,,south ,,kensington ,,museum ,,art ,,handbooks4 ,,edited ,,by ,,william ,,maskell4 ,no4 #d4--,,maiolica4 ,these ,handbooks are reprints of the dissertations prefixed to the large catalogues of the chief divisions of works of art in the ,museum at ,south ,kensington2 arranged and so far abridged as to bring each into a portable shape4 ,the ,lords of the ,committee of ,council on ,education having determined on the publication of them1 the editor trusts that they will meet the purpose intended2 namely1 to be useful1 not alone for the collections at ,south ,kensington but for other collections1 by enabling the public at a trifling cost to understand something of the history and character of the subjects treated of4 ,the authorities referred to in each book are given in the large catalogues2 where will also be found detailed descriptions of the very numerous examples in the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,w4 ,m4 ,august1 #ahge4 ,,maiolica ,,by ,c4 ,,drury ,e4 ,,fortnum1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,,with ,,numerous ,,woodcuts4 ,illustration ,published for the ,committee of ,council on ,education ,,by ,,scribner1 ,,welford1 ,,and ,,armstrong1 ,,new ,,york4 #ahgf4 ,,list ,,of ,,woodcuts4 ,,page ,persian wall tile #g ,damascus plate #ac ,hispano-moresque vase #ae ,rhodian plate #af ,vase with imitative ,arabic inscription #ag ,fragment of ,damascus vase1 from ,pisa #ai ,siculo-moresque bowl #bj ,tondo by ,luca della ,robbia #be ,betrothal deep plate1 ,gubbio #cj ,plateau1 with portrait1 ,pesaro 787 #ca ,sgraffiato circular dish #cc ,vase1 ,gubbio 787 #ch ,dish or plateau1 ,urbino #dj ,circular dish1 ,urbino #da ,plate1 a maiolica painter #dd ,florentine mark #dh ,vases1 c41 from the manuscript of ,piccolpasso #ec ,dish1 with portrait #fd ,ancient ,persian plate #fh ,rhodian shallow bowl #gj ,damascus marks #ga ,plateau1 ,malaga 787 #gh 8 ,spanish #ha ,dish1 ,valencia #hb ,hispano-moresque marks #hc ,inscription on a vase #hd ,sgraffiato bowl #hg ,plateau1 early ,tuscan 787 #ij ,tazza plate1 ,caffaggiolo #ia ,plate1 ,caffaggiolo #ia ,ewer1 or large pitcher #ic ,vase1 ,caffaggiolo #ie ,drug-vase1 ,siena #ig ,plate1 ,siena #ih ,plate1 by ,maestro ,benedetto #ih ,mark of ,benedetto #ii ,mark on ,mr4 ,henderson's dish #ii ,mark on dish in ,htel ,cluny #aja ,bacile on dish1 with portrait #aje 8 incredulity of ,st4 ,thomas #ajg ,pesaro inscription #aji ,vase1 ,gubbio #aab ,dish1 two horsemen #aac ,plaque1 ,st4 ,sebastian #aaf ,bowl #aag ,tazza or bowl #aag ,deep tazza1 ,hercules and ,antus #abj ,plateau #aba ,mark 7probably of ,giorgio7 with paraphe #abb ,marks on a plate in the ,british museum #abc ,small tazza1 8the stream of life0 #abd ,fac-simile of ,giorgio's mark #abe ,plate1 ,castel ,durante #abi ,vase 8 8 #aca ,mark1 ,castel ,durante #acb ,tondino 8 8 #acc ,fruttiera 8 8 #acc ,shallow basin 8 #acd ,dish1 with portrait of ,perugino #ace ,mark and inscription of ,nicola da ,urbino #aci ,mark1 c41 of ,guido #adb ,pilgrim's bottle1 ,urbino #adc ,mark of ,francesco ,durantino #aea ,dish1 with ,cupids1 ,diruta #aef ,fabriano mark #aeg ,another #aeh ,viterbo1 part of a border #aei ,inscription on a ,roman vase #afa ,mark and date on a ,faenza plate #afe ,plate1 ,faenza #afg ,mark on the same plate #afg ,plate1 ,faenza #afh ,inscription1 ,baldasara ,manara #afi ,monogram of ,f4 ,r4 #agj ,tazza1 ,faenza #aga ,plate1 ,forl #age ,inscription1 with portrait-heads #agf ,vase1 ,ferrara #agh ,plateau1 ,venice #ahb 8 ,venice #ahd ,vase1 uncertain fabrique #ahe ,dish1 ,tuscan 787 #ahf ,,maiolica4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,it is right1 first1 to explain that in this dissertation we shall make constant use of two or three words borrowed from foreign languages2 one is botega or bottega1 implying something between a workshop and an artist's studio1 which it would be difficult to express by a single ,english word3 another is fabrique1 meaning the private establishment of a master potter of that day1 the idea of which cannot be so well conveyed by factory1 pottery1 or studio 7itself an imported word71 all of which are therein combined and modified4 ,the history of pottery and its manufacture is a subject of great extent2 because from a very early period of human existence1 known to us only by the tangible memorials of primitive inhabitants1 the potter's art appears