The exhibit was arranged in chronological order, beginning with copies of early Roman and Christian glass from originals preserved in the library and in the Christian Museum of the Vatican at Rome, and including reproductions of Roman murrhine and vitreous pastes imitating agates, jacinth, sapphires, etc.; copies of Arab-Egyptian lamps, enameled; copies of early Venetian glass urns, tazzas, and nuptial goblets; enameled glass, glass mosaics, and marquetry work in glass, down to lusters, girandoles, and candelabra for modern theaters. A few, only, of the more interesting and important specimens will be noticed.
In the collection of enameled glass there were vases, basins, lamps, and reliquaries, two of the latter in enfumé glass, enameled in colors and gold, with inscriptions in Arabic-Byzantine style, formed after an original in Mr. Castellanis collection, and the motive of the ornamentation from the fragment of a bass-relief found in the island of Torcello. There was also a nuptial goblet of sapphire color, enameled with figures and landscape, with medalion portraits of a young man and woman, representing nuptials of the fourteenth century. It is an exact reproduction of the celebrated Coppa Nuziale in the Corner Museum at Venice, the work of a Muranese artist of the fifteenth century. But the most interesting of all the reproductions is found in the
St. Marks Tazza,
an exact reproduction of the famous tazza in the treasury of St. Marks, at Venice. It is blown in black glass, and is not over six inches high, but the original is valued at over 80,000 francs. This original was one of the treasured objects sent home to France by Napoleon I, but afterwards returned. For the purpose of making the copy, which is excellent, the original was borrowed of the government. The copy in black glass, like the original, is enameled in various colors and gold, and has round the circumference medalions and Coptic inscriptions divided into several zones. It is mounted like the original by Signor Castellani.
The original tazza is considered to be a work of the eleventh or twelfth century, and it is believed by some that the art of enameling, as practiced at Limoges, was started and stimulated by seeing this vase.
Copies from the Blade collection.
The exhibit contained seventy different pieces, reproduced after specimens selected from among the best Muranese types.
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