£05
rial ; but others by Mr. Van der Staat, exhibited by theproprietor, Signor Dies pp. 1287, 1288). Among them aresome models of architectural constructions and antiquitiesin fine Sienna marble, and a hollow altar of Orientalalabaster provided with a lamp, and intended to show’ theremarkable translucency of this material. All these areof excellent workmanship.
From Tuscany are exhibited several objects, constructedof the true alabaster, so abundant near Volterra . Amongthese a very beautiful and large vase by Messrs. G. Ciik-mci and Sons (116, p. 1299) is Honourably Mentionedby the Jury, as well for the material as for the treat-ment of the subject and the mechanical execution. Thereis also a pair of large candelabra of brown alabaster exhi-bited by Solaini, of Leghorn .
Among the objects properly belonging to this group,may be mentioned, in conclusion, a bagnivola of lapislazuli, extremely remarkable for its large size, and forthe extreme purity and richness of the colour. For thesereasons it is of great value, but has little beauty of formor excellence of workmanship, it is exhibited by Mr.Jones (Rome, 48, p. 1287), and is considered worthy ofHonourable Mention.
F. Works in Ornamental Stone, Granite ,and Spar.
a. Serpentine , Granite , and Porphyry.
We bring together these materials more for conveniencethan for any marked similarity in the modes of working.The serpentines of England are not harder than thecommoner marbles, and are worked in the same way;whereas the granites are extremely hard, and requirepeculiar treatment. There are not many exhibitors inthese materials.
To Mr. J. Organ, of Penzance, in Cornwall (85, p. 769),a Prize Medal is awarded for his fine aud well-selectedgroup of objects, manufactured in the serpentine of theLizard. The material, employed only by Mr. Organ andone other exhibitor, is an extremely beautiful marble ofmoderate hardness, differing essentially in this respectfrom the serpentine of Italy and Greece . The colour isextremely varied, but that which is commonest and mostadmired is a rich dark olive green, spotted with red, andtraversed with veins, often of the purest white, but some-times of dark crimson. The articles exhibited by Mr.Organ are remarkable for their large size, and the goodtaste they manifest, as well in the style of manufactureas in the selection of the specimen for the kind of work.They include a pair of obelisks, a font, and a chimney-piece, besides vases, and other smaller ornaments.
The exhibitor has the right of quarrying over anextensive district, chiefly occupied by the serpentine:the work is generally pursued in summer. About oneton in four of the rock is of fine quality; the blocks aregenerally small, though they have been obtained 7 feetlong, and from three to five tons weight. A verybeautiful and large specimen, partly polished, is exhi-bited outside the western end of the Building. It maybe well to state that the cost per ton is from 5/. to 10/.,according to weight, and the price of slabs 1^ inchthick, and not exceeding 5 feet long, is 6s. per superficialfoot from the saw, and 12s. per foot moulded and polished.
Mr. W. Pearce, of Truro (75, p. 768), is ail exhibitorof various objects manufactured from the serpentine ofthe Lizard, from steatite, also from the Lizard, and fromthe fine granite from Lamorna, Withiel, Luxulian, andother places in Cornwall . The whole group is of remark-able excellence, and the Jury have awarded a PrizeMedal to the exhibitor.
The steatites of the Lizard differ little from the serpen-tines in their essential components, both being silicates ofmagnesia; although the former contain a larger pro-portion of silica, and the latter much more water ofconsolidation. Both minerals vary, however, much incomposition, when in a massive state, and probably passinto each other in the Lizard rock. The serpentine ismuch harder than steatite, and is generally more richlycoloured, so that the latter, although often beautiful, isbetter adapted for smaller objects than the former, which,
| when in large blocks, lias a ricli and noble effect. Many; of the small articles by this exhibitor, manufactured of1 steatite, are well worthy of notice.*
! Mr. Pearce also exhibits several pedestals, a large slab,
! and a chimney-piece of granite, and pedestals of porphyry,j The style of the chimney-piece is heavy and massive, butI not unsuited to the material; and it’s workmanship is; decidedly good. The difficulties in bringing granite andporphyry to a perfectly plane surface without the lathe,have been very successfully overcome in the case of theslab or table-top, which is of large dimensions, amii exhibits no flaws, and no imperfections of work.
! Mr. J. II. Meredith, of Fowey (Class L, 141, p. 136),
! exhibits three noble slabs of Cornish porphyry, one black,
I another red, and the third green; all of fine quality, and| polished on both sides. The largest, which is of a finei red colour, took nearly four months to complete, thej cutting being done by machinery, and the work going on
■ night and day. It is absolutely without flaw or defect,
' and weighs about 8 cwt. The material is so beautiful,
! and the work so excellent, that the Jury have no hesi-tation in awarding a Prize Medal to this exhibitor.
The quarries from which these fine specimens ofCornish porphyry are obtained were first worked byMr. J. T. Treffry, of Place, who commenced the erectionof a hall, in which the various specimens are exhibited,and who greatly exerted himself to introduce the use ofthis material for decorative internal work, and for the, Fine Arts.
| The only exhibitors of Scotch granite in articles of any! magnitude are Messrs. Macdonald and Leslie, ofi Aberdeen (74, p. 7681, who have sent two vases, ai pedestal, and a noble slab for a table-top. The Aberdeen: granite differs from the Cornish, in being for tlie most| part finer grained, and of a peculiar flesh tint. The spe-j cimens here exhibited are of the finest kind, and theirj workmanship is unrivalled. They are also in good taste,j and although the material is not without flaw, this maybe excused, when the large dimensions of the differentI objects and the rarity of perfect blocks are taken intot consideration. To these exhibitors a Prize Medal isj awarded.
1 There are one or two exhibitors of granite manu-factured into articles of small size, and almost partakingof the nature of jewellery. Such arc Mr. G. Jamieson,of Aberdeen (Class I., 25, p. 123), Messrs. Betties audSons, of Aberdeen (Class XXIII., 24, p. 625), and Messrs.Ellis and Son, of Exeter (Class XXIII., 12, p. 674),the former of whom show some elegant forms sculptured
■ in Aberdeen granite, and the latter, knife-handles in| similar material from Devonshire.
| Of foreign porphyries there are few examples in theExhibition, but amongst these we may mention a table,small column, and tazza, exhibited by Mr. Cantian, ofBerlin (Prussia, 235, p. 1061), with some marbles alsot worthy of notice. The table is a round slab of redj colour, and fine texture, and the tazza-vase and pedestali are of the same material. They are all well-finished and; creditable specimens, whether as regards material or exe-; cution. They are accompanied by a small column ofj polished garnet rock of very singular appearance. TheJury have awarded a Prize Medal to this exhibitor.
| In the Scandinavian compartment there are several! objects constructed of a very hard sycnitic porphyry,
: found in detached boulders (erratic blocks) in various' parts of Sweden, and also in situ in Norway . Of these,i that numbered 43 (p. 1352) is from the Hjula quarry, inj Norwaj', and is of a greyish-red material, probably rare.
I The Jury have awarded Honourable Mention to theI Swedish porphyry work generally, including not onlyI this vase, but another exhibited by Mr. Wallis (47,
: p. 1353).t
* The articles here described are constructed of themore ornamental specimens of steatite, and are highly• polished. Those previously alluded to (p. 559) are for! economic purposes and are left rough. The material slightlyj differs also in composition.
I f 1 ?1 the early part of the month of September, and afterthe awards of the Jury had been finally determined on, a