to have been practised4 ,at first the vessels were of coarse clay1 rude and sun-dried or ill-baked1 and occasionally ornamented with concentric and transverse scratches2 from which state they gradually developed to the exquisite forms and decoration of the ,greek pottery2 but it would seem that however universal the production of vessels of baked clay1 the art of applying to them a vitreous covering or glaze was an invention which emanated from the east1 from ,india or ,egypt1 ,assyria or ,babylon4 ,on this point ,dr4 ,birch1 in the introduction to his erudite work on ancient pottery1 says3 8,the desire of rendering terra-cotta less porous1 and of producing vessels capable of retaining liquids1 gave rise to the covering of it with a vitreous enamel or glaze4 ,the invention of glass has hitherto been generally attributed to the ,phnicians2 but opaque glasses or enamels as old as the eighteenth dynasty1 and enamelled objects as early as the fourth1 have been found in ,egypt4 ,the employment of copper to produce a brilliant blue coloured enamel was very early1 both in ,babylonia and ,assyria2 but the use of tin for a white enamel1 as recently discovered in the enamelled bricks and vases of ,babylonia and ,assyria1 anticipated1 by many centuries1 the re-discovery of that process in ,europe in the fifteenth century1 and shows the early application of metallic oxides4 ,this invention apparently remained for many centuries a secret among the eastern nations only1 enamelled terra-cotta and glass forming articles of commercial export from ,egypt and ,phnicia to every part of the ,mediterranean4 ,among the ,egyptians and ,assyrians enamelling was used more frequently than glazing1 and their works are consequently a kind of fayence1 consisting of a loose frit or body1 to which an enamel adheres1 after only a slight fusion4 ,after the fall of the ,roman empire the art of enamelling terra-cotta disappeared among the ,arab and ,moorish races1 who had retained a traditional knowledge of the process4 ,the application of a transparent vitreous coating or glaze over the entire surface1 like the varnish of a picture1 is also referable to a high antiquity1 and was universally adopted1 either to enhance the beauty of single colours or to promote the combination of many4 ,innumerable fragments and remains of glazed vases1 fabricated by the ,greeks and ,romans1 not only prove the early use of glazing1 but also exhibit in the present day many of the noblest efforts of the potter's art40 ,it is true that on the ,greek1 ,etruscan1 and ,roman pottery a subdued and hardly apparent glazing was applied to the surface of the pieces1 but it is so slight as to leave a barely appreciable effect upon the eye1 beyond that which might be produced by a mechanical polish1 and so thinly laid on as almost to defy attempts at proving its nature by chemical investigation2 it is1 however1 supposed to have been produced by a dilute aluminous soda glass1 without any trace of lead in its composition1 the greater portion of which was absorbed into the substance of the piece1 thereby increasing its hardness and leaving only a faint polish on the surface of the ware4 ,in ,egypt and the east the use of a distinct glaze 7invetriatura of the ,italians71 covering the otherwise more porous substance of the vessel1 appears to have been known and to have arrived at great perfection at a very remote period4 ,it was in fact a superior ware1 equivalent to the porcelain of our days1 and from the technical excellence of some of the smaller pieces has been frequently1 but wrongly1 so called4 ,it will perhaps be as well1 before entering further into the consideration of the subject1 to define and arrange the objects of our attention under general heads4 ,pottery 7,fayence1 ,terraglia71 as distinct from porcelain1 is formed of potter's clay mixed with marl of argillaceous and calcareous nature1 and sand1 variously proportioned1 and may be classed under two divisions3 ,soft 7,fayence pte tendre71 and ,hard 7,fayence pte dure71 according to the nature of the composition or the degree of heat under which it has been fired in the kiln4 ,what is known generally in ,england as earthenware is soft1 while stone ware1 queen's ware1 c4 are hard4 ,the characteristics of the soft wares are a paste1 or body1 which may be scratched with a knife or file1 and fusibility1 generally1 