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NOTES ON THE

that it was said that one Avail of the great mosque at Damascus Avas formed of glassby enchantment, and that there Avere in it “ as many openings as there are daysin the solar year, and that the sun in gradual succession throws its light into theopenings, which are divided into tAvelve degrees.” He also states that the Shahof Persia, Sanjar (1140-1157), had caused the body of the Prophet Daniel to beplaced in a coffin of glass at Susa. We have, unfortunately, no description of thekind of glass then made in Syria, nor have any examples been observed which canbe assigned with certainty to the 12tli or any earlier century. In the treasury ofSt. Mark’s, at Venice, there is, hoAvever, a remarkable vessel of glass which is oforiental fabrication and probably of early date. It is 81 inches wide by 4 deep, ofa turquoise green paste, nearly opaque. On the bottom are four Arabic characterssignifying, according to Montfaucon,* “ God the Maker;” the bowl is five-sided, andon each side is a rude figure of a hare. These figures as well as the inscription arein Ioav relief, and Avere probably cut Avitli the wheel. The setting is of filigreeAvith stones and ornaments of cloisonne enamels. There is a tradition that it Avasa present from a king of Persia, in 1470, but the setting is of a much earliercharacter and not Persian in style.

There are, at any rate, examples dating probably from the 13th century, andparticularly a basin and a large bottle belonging to Baron Lionel de Rothschild;round the latter of these is an Arabic inscription, containing the name of ElMalek El Aschraf, a name borne by several Sultans in the 13th century. M.Labarte {Hist, des Arts IndusIriels) mentions a slialloAV basin in the Musee de Cluny,as bearing the titles of Malek Adhel, A\dio reigned in Egypt from a.d. 1279 to a.d.1294.

There is little difference in character betAveen this and examples belonging tothe next century made in Egypt; all sheAV that the makers Avere tolerably expertglass-bloAvers and could produce vessels of considerable size, but the glass is of badcolour and full of bubbles and imperfections. The makers had probably learntfrom the Byzantines the art of gilding and enamelling glass, and made much useof it. Inscriptions in large characters are fawourite ornaments; figures of birds,animals, and monsters, are found. The outlines are generally put on in redenamel, the spaces between being often gilt. The enamels are used sometimes asgrounds and sometimes for the ornaments; the tints are blue, green, yellow, red,pale red, and Avliite.

Among the products of the Oriental glass-Avorks may be particularly noticedthe enamelled lamps which were suspended in the mosques, especially in the14th century. \ Lamps of this kind are still to be found in the mosque of SultanHassan (1347-61), at Cairo. One Avith the name of that sultan is in Mr. Magniac’scollection. A specimen, bearing the name of the Emir Sheikhoo, avIio builta mosque at Cairo in 1355, is in the collection (No. 333, Plate VIII.). Other

* Diarium Italicum.

f See Catalogue of TTorks of Art on Loan, 1862, Nos. 4,965-8.