PREFACE.

The fragile products of the Venetian Glass works attracted my attention manyyears since by their beauty and elegance of form. It was at a period when, saveby a few critical connoisseurs, they were hut little cared for in England; butencouraged by the example and advice of my dear friends, Mr. George S.Nicholson, and Sir Charles Price, now both departed, I gradually acquired anumber of specimens, chiefly selected for their artistic and decorative character.

As the collection increased in size it became desirable to obtain illustrationsof the many curious processes of manufacture and ornamentation to which glasshas been subjected, and likewise to add to the series specimens of various agesand countries. This led to its extension far beyond what I originally contem-plated.

The result of my efforts to illustrate this elegant branch of art is now beforemy friends, and it will be for them to determine how far I have succeeded in theobject which I had in view.

One of the greatest pleasures, however, to the possessor of beautiful or curiousobjects is to be able to show or describe them to friends who can appreciate suchthings; and this has led me to undertake a work far more extensive and costlythan I had at first intended, but of which the illustrations will draw attention tosome of the subtilties of form and design which no words can describe.

The great want of a work on the subject of Glass will, I trust, induce thoseinto whose hands this book may come to deal tenderly with any imperfectionseither in the text or illustrations.

I should state that the Catalogue was in the first instance drawn up for meby Mr. W. Chaffers; it has since been much added to, and indeed nearly rewritten,by Mr. W. A. Nicliolls, who has also superintended the illustrations; the colouredplates have been executed chiefly by Mr. Mellish, and the woodcuts by Messrs. J.and G. P. Nicliolls.

My friend, Mr. Nesbitt, has kindly contributed the dissertation on the Historyof Glass, which forms the Introduction, and which will not, I trust, bo found oneof the least valuable portions of the work. I am indebted to another friend,Mr. A. W. Franks, for much information as well as for having revised a con-siderable portion of the text. I must not also forget to express my thanks toMr. Edward Blore and other friends for their valuable suggestions and artisticcriticisms.

I will only add that it would be a matter of regret to me if a collection,