at the heat of a porcelain furnace4 ,these soft wares may be again divided into four subdivisions3 unglazed1 lustrous1 glazed1 and enamelled4 ,among the three first of these subdivisions may be arranged almost all the ancient pottery of ,egypt1 ,greece1 ,etruria1 and ,rome2 as also the larger portion of that in general use among all nations during medival and modern times4 ,we shall be occupied with the glazed and enamelled wares3 the first of which may be again divided into siliceous or glass glazed1 and plumbeous or lead glazed4 ,in these subdivisions the foundation is in all cases the same4 ,the mixed clay or 8paste0 or 8body0 7varied in composition according to the nature of the glaze to be superimposed7 is formed by the hand1 or on the wheel1 or impressed into moulds2 then slowly dried and baked in a furnace or stove1 after which1 on cooling1 it is in a state to receive the glaze4 ,this is prepared by fusing sand or other siliceous material with potash or soda to form a translucent glass1 the composition1 in the main1 of the glaze upon siliceous wares4 ,the addition of a varying but considerable quantity of the oxide of lead1 by which it is rendered more easily fusible but still translucent1 constitutes the glaze of plumbeous wares3 and the further addition of the oxide of tin produces an enamel of an opaque white of great purity1 which is the characteristic glazing of stanniferous or tin-glazed wares4 ,in every case the vitreous substance is reduced to the finest powder by mechanical and other means1 being milled with water to the consistency of cream2 into this the dry and absorbent baked piece is dipped and withdrawn1 leaving a coating of the material of the bath adhering to its surface4 ,a second firing1 when quite dry1 fuses this coating into a glazed surface on the piece1 rendering it lustrous and impermeable to liquids4 ,the two former of these glazes may be variously coloured by the admixture of metallic oxides1 as copper for green1 iron for yellow1 c42 but they are nevertheless translucent1 and show the natural colour of the baked clay beneath4 ,,vitreous ,,or ,,glass-,,glazed ,,wares4 ,the vitreous1 silico-alcaline or glass-glazed wares1 were of very ancient date and in all probability had their origin in the east1 in ,egypt1 or ,india1 or ,phnicia2 indeed the discovery of glass1 which has always been attributed to the latter country1 would soon direct the potter's attention to a mode of covering his porous vessel of baked earth with a coating of the new material2 but the ordinary baked clay would not take or hold the glaze1 which rose in bubbles and scaled off1 refusing to adhere to the surface1 and it became necessary to form the pieces of a mixed material1 consisting of much siliceous sand1 some aluminous earth1 and probably a small portion of alcali1 thus rendering it of a nature approximating to that of the glaze1 and to which the latter firmly adhered4 ,in some instances1 on the finer examples which may probably have been exposed to a higher temperature in the oven1 the glaze and the body of the piece have become so incorporated as to produce a semi-translucent substance1 analogous to some artificial porcelains4 ,in its nature this glaze is translucent1 and accordingly we find that when ornamented with designs1 they are executed directly on the 8biscuit0 or unglazed surface of the piece1 which then receives its vitreous covering through which they are apparent4 ,by means of an oxide of copper the exquisite turquoise blue of ancient ,egypt1 8scarcely rivalled after thirty centuries of human experience10 was produced4 ,the green colour was1 perhaps1 given by means of another oxide of the same metal2 violet by manganese or gold1 yellow by silver or perhaps by iron1 and the rarer red perhaps by the protoxide of copper4 ,we also find that bricks and vases of similar glazing1 brought to its greatest perfection in ,egypt1 were made by the ,babylonians and ,assyrians4 ,throughout ,babylonia the sites of ancient buildings afford fragments of glazed pottery4 ,the glaze of those brought from ,borsippa by the abb ,beauchamp1 in #agij1 was analysed and found to contain neither the oxides of lead nor tin1 but to be an alcaline silicate with alumina1 coloured by metallic oxides4 ,a more recent analysis of ,assyrian examples shows that with a base of silicate of soda or soda glass and oxide of tin the