Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/515

 June 21, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 493 THE BUILDING NEWS. ge LONDON, FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1872. THE LOAN EXHIBITION OF ANCIENT AND MODERN JEWELLERY AT SOUTH KENSINGTON. (2 is scarcely likely that for many years to come so excellent an opportunity will be offered to artists and art-workmen of studying the whole history of the art of jewellery, and the various processes employed in the production of the finest specimens of the art from the earliest times to the present day, as is now given us at the Loan Exhi- bition of ancient and modern jewellery at South Kensington Museum. The great and long-continued wealth of England has enabled collectors to secure a large proportion of all the best things of the kind that have been for sale for a couple of centuries, and the long continuance of our own hereditary nobility and gentry has had the same tendency to preserve and accumulate costly art treasures which, in the ordinary state of things, under less fortunate circum- stances, would have been sacrificed on account of the precious materials of which they were made. How great is this tendency of the work of goldsmith and jeweller to return to its elements is sadly proved in the present Exhibition, which, with all its extraordinary richness, has some very lamentable gaps—all the more to be deplored because we may be sure that, if they did not occur, we should have some of the most interesting and beau- titul specimens of the art. We speak more especially of the real Medieval periods, from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. But, notwithstanding this, there is an enormous amount of most instructive work, which ought to be well examined and considered. Many of the earliest examples shown prove that our best artists and workmen can, if they will, learn much even from those early times. The first thought that strikes one in reviewing the collection is how very early the art of jewellery was exercised in great perfection, and how long before the period of the earliest known examples the gold- smith’s craft must have been in vogue. ‘This thought should prevent us from judging too hastily against other nations of antiquity besides those whose works we possess having exercised and possibly excelled in the manu- facture of goldsmith’s work. ‘Thus, we ques- tion if there is any reason to suppose, as Mr. R. H. Soden Smith does, in the interesting introduction to the catalogue, that the Pheenicians were merely carriers to the world, and had no special jewellery art of their own. The account of the making of Solomon’s Temple shows that the Tyrians at least were skilful workers in metal. They also traded much in gold, and so itis very unlikely that, being so rich as they were, there should have been no distinctive Pheenician gold work, though it may be true that at present we are not able to identify it. Of Egyptian jewellery there is not a large display. ‘Those who remember the magnifi- cent ornaments of Queen Aah Hoteb, found by M. Mariette, near Thebes, and exhibited in 1862 and 1867, will not take the present exhibition as a good exponent of the noble and characteristic style of the work of this extraordinary people. What there is consists mostly of inscribed Scarabeei. There is, how- ever, one very excellent specimen, the first item in the catalogue. It is as choice an example of coloured ornamentation of surface by inlay of vitreous pastes, polished, enclosed in the most delicate cloissoné, that is to be seen. It is most interesting too, as showing how the Egyptians subordinated the use of gold itself to the effect of colour. Assyria is represented by a few cylinders. Whether we shall ever be so fortunate as to discover and highly-wrought bronze vessels and basins found by Mr. Layard and others is at present unknown. Of Greek and Etruscan art there is a match- less display, so extensive that it would be impossible to do more than glance at its im- portance. There is nothing in the room to compare with it for skill, beauty, or excel- lence. Many a tiny piece that you could al- most blow away is worth long study. Some of these are so small that the careless ob- server might pass them by. No description could do justice to Mrs. Burt’s gold ornament (15) ; how the honey- suckle ornaments were formed and soldered on passes the imagination. The ends of this little bit are worth going miles to see. With this example No. 8 should be compared. There is also an exquisite barrel-shaped ear- ring in collection No. 52, which is an un- surpassable example of filigree and corded work. The granulated ornaments, in which mere dust of gold, as it were, is accurately soldered on to thin gold plates, giving a marvellous and unrivalled richness, is to be well seen on several objects. The finest examples of Etruscan work are in the South Kensington Museum collection. Webb’s (No. 8874-5) are very fine, exhibit- ing repoussé chasing and corded work in great perfection & The earlier periods of the middle ages are well represented, the examples consisting of armlets, torques, bracelets, fibula, &c. (65), girdle ornament, gold with bead and thread ornament set with garnets en cabochon, Carlovingian, belonging to Sir R. Wallace, is among the best. We may also mention Nos. 85 and 98. Mr. John Evans’s portion of a dagger-hilt as an example of interlacing serpents, and twisted wire- work is well worth attention. It is very little if at all behind Greek work in skil- fulness of workmanship. The finest speci- men of that favourite style of decoration which prevailed in Celtic art, of inlaying gold with thin slices of precious stones, or paste on diapered ground, is the fibula dug up in the Isle of Thanet, and now