Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/428

410 Of the fifteenth century, however, he has numerous and beautiful examples of sculptured ornaments, both of stone and wood; some good and characteristic crockets, (I. 5, II. 5, and IV. 6).

A very rich piece of sculpture in wood, said to have been the oratory of Count Eberhond, at Urach, in 1472, with various details of it on seven plates, (IV. 2—8); these are quite luxuriant, and in general appearance more like what in England would be called Decorated work, though the profiles of the mouldings would mark the fifteenth century here as well as there; nor was it unusual in England for the ornaments of wood-work of that period to resemble at first sight the style of the preceding century. In Germany, however, there is a boldness and vigour in the sculpture throughout this century which we do not find at home; witness the panel from a stall in St. George's, Tubingen (III. 6). Our Perpendicular style is peculiar to ourselves; the German work of the same period is much more free and bolder, and rather resembles the French Flamboyant, but still has a distinct national character of its own. One marked peculiarity is the studied resemblance to twigs, or branches of trees, preserved in the tracery, with the continual recurrence of stumps as if cut off: this is very distinctly shewn in the specimen from Aix la Chapelle (VI. 4).

Of the ornaments of the sixteenth century, M. Heideloff also furnishes a number of beautiful specimens, but rather of furniture than of architecture; such as the stamped leather from the panels of a state carriage in 1555 (I. 6, 7), from a book-cover (II. 3). In wood-work there are also numerous and beautiful examples, from desks, stalls, &c.

Altogether this work is a fit companion for Mr. Shaw's Specimens and other beautiful works. The coloured door which forms the frontispiece is an excellent example of the rich effect of Polychrome.