opaque white has been produced1 being the earliest recorded example of 8enamelled0 ware4 ,a small quantity of oxide of lead was also found in the blue glaze on tiles from ,babylonia4 ,at ,warka1 probably the ancient ,ur of the ,chaldees1 ,mr4 ,loftus discovered numerous coffins or sarcophagi1 piled one upon another to the height of forty-five feet1 of peculiar form1 and made of terra-cotta glazed with a siliceous glaze of bluish-green colour4 ,they are formed somewhat like a shoe1 an opening being left at the upper and wider end for the insertion of the body1 and closed by an oval lid which1 as well as the upper part of the coffin1 is ornamented with figures and plants in relief4 ,they are supposed to be of the ,sassanian period4 ,the metallic lustre in decoration was applied1 apparently at an early time1 to pottery glazed with a siliceous coating1 and appears to have established itself in ,persia4 ,on specimens from ,arabia it is also found1 and its use in combination with this glaze may possibly have preceded the manufacture of lustred wares coated with the stanniferous enamel1 by the eastern potters of the ,balearic islands1 ,spain1 and ,sicily4 ,in northern ,india1 at ,sind1 and in ,persia1 wares are made at the present day of precisely the same character as the ancient pottery under consideration4 ,pieces from the former locality1 which were exhibited at the ,international ,exhibition of #ahga1 are composed of a sandy argillaceous frit1 ornamented with pattern in cobalt blue beneath a siliceous glaze4 ,indeed their agreement in technical character with some of the pottery of the ancient ,egyptians and ,assyrians1 and with that produced in ,syria and ,persia during the fourteenth1 fifteenth1 and sixteenth centuries1 is most remarkable4 ,persia also now produces inferior wares of the same class1 specimens of which1 as well as some of those from ,india1 are preserved in the ,south ,kensington museum3 the engraving on the opposite page represents a wall tile 7no4 #fbc7 of the seventeenth century4 ,we thus see how widely spread1 and at how early a period1 the use of this most ancient mode of glazing was established and brought to perfection4 ,it was the parent of all those wares now known as ,persian1 ,damascus1 ,rhodian1 or ,lindus4 ,,plumbeous1 ,,or ,,lead ,,glazed ,,wares4 ,the silico-plumbeous or lead-glazed wares were for many ages and still are the most common1 and1 in ,europe1 the most widely spread class of pottery3 indeed1 throughout the northern and western countries lead1 in combination with glass1 seems to have ,illustration been the earliest and until the fifteenth century the only means known of glazing soft pottery4 ,we have seen that a certain amount of lead has been found in some of the blue coloured glazes of ,babylonia1 and 7says ,dr4 ,percy7 8probably employed as a flux20 if so1 this might have been the spring of its general adoption for the purpose of producing a more easily fusible and therefore a more ready and more manageable coating2 but in the east it does not seem to have supplanted the more elegant and purer siliceous glaze4 ,fragments of ,grco-,roman pottery from ,tarsus1 lamps from the neighbourhood of ,naples1 and other examples of a highly glazed pottery from various antique sites which have all the appearance of a plumbeous composition1 are preserved in many collections1 as at the ,louvre1 ,naples1 the ,british museum1 c4 ,the paste of which these examples are formed is to all appearance an ordinary potter's clay1 generally of a buff colour1 and in no way similar in character to that of the ,egyptian or ,assyrian wares1 glazed with a true glass4 ,the adhesion of the vitreous coating to the surface1 and its perfect adaptability to the irregularities of the shaped and moulded pieces1 prove its affinity for the paste of which they are made1 and indirectly that its composition is not the same as that of the ,egyptian or ,assyrian glaze4 ,it is worthy of remark that nearly all these specimens are found in the south of ,europe1 examples rarely occurring even at ,rome2 and1 indeed1 it is not improbable that the use of this glaze had hardly been adopted by the artistic potters before their art1 together with all others1 had degenerated under the ,lower ,empire4 ,the superabundance of the precious metals and other rich material1 more appreciated by the powerful than the priceless