution when he allowed his beard to grow, and another in pen and ink by Mathew Snelling. There is also a fine collection of historical portraits belonging to the Duke of Buccleugh.

EMBROIDERY.

There is a very fair collection of embroidery, although by no means equal to that got together last year by the Archæological Institute. However, we recognise several of our old acquaintauces, and not the least interesting of them. First of all, there is the Sion House cope entirely covered over with Scripture subjects, and worked in that perplexing zigzag stitch which is so difficult to understand. Then there is the mitre of Thomas à Becket, exhibited by Cardinal Wiseman: it is the same as published in Shaw's "Dresses and Decorations." Next follows another cope, the surface of which is covered with a vine, enclosing Scripture subjects in the compartments formed by its branches. Other copes are powdered with fleurs-de-lis and seraphim, or with double-headed eagles and flowers; while the chasubles are no less gorgeous, one in particular, which has the Betrayal of our Lord and other scenes from the Passion most beautifully worked. It is not unlikely that it may have belonged to Henry the Seventh's Chapel at Westminster, inasmuch as it is powdered with portcullises, roses, and pomegranates.

The Fishmongers' pall is perhaps as perfect a specimen of the various processes of embroidery as could be found anywhere, and the magnificent piece of cloth of gold and velvet forming the centre should also be carefully noticed. At one end of the room will be found the hawking purse, glove, and lure, published in the Archaeological Journal, and close to it a cinquecento purse embroidered with monsters' heads.

MAJOLICA AND CHINA.

I am afraid to say how many large cases are occupied with these articles, but the collection is certainly most complete, ranging from the early majolica down to the Chelsea ware, in

fact, every sort of ware is more or less represented. Some of the Eastern work is most wonderful, witness the two Persian plates of Mr. Bohn and that of Mr. Ruth. There is also a beautiful blue jar, with birds and Arabic inscriptions in the iridescent gold. Of course there is no end of majolica vessels, and of what is called the Raphael ware, but the great attraction is the small case filled with the celebrated Henri II. ware. A notice tells us that we here see twenty-nine out of the fiftythree known specimens, the remainder, with one exception, being in French collections.

Again, elsewhere we find specimens of the work of Bernard de Palissy and his imitators, and thence we descend to the last century through the various productions of the manufactories of Dresden, Vienna, Berlin, Chelsea, and Sevres, concerning which latter it may be observed that while most of the colours are very beautiful, the forms leave a very great deal to be desired.

BRONZES AND IRONWORK.

As usual in all exhibitions of this description, there is a large collection of cinque-cento bronzes. Being for a great part copies of well-known antiques, they present no points calling for special notice, although some of the bronze knockers, such as we still see remaining in situ at Padua, are very good. Among the lesser bronzes may be seen copies of the two heads in the so-called Donatello mirror exhibited last year at Florence. The ironwork, on the contrary, is very remarkable; indeed, it may be a question whether a finer work was ever produced in this metal than the chair given by the city of Augsburg to the Emperor Rodolph II. in 1577. A sword-guard belonging to the Rev. R. M. Taylor is quite worthy of the artist who executed the chair. Some of the armour is decorated with most excellent repousse work, witness the breastplate (Magniac) and the helmet of Lord Londesborough. Mr. P. Hardwick exhibits some excellent German specimens of locks and door-handles; while those who had the good fortune to see the Debruge collection when entire will recognise the elaborate pair of gilded iron doors which probably once did duty at some aumbrie where the sacrament was reserved.

DAMASCENING.

Messrs. O. Morgan and Rohde Hawkins have evidently vied with one another in collecting those brazen vessels damascened

with silver and gold for which Mossul was so celebrated in the middle ages. Several of the objects exhibited by these gentlemen are exceedingly curious, especially one where there is an inscription which tells us that it was engraved by the poor servant of God, Zain-ud-deen. As a general rule, much of the silver will be found wanting. Some specimens are, however, wonderfully perfect, especially a small pot belonging to the Duke of Buccleugh. From the East the art got gradually introduced into the West, through Venice, to which city must probably be attributed the set of architect's instruments belonging to R. W. Drake, Esq. These instruments are steel damascened, with very fine and intricate gold ornaments, and would doubtless have horrified the late Mr. Elliott even more than the proposal once made to him by a young architect, to make him a pair of gold compasses.