belonging to Earl Amherst (101*). There is also another fibula of similar patten belonging tothe museum, apparently done by the same artists. ‘There are many choice specimens of Celtic work, some of the mere fragments being well worth attention. We now come to a terrible blank, the true Medizval period. Of good Gothic work there is scarcely a specimen, there being only two or three crosses, one of good shape but rough work. No. 219, a few reliquaries and badges. The best things of this period are two circular brooch-like ornaments belonging to Mr. Gambier Parry, one a fine specimen of niello, and the other (122) atruly exquisite example of repoussé work, finished in the most delicate manner ; the chasing of the diapered background and figure is admirable. That so little of such excellent work remains is much to be lamented, but the specimen is none the less instructive for its rarity. There must have been plenty of such work, for it is impossible that such excellence can have been arrived at except through a long line of experience and practice. One piece of high art of such excellence is worth more study than a whole collection of ordinary work. From the sixteenth century to the present time there is a complete representation of the art ; in fact, so extensively are the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries illustrated, that it would be impossible to give more than an idea of the items shown. French jewelled ornaments. The fine ex- amples lately purchased in Spain, from the treasury of the Virgin of the Pillar, have already been noticed in our columns. In the present collection there are, probably, some of the very finest things of the sort in Europe. Many: of the jewels are also historically in- teresting, as the Lennoxor Darnley jewel, lent goldand silver work as precious as the inlaid | by her Majesty the Queen; the Drake and Foremost is the | wonderful collection of Italian, English, and | Hunsdon jewels; the onyx (147) being one of the finest cinque-cento cameos in existence. Then there is the gorgeous Italian (?) book cover, said to have been once the property of Henrietta Maria; and Mr. Beresford Hope’s grand Cellini ewer, the most important thing, as a work of art, in the exhibition of cinque-cento work. Of all the examples of enamelled iconographic jewellery, set with precious stones, nothing surpasses the Countess of Mount Charles’ necklace, with pendant (165). It is absolutely superb, and has been ascribed to B. Cellini. It is, as the catalogue says, at any rate equal to anything known to have been done by his hands ; but it seems to us almost too delicate for his work. The subjects are taken from the life of our Lord. We have only time to notice three or four lovely pendants of gold open work enamelled, of which No. 158, belonging to the ex-Empress Eugenie, and one shown by the Marquis of Exeter, are excellent examples. For richness of fancy and excellence of work- manship, they might almost vite with the finest Greek work. Of the following times we have quantities of watches, some early and fine, the most beautiful beivg No. 439, said to have belonged to Anne Boleyn, and being a present from Francis I. It is an admirable piece of chiselling. There are also some beautiful chased and jewelled specimens, which make one regret that the art of the day in which they were executed was not equal to the pains and skill shown in the manufacture. Some of the chatelaines are very beautiful. There is a fine series of precious gems, prominent among which are those belonging to the South Kensington Museum (the Townshend bequest), Mr. Beresford Hope. the Duke of Portland, her Majesty, and Mr. Garrard. The pearls and diamonds are magnificent. These are also absolutely per- fect specimens of most of the choicest stones. Besides all this, there is a very fair col- lection of Indian, Chinese, and other Eastern work, all interesting, and some very instruc- tive. There is one delightful jewel, an armlet of erystal and gold, jewelled with sapphires and rubies, the mounting most beautifully enriched—one of the Hunsdon jewels (1603), which proves how the Oriental nations have fallen off in their skill and taste. The best work of the present day will bear no comparison to this charming specimen, In conclusion, we may notice that there is, probably, the most complete collection of finger rings that has ever been exhibited in England, ranging from the antique Egyptian to the presentday, to give an adequate idea of which would take far more space than we can spare. We hope, however, that we have said enough to induce our readers to visit and study this fine collection. . BUILDING IN CONCRETE. Pee encountering much opposition, the question of building in concrete, after the method patented by Mr. Tall, has just been brought to an interesting issue by the Metropolitan Board of Works. As our readers are aware, the late Mr. Peabody left at his death a very considerable sum to be expended in the erection of dwellings for the poorer classes of London. <A portion of this munificent legacy has already been invested in accordance with the views of the benevolent testator, and the remainder will be similarly employed. The trustees of the deceased gentleman, in virtue of the power lodged in their hands, proceeded, a short time ago, to obtain a site in East-lane, Bermondsey, for the erection of six blocks of dwellings for the class of people for whose benefit the funds were so generously provided. As can be rined, the cost of these dwellings was the first consideration, and the trustees, having ascertained that houses of a description similar to those they required could be built by the process of Mr. Tall cheaper in con- crete than in brick, resolved to give hima
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