treasures which art had formed from common clay1 and which had been the delight of a more refined state of society1 led finally to a total neglect of the higher branches of ceramic manufacture4 ,it is not unlikely that plumbeous glaze may have been introduced by ,greek or oriental potters into southern ,italy4 ,we learn from the monk ,theophilus that the art of decorating fictile vessels with vitreous colours was practised by the ,byzantine ,greeks1 who would have carried it there4 ,this statement1 in all probability1 refers to the lead glazed wares and not to the tin enamel1 the former of which1 as we have seen1 was known earlier than his time to the potters of ,tarsus1 ,pompeii1 c41 and it is reasonable to believe that the art may have been preserved in ,byzantium when lost1 or nearly lost1 in ,italy4 ,perhaps1 in combination with incised ornament the use of this glaze never ceased in that country from the eighth and ninth centuries until the introduction or discovery of the stanniferous enamel in the fifteenth century2 and we find that the earliest glazed wares of that country1 the sgraffiati1 the painted1 and the mezza maiolica wares1 are covered with this description of vitreous surface4 ,in the eleventh century churches built in various places were decorated with discs and 8ciotole0 of glazed and painted terra-cotta4 ,the researches of the abb ,cochet at ,bouteilles have shown that glazed pottery was in use in the north of ,france in the ,anglo-norman period of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries1 or perhaps even in earlier time4 ,examples of glazed and painted tiles of the fourteenth century are preserved in the ,british museum4 ,as before stated1 this glaze is composed of silica with varying proportions of potash or soda and of oxide of lead1 by which addition it is rendered more easily fusible but remains transparent4 ,to obtain a white surface was1 however1 desirable1 the colour of the paste beneath the glaze being generally of a dull red or buff and ill-adapted as a ground for the display of coloured ornamentation4 ,to supply this want1 before the invention of the tin enamel1 an intervening process was adopted4 ,a white argillaceous earth of the nature of pipeclay was purified and milled with water1 and thus applied over the coarser surface of the piece in the same manner as the glaze3 again dried1 or slightly fixed by fire1 it was ready to receive the translucent coat through which the white 8slip0 or 8engobe0 became apparent4 ,it is easy to conceive that by scratching a design or pattern through this white applied surface to the darker clay beneath1 before fixing in the fire1 a ready mode of decoration presented itself without the use of colour1 to be covered with but visible through the glaze2 hence the early incised or 8sgraffiato0 ware1 one of the primitive modes of decorating glazed pottery4 ,passeri states that pottery works existed from remote periods in the neighbourhood of ,pesaro1 as proved by remains of furnaces and fragments of ,roman time and tiles with the stamp of ,theodoric2 that during the dark ages the manufacture was neglected1 but that it revived after #acjj1 and that it then became the fashion in that city to adorn the church towers and faades with discs and 8bacini0 of coloured and glazed earthenware2 a practice which had been in use at ,pisa and other cities as early as the eleventh century4 ,the origin of this custom has been much discussed2 and the reader will find an account of it in the introduction to the detailed catalogue of ,maiolica in the ,south ,kensington collection4 ,occasionally1 or rather frequently1 circular and square slabs of porphyry and serpentine were used on the same building1 concurrently with the glazed earthenware1 as on the tower of ,sta4 ,maria ,maggiore at ,rome2 and1 indeed1 this mode of enrichment attached to the architecture of the #aath1 #abth1 and #acth centuries is in accordance with that produced by the enamelled discs and inlaid stones on processional crosses and church plate of the same period4 ,the only instance1 observed by the writer1 of the occurrence of these 8bacini0 of glazed ware in domestic architecture is seen over the windows of the palazzo ,fava in ,bologna4 ,this style of decoration ceased entirely during the course of the fourteenth century4 ,passeri instances the use of glaze on tiles upon a tomb in ,bologna1 opposite the church of ,s4 ,domenico1 dated about #aajj2 and he further states1 but we know not upon what authority1 that it was about the year #acjj that the method of covering the clay with a 8slip0 or 8engobe0 of white earth1 or the coarser earth of ,verona1 was first adopted4 ,slightly baked1 it was glazed with 8marzacotto0 7oxide of lead and glass71 applied wet and again fired2 and this glaze was variously coloured yellow1 green1 black1 and blue1 by iron1 copper1 manganese1 and cobalt4 ,a similar method of coating the rough and porous baked clay seems to have been known also at a very early period in the north of ,europe1 and to have been in use throughout ,france1 ,germany1 and ,england4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,enamelled ,,or ,,stanniferous ,,glazed ,,wares4 ,it was found that by the addition of a certain portion of the oxide of tin to the composition of glass and oxide of lead the character of the glaze entirely alters4 ,instead of being translucent it becomes1 on fusion1 an opaque and beautifully white enamel1 the intervening process of covering the surface of the clay with a stratum of white earth before glazing being unnecessary4 ,it1 moreover1 was found to afford a better ground for the application of coloured ornament4 ,the process of application was the same as for the 8slip20 after immersion in the enamel bath1 and subsequent drying1 the painting is applied upon the absorbent surface2 the piece being then subjected to the fire which1 at one application1 fixes the colours and liquifies the glaze4 ,this 8enamelled0 pottery 7maille7 is by far the more important group of the glazed wares1 being susceptible of decoration by the lustre pigments1 as well as by painting in colours of great delicacy2 and it comprises the ,hispano-moresque1 the real ,maiolica1 and the perfected earthenware of ,italy and other countries4 ,it is true that the first trace of the application of oxide of tin to produce a white opaque glazed surface is to be met with upon ,babylonian or ,assyrian bricks1 but we are disposed to think that it was then merely used as a pigment to produce a white colour1 and not as an application to pottery for the production of a white opaque glaze capable of receiving coloured enrichment by painting in other pigments4 ,a corroboration of this opinion would seem to exist in the fact that throughout ,asia ,minor1 ,syria1 ,persia1 and ,egypt1 a purely stanniferous glaze on pottery has never been generally adopted1 or taken the place of that simple and beautiful siliceous coating1 so dexterously applied and with such richness of effect upon the ,persian and ,damascus earthenware4 ,engraved is an example of an early ,damascus plate 7no4 #feij71 at ,south ,illustration ,kensington4 ,perhaps isolated and lying dormant in remote localities for centuries1 its use may have been learned by the ,arabs1 for its next appearance is upon fragments of tiling apparently of their manufacture or fashioned under their influence4 ,how the knowledge of this enamel travelled1 when and where it was first used1 and to what extent applied1 is still doubtful4 ,we meet with an occasional fragment generally upon mural decoration of uncertain date on various ,arab sites1 till at length it becomes palpably appreciable in the ,moorish potteries of ,spain and of the ,balearic islands4 ,the baron ,j4 ,ch4 ,davillier1 in his excellent work on pottery1 states that he has not been able to discover any piece which could reasonably be ascribed to a date anterior to the fourteenth century1 some two hundred years after the expulsion of the ,saracens from ,spain4 ,in ,valencia1 however1 anterior to its conquest by ,jayme ,i4 of ,arragon in #abci1 potteries had been long established1 and were of such importance that that monarch felt himself bound to protect the ,moorish potters of ,xativa 7,san ,filippo7 by a special edict4 ,we must bear in mind that there were two periods of ,mahommedan sway in ,spain1 the first on the expulsion of the ,gothic monarchy by the ,arabs and the establishment of the ,caliphate at ,cordova1 in the eighth century4 ,of the ceramic productions of this early period we have no accurate knowledge1 but we should expect to find them of similar character to the siliceous glazed wares prevalent in the east4 ,the second period is after an interval of five centuries1 in #abce1 when