Class XXX.

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OX DESIGN.

730

a choice example of the art, but of the Indian treatment nor enamel interferes with them, and that there is snffi-of dowers as ornament. An enamelled incense-burner of cient motion in the parts to bring tiie light into play onlarge size, and the tlower-vase inserted in the remarks on theirsurface. In mourning ornaments, bracelets, brooches,pottery (p. 1(345), both from China , and exhibited by &c., M. Meurice has shown himself a skilful artist; here,Mr. Alcock(p. 1418), are beautiful and choice productions indeed, the fancy of the French art-workmen has fuliin this art. scope, and in such smaller works in metal as cane-heads,

If we can allow such works as testimonials, racing-cups, seal-handles, buttons, snuff-boxes, &c., the most delicatecentrepieces, and others of tiie like character, to be given workmauship is found combined with artist-like designup to the treatment of the artist, there is still a large num- and pleasing inventions, both by this exhibitor and in theber of other articles in the precious metals and their repre- articles displayed by Kudolphi (France , 1465, p. 1246),sentatives having a defined purpose as utensils, and strictly : Gueyton (France , 1619), and others. It only remainsdevoted to a use, which must belong to the domain of the to remark upon some of the works for domestic useornamental designer, and be subject to all the laws of his exhibited in this Class which have not already beenart. Of these, utility should be the first consideration, spoken of or alluded to. One of the choicest works of

They should be composed on geometrical forms and havea symmetrical construction. Capacity and mobility, inmost cases, will have to be regarded, in connexion withproper stability and solidity: and it should be rememberedthat, as domestic utensils , they are not to be placed underglass shades, and therefore will require constant cleansingand polishing, and that, not at the hands of the silversmith,but of the butler or his assistant. This alone ought greatlyto regulate the treatment of surface, which should be suchas will best display the beauties of the metal, and yet notrender it liable to injury under such cleansing. Thenagain, it is usual to make the haudles and knobs points ofornamentation, and this not improperly ; but it should notbe forgotten that they are to be grasped for lifting, andshould be convenient for that purpose. And neither inthese, nor, indeed, in any other part of the ornamentation,should the relief be so bold, or project so far, as to beliable to accident or entanglement in the use of thearticles. Some of these remarks may seem almost uncalledfor, but are not so: nor are the errors recited confined toEnglish manufactures, but are equally evident in those ofFrance . Thus it is impossible to justify large and floridgroups of dead game, of fish, of fishing utensils, or thelike imitative treatments, as the knobs of dish-covers, orthe handles of tureens; however beautiful in design orexcellently chased, they are not convenient for use; norcan the hand be safely brought in contact with the metallictoes of a pheasant, the tentacular of a lobster, or the twigsof a fish-basket, any more than stags with their branchedantlers can well be laid hold of to remove a venison dish.Faults of this class chiefly arise from the natural orimitative treatment, which has to answer for so large agrowth of errors.

It lias before been remarked that the figures introducedinto the ornament of metal-work are too often merely ap-plied or stuck on, not arising out of the work as a con-structed whole, and this more especially in those workswhich have been usually committed to the skill of theartist; but if not to be tolerated in those works, inobjects of utility they are far more out of place, andornament requires that figures should have an ornamentalconstruction. It cannot be too often repeated, thatimitative trees and foliage, flowers that are like thegrowth of the hothouse electrotyped, and which dangleand shake with every movement, as much almost aswould their prototypes on their natural stems, are notornament, are in the worst possible taste for any usefulpurpose, and have a flimsy and tinsel-like appearance, asmuch beneath the impressive effect in metal of even mereplain surface, as they are wide of any pretensions to fitnessor propriety as works in metal at all. This naturalism isevidently a heresy of the artist’s, and should have noquarter at the hands of the ornamental designer. In thesection devoted to hardware, the treatment of metallicsurface has already been the subject of remark; much ofwhich will apply here also; but in connexion with thisimitative art, it may be remarked that the frosting, whichit renders almost necessary for its display, is even moreopposed to the brilliancy of metal than that oxidation souseful in showing art-treatment.

In jewellery, used for personal adornment, the fancy hasfull play, and the invention need be but slightly curbedby a consideration of use, such works being in their veryintention ornaments; where precious stones are employed,the first object being to display them to the greatest ad-vantage, the designer should be careful that neither gold ■

utility is the tea-service of Eck and Durand (France ,1211, p. 1235), which deserves attention for the architec-tural arrangement of the whole as an harmonious compo-sition, and for the beauty and elegance of the individualforms and their ornamental details ; it is a thorough studyof ornamentation; the figures, where introduced, are per-fectly parts of the composition, and are oxidized to showthe beautiful workmanship employed upon them; theornament is in low relief over the surface generally, andparcels-gilding has been used to give expression wherethe treatment became confused by a little excess. Theplateaus on which the cups, cream-vessels, See., arearranged, are treated with ornament in niello, and everyeffort has been adopted to give variety to the surfacewithout interfering with the general repose of the whole.Constructive use, moreover, has been well considered; thecomposition consists of a raised central urn, from whichthe water flows through several vents into four teapotsarranged below, whilst chalices for sugar, cream-pots, &c.,are grouped lower down in the arrangement, the bottomhaving spaces for the cups designated by circular groupsof ornament in niello; the only difficulty is to conceivehow so massive a piece of plate is to be filled at the topwith hot water, and conveyed into the drawing-room,without discomposing its general arrangement: inaddition to which, it certainly lias the fault of being overornamented, notwithstanding the great care that has beentaken by low relief and otherwise to prevent such an ap-pearance.

The work on the English side which most nearlycorresponds with the last-mentioned is the centrepiece,the property of Ilis Royal Highness Prince Albert, exhi-bited by Messrs. Garrard (Class XXIII., 98, p. 689); thisalso has been designed with a proper sense of architecturalarrangement, and is elegant in its general forms, espe-cially the central tazza, while the low relief ornament onits surface is well considered and in good style; beingentirely treated in gold, it lias a tendency to monotony,counteracted as far as possible by a very judicious use ofburnished surface. The portraits of animals introduced,although very cleverly modelled, do not harmonize withthe general treatment. This collection contains alsosome well-designed salt-cellars, vegetable-dishes, andcandlesticks, whilst even some works in the florid andnearly discarded style of Louis XIV . look almost satisfac-tory, compared with testimonials and racing-cups of thecharacter before alluded to. Messrs. Hunt and Roskell’s(Class XXIII., 97, p. 686), principal centre ornament andplateau exhibits some cleverly-designed figures wellmodelled and with much appropriateness of subject, andit groups well as a composition. Many of the figures inthe round, however, have too much the appearance ofseparate groups placed on the ornament and not formingpart of it, a mode of treating such subjects which must beconsidered objectionable : this firm deserves great praisefor exhibiting the shield and vase of M. A. Vechte.Messrs. Elkington’s (Class XXIII., 1, p. 672) applica-tion of electrotyping to the reproduction of art andornament has been successful as showing its perfectadaptability to this purpose. The “ hours clock-case,”designed and modelled by Mr. John Bell (Class XXII.,641, p. 661), is a good example; it is an artist-like workof much fancy, and is a great improvement upon theworn-out commonplaces which the constant demand forsuch works abroad has occasioned ; it deserves notice as awork of art, but is wanting in the symmetrical and archi-

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