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remarkable merit, and deserve very Special and Honour-able Mention.
In the French Department of this Class the Jury needhardly state, that they have unanimously assigned thefirst place to the Sevres Manufactory , and have recom-mended the Council Medal to be awarded to its produc-tions. They must, however, again explain, that the lightin which these ought to be regarded is wholly differentfrom that in which the productions of commercial industryand enterprise are viewed. Their position is analogous tothat of articles produced in a school of design; and inthe French expositions they have never been allowed tocome into competition witli the ordinary products ofprivate enterprise. There is no reference to cheapness ofproduction. The manufactory is maintained by a largeannual grant from the public funds, and the sale of itsproducts, though the prices are very high, is so far frombeing successful, in a commercial point of view, that theresult is a large annual loss. The articles arc, for themost part, purely decorative. But considered as a schoolof desigu, which is not to follow but to guide the publictaste, the importance of the Sevres manufactory can hardlybe too highly estimated. Its iutiuence has extended overthe whole of Europe , and a large proportion of the mostbeautiful forms and styles of decoration, which are ex-hibited in the English and other departments of this Class,are derived either by direct imitation, or by slight modi-fication, from the old productions of the Sbvres school.The Jury are not prepared to say that the articles exhi-bited from Sfcvres are equal, either as regards variety orexcellence, to those which were sent forth from the sameestablishment at a former period, and on which its tra-ditionary fame is principally founded: but without anyattempt at the mere imitation of its own old forms, it stillproduces wares of admirable texture and workmanship,and equally remarkable for great refinement and purityof taste, both as regards form and decoration. It is to beobserved, however, that in respect to texture, extremelightness and fineness are incompatible with the strengthrequisite for domestic use, however beautiful for merelyornamental China . The Jury may specify in the Sfevresdepartment several large vases,—one or two of unusuallylarge size,—which are all remarkable for beauty of form,and some of them for flower-painting, of admirable fresh-ness and force. A large tazza, of fine blue, mounted iuor-molu, is extremely handsome. As a work of pureceramic art perhaps no single article is so remarkable as(16) a Celadon green vase, with white figures iu relief,manipulated in a novel aud peculiar manner by the pencil.The handles are also of porcelain, the whole derivingno adventitious attraction from or-molu or gilding. TheJury also observed a beautiful adaptation of a cinque-cento form to a porcelain tazza, in white and gold; alsoa large plate or slab of porcelain for picture-painting, re-markable for great size, combined with truth of surface.Two perforated porcelain lanterns are worthy of SpecialMention for very elaborate and accurate execution. Somearticles are exhibited with painting of figures (in Pompeianstyle), executed on an unglazed body, which produces anovel and agreeable effect. There are also two vases andcovers, and a large tazza finely painted with figures in asubdued shade of blue, which are very beautiful.
MM. Jouiianneaud and Dubois, Limoges (1630,p. 1255), are exhibitors to whom the Jury have had greatpleasure in awarding a Prize Medal. Articles in porce-lain, of great size, good design, accurate execution, areamong their productions. In particular, the Jury wouldrefer to a stork vase, in which the birds are modelled withgreat boldness aud effect, as also the green foliage. Thewhite ground is of excellent colour and glaze, and thewhole result most agreeable. Some large white perforatedbottles and a white and Celadon green vase, with leavesof bleu-de-roi, &c., are objects well deserving specialnotice. Altogether much taste and spirit distinguish theseexhibitors.
Le Baron A. Du Tremblay, Rubefies, near Mrfun(395, p. 1197), exhibits a series of articles equally remark-able for cheapness, for novel and agreeable effect, and forthe ingenuity of the process by which that effect isattained. It is called “ email ombrant,” and consists in
flooding coloured but transparent glazes over designsstamped in the body of the ware. A plane surface isthus produced, in which the cavities of the stamped de-sign appear as shadows of various depths, the parts iuhighest relief coming nearest the surface of the glaze, andthus having the effect of the lights of the picture. Muchtaste is evinced iu the selection of designs to which theprocess has been applied; and perhaps there is no otheriu the ceramic art by which, at so cheap a rate, designs ofhigh artistic merit can be reproduced in the most harmo-nious tinting, for dessert or table services, and for otheruseful domestic purposes. The Jury have awarded toBaron Du Tremblay a Prize Medal.
Gille, J. M., Porcelain Manufacturer, Paris (848,p. 1220), exhibits a variety of articles of fancy porcelain,which show taste and skill in the management of thematerial. Some statuettes, birds, &c., are executed withgreat delicacy and sharpness. The Jury have awarded aPrize Medal to this exhibitor.
M. de Bkttignies, St. Ainand les Eaux, near Valen ciennes (1086, p. 1230).—This manufactory is remarkablefor keeping up the old “ pate tendre,” which was socelebrated a product of Sevres during a part of theeighteenth century ; and this and the neighbouring manu-factory of Tournay , in Belgium , are now the only two inEurope which maintain this particular kind of body.Much improvement has lately been effected by M. deBettiguies in the colouring and decoration of this ware;and specimens are exhibited, especially some vases ofturquoise blue, which fully deserve, in the opinion of theJury, the award of a Prize Medal.
M. Mansard, Paris (1342, p. 1240), is an exhibitorwhose potlerie <}rise is excellent in its forms. There is anenamelled vase which is deserving of particular notice,and the Jury have awarded a Prize Medal.
Bapterosses, J. F., Rue de la Muette, Paris (4oy,p. 1197,, exhibits buttons made by a process equallyeffective and ingenious, described in the earlier part ofthis Report, by which an importance has been given tothis branch of ceramic manufacture, which could not haveotherwise attached to it. The Jury have had no hesitationin awarding a Prize Medal to M. Bapterosses, and SpecialCommendation.
The Jury have also awarded Prize Medals to thefollowing Exhibitors:—
Basto, Pinto, and Co. (Portugal , 1047 and 1108,p. 1317).
Copenhagen , The Royal Porcelain Manufactory at(33, p. 1357).
Madras Pottery, The (p. 921).
St. Petersburg, The Imperial China Manufactoryat (318, p. 1376).
Strahl, Otto (Prussia, 206, p. 1059).
Vii.lf.roy and Boch (Prussia, 361, p. 1071).
Ziegler-Pellis, (Switzerland 2C0, p. 1283), terra-cotta,deserves Honourable Mention.
Besides these Exhibitors, the following names in theFrench Department have beeu thought deserving of SpecialMention:—H. I. Nast (659, p. 1209); Alluaud, seu.(1051, p. 1229); E. (Ignore (877, p. 1221); C. Avisseau(1543, p. 1250); J. Petit (1G29, p. 1255); and Gorsas and Pkrier (1253, p. 1237).
Austria .— The Imperial Porcelain Manufactory ofVienna (615, p. 1038), has exhibited a series of articlesfor table-services, of different kinds, flower-baskets, atable painted with shells, corals, &e., &e., which havecertain merits, and the Jury have agreed to award a PrizeMedal.
Fischer, Moritz, Hungary (618, p. 1038\ exhibits por-celain articles of table-ware, embossed with white andgold, and with other patterns. The texture and colour ofthe white are good, and the Jury have awarded a PrizeMedal.
The Jury also considered, in the Austrian Department,the Messrs. Haidinger Brothers, Ellbagen, Bohemia (620, p. 1039) as deserving Honourable Meutiou; as alsoC. Fischer, Bohemia (G17, p. 1038 l
In the Department of the Zollverein , the Royal Porce lain Manufactory at Berlin (Prussia, 213, p. 10C0),exhibits a variety of articles, of which the chief merit