the ,moors founded the kingdom of ,granada1 having driven out the ,arabs4 ,then first appear the wares usually known as ,hispano-moresque1 like the fine vase 7engraved7 no4 #hifh1 at ,south ,kensington2 for we find the tiles of the ,alhambra dating about #acjj1 the ,alhambra vase about #acbj1 and continuous abundant examples of tin glazed wares of ,moorish origin1 until the period of the conquest of the country by ,ferdinand and ,isabella2 after which the pottery becomes more purely ,spanish and speedily declines4 ,mr4 ,marryat remarks1 in reference to the second or ,moorish period1 that the art of the new invaders had the same origin as the old1 but as we have no specimens known to have been of the earlier or ,arabian period we cannot accept this verdict as conclusive4 ,moreover1 some confusion has arisen in classing together the glass glazed or siliceous pottery1 with or without metallic lustre1 and the ,moresque wares produced in ,spain1 which are so distinctly characteristic as being enamelled with the oxide of tin4 ,illustration ,we particularly refer to those somewhat rare examples of early siliceous pottery1 like the deep ,rhodian plate next engraved1 some enriched with metallic lustre1 others without1 the designs upon all of which are eminently ,arabian or ,saracenic1 unreadable mock ,arabic inscriptions occurring 7as in the textile fabrics of the same period7 among the ornaments2 as in the thirteenth century vase in the woodcut1 p4 #ag4 ,such are the tiles of early date from various ,illustration places in ,persia and ,arabia4 ,similar wares1 of which there are specimens at ,south ,kensington1 are supposed to have been made by oriental potters in ,sicily but it is difficult to say at what time4 ,that island was conquered by the ,saracens in #hbg4 ,again1 there is another variety of pottery of ,moresque character and ornamentation with vermicular pattern in copper lustre on a seemingly stanniferous glaze1 which is ascribed to ,moorish potters who went to ,sicily and established works at ,calata ,girone in the fourteenth century4 ,illustration ,it is not improbable that the existence in ,spain of tin ores in considerable abundance may have accidentally led to the discovery or to the adoption of the stanniferous enamel1 obtained by an admixture of the oxide of that metal with glass and oxide of lead4 ,we have no positive proof of its use on pottery at an earlier date in any other country1 since the period of the ,babylonian bricks4 ,may there not be some truth in the story of the ,majorcan dishes built into the ,pisan towers1 and that the single specimen of 8,persian0 ware found by the writer on the church of ,sta4 ,cecilia in that city1 which in all probability was placed there early in the twelfth century1 may be one of the dishes brought home by the ,pisans1 at a time anterior to the use of the tin enamel in ,majorca8 ,there is generally a foundation for fabulous stories1 and it is not unlikely that some few of those trophies were so applied2 the more so as the taste for such architectural decoration prevailed at that period4 ,at the same time there can be no doubt that many of the bacini adorning churches in various parts of ,italy1 including ,pisa1 were of native ,italian manufacture1 as would seem probable from their compositions and designs4 ,engravings of these1 and of the fragment of oriental ware above alluded to1 are published in the ,archologia1 vol4 xlii4 ,we are indebted to the council of the ,society of antiquaries for permission 7see next page7 to use the latter block4 ,the earliest traces of the use of stanniferous enamel glaze in ,europe1 known to us1 is always in connection with a decoration1 produced by the reduction of certain metallic salts in the reverberatory furnace1 leaving a thin film upon the surface1 which gives that beautiful and rich effect known as reflet mtallique1 nacr1 cangiante1 rubino1 reverberato1 c41 and in ,england as lustred ware4 ,in ,italy the use of a metallic lustre was apparently known and practised previous to the introduction of the tin enamel1 for we have abundant examples of early 8mezza-maiolica0 from the potteries of ,pesaro or ,gubbio1 glazed only with the oxide of lead and glass1 and which are brilliantly lustred with the metallic colours4 ,none of these can1 however1 be referred to an earlier date than the latter half of the fifteenth century4 