ANCIENT GLASS.

We are indebted to Mr. Webb for the contents of two small cases which are filled with fragments of ancient glass, and if we compare them with another case filled with the coloured productions of the Murano workshops, the old world comes by no means badly off. Of course until late years it was very much the custom of antiquaries to disbelieve that the ancients had made much progress in this manufacture, but if we look in these cases we shall see all sorts of glass of all sorts of colours, both simple and combined. There is one small cup and a fragment of a bottle which would almost answer to the accounts handed down to us of the famous Murrhine vases. Again, some of the fragments would have appeared to have been cast in a mould, just as we do at the present day; and when we consider that plate-glass of considerable size has been discovered at Pompeii, we shall be forced to confess that the ancients were not so behind-hand after all.

IVORIES.

We are again indebted to Mr. Webb for a most numerous series of ivories of all dates, from the consular diptychs down to the tenth century. To write anything like a description of them would be writing a history of the sculpture and iconography of the Middle Ages; and I must confine myself to noticing that several of them have remains of the original colour; and as a general rule, indications of a similar mode of

treatment may very frequently be observed when carefully looked for. One of the most interesting objects is a little shrine divided into two stages, containing groups of figures, and which can be shut up by two leaves on either side, which have also subjects, but in low relief.

Other exhibitors present us with many other works in ivory (or rather walrus-tooth, which, I believe, was more commonly employed than that of the elephant), the most noticeable of which are the chessmen of the twelfth century discovered in the Isle of Lewis, and a set of tablets containing several leaves, with the original black wax, the outside covers being richly carved.

A remarkable carving in bone, the property of Mr. J. W. Brett, and representing the triumph of Constancy or Fortitude, is remarkable as forming a pendant to a similar one representing the triumph of Love, and of which Mr. Beresford Hope is the possessor. Both of them are in the shape of small altarpieces. Mr. Hope's carving has been published, but not very satisfactorily, in a back volume of the "Ecclesiologist."

I must here close my account, which by the way is by no means a complete one, as I have entirely neglected the bookbinding, manuscripts, and armour; but so large is the collection, that it is certainly no exaggeration to say that it would take nearly a week to study it as it ought to be done, not to mention the very excellent collection belonging to the Government in the adjoining suite of rooms.

ENGRAVING BY PHOTOGRAPHY.

COMPARING the productions of the present International Exhibition with those of its predecessor, the progress is most strikingly visible in photography; in fact, in 1851 photography not being sufficiently advanced to be placed in a separate class, it was, with the apparatus used, included among philosophical instruments; now, however, it has a class of itself, namely, Class XIV.

We have not space to describe the beauties exhibited, or to enter into the difficulties surmounted, but we can present our readers, at least, with some specimens of a process which appears to be an extraordinary achievement, and of which the consequences may be of great importance.

Many people interested in photography may recollect having seen some photographs, done from paper negatives, obtained by the ordinary wet process, and exhibited in 1851 under the head of the Imperial Printing Office at Vienna, executed by the manager of it, Mr. Paul Pretsch, for which he was rewarded with the prize medal. But they may have asked themselves, What has a printer to do with photography?

In the present year we have received an answer to such questions. There are to be seen in Class XIV. of the English Department eighteen frames, filled with impressions, printed with ordinary printing ink by the ordinary printing-presses, from plates and blocks engraved by nature's mysterious hand only, viz. by photography and electro-metallurgy. Photography and its sister art are made subject to the printingpress, and for this reason the manager of the Vienna Printing-office became a photographer.

These frames are headed by printed inscriptions, "Engraving by Photography." The blocks, from which these copies have been printed with the ordinary press, are all absolutely untouched by the graver; and the plates, whose printed copies are exhibited in a considerable number, are of various descriptions. Some of them are, like the blocks, absolutely untouched by the graver, but some have been assisted, cleaned, and improved by the engraver, and a few shew the process of nature in combination with the work of the producing a result not attainable by the latter alone. stances this capability proves to be of great advantage. tinguished by printed labels on the specimens, and two frames of them contain the photographed original side by side with the printed copy.

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