ITALIAN POTTERY AND GLASS-MAKING.
The early celebrity of Italian pottery is attested by the French word for earthenware,—faïence,—which is only a corruption of the name of the Italian town, Faenza; and its flourishing condition in past ages is shown by the works now so eagerly sought for, in which the genius of Italian art is displayed. But the present commercial importance of this branch of industry in Italy does not equal the historical interest that belongs to it. Production is limited, not exceeding the value of 3,200,000 francs in porcelain and earthenware of all kinds; while the value of importations from foreign countries amounts to a somewhat larger sum, One porcelain manufactory, that of Doccia, near Florence, seems to deserve special notice, This establishment, the property of the Marquis Ginovi, is chiefly remarkable for the successful imitations which it produces of old majolica. The total annual value of the articles made in it is estimated at about 320,000 francs. The introduction of the art of glass-making into modern Europe is due to the Venetians, who, until comparatively late times, enjoyed an undisputed superiority in it. They discovered the means of rendering glass colourless by the employment of manganese. They had the monopoly of mirrors, the silvering of which was a secret long kept from other countries, But the mirrors of Venice have now lost their reputation, the manufacturers of this place being unable to produce plates equal in dimensions to those made by their foreign competitors. Glass beads became at an early period an important article of trade with Africa and the East. They are still made in considerable quantities for exportation. Venetian enamels have always been famous, and among the peculiar productions of this place may be reckoned the beautiful composition called Aventurine, the secret of which is said to be in the possession of a single manufacturer. Some articles, such as beads, are made to a certain extent in the city of Venice itself; but the great glass works are to be found at Murano, one of the islands of the lagoon. This little island, which had at one time 30,000 inhabitants, formerly enjoyed a sort of local independence, with distinct laws and institutions. It had a wealthy nobility of its own, whose names were inscribed in a separate golden book. Its privileges have disappeared, its population and riches have declined, but its industrial establishments are still active, and show signs of prosperity. Before the fall of the old Venetian republic, the glassmakers constituted a close corporation with exclusive privileges. The trade was thrown open in 1806 under the government of the then kingdom of Italy, and a period of keen competition and low prices ensued, until the year 1848, when the conditions of the trade were regulated by an agreement among the manufacturers. The number of persons employed in glass-making at Murano and Venice is 5000, of whom one-third are men, and two-thirds women and children. The highest wages are, for men, 12 francs; for women, 1 franc 50 centimes; the lowest for men, 2 francs, and for women, 75 centimes. The annual cost of the substances employed in the manufacture is estimated at between 6,000,000 and 7,000,000 francs, and that of the fuel consumed at 600,000 francs. The gross receipts obtained come to little more than double this aggregate amount. The principal markets for Venetian glass are in France, England, Germany, and, above all, in the East, where there is a constant demand for the beads and other articles known by the denomination of “conterie.” The above facts are taken from the interesting report by Mr. Herries, published in a recently issued series of consular reports.—Pall Mall Gazette.
THE PORTLAND VASE.
The Portland Vase is a beautiful cinerary urn of transparent dark blue glass, found about the middle of the sixteenth century, in a marble sarcophagus near Rome. It was at first deposited in the Barberini Palace at Rome (and hence often called the “Barberini Vase”): it then became (1770) the property, by purchase, of Sir William Hamilton, from whose possession it passed into that of the Duchess of Portland. In 1810, the Duke of Portland, one of the trustees of the British Museum, allowed it to be placed in that institution, retaining his right over it as his own property. In 1845, William Lloyd dashed this valuable relic to pieces with a stone. Owing to the defective state of the law, only a slight punishment could be inflicted; but an act was immediately passed making such an offence punishable with imprisonment for two years; and one, two, or three public or private whippings. The pieces of the fractured vase were carefully gathered up, and afterwards united in a very complete manner, and thus repaired. It still exists in the Museum, but is not shown to the public.
A LOST ART.
The most remarkable Chinese porcelain is the Kiasing, or azure pressed; the secret of its manufacture has been lost, but the specimens which are preserved are of inestimable value. The art was that of tracing figures on the china, which are invisible until the vessel is filled with liquid. The porcelain is of the very thinnest description,—almost as thin as an egg-shell. It is said that the application in tracing these figures is internal, and not by external painting, as in ordinary manufacture; and that after such tracing was made, and when it was perfectly dry, a very thin covering or coating was laid over it of the same paste of which the vessel had been formed, and thus the painting lay between two coatings of chinaware. When the internal coating became sufficiently dry, they oiled it over, and shortly after placed it in a mould and scraped the exterior of the vessel as thin as possible, without penetrating to the painting, and then baked it in the oven. It is evident that if such be the mode that was adopted, it would require the nicest dexterity and patient care, for which the Chinese are remarkable; but, although they constantly endeavour to recover the exact method, their trials have been hitherto unavailing.—Sirr’s “China and the Chinese.”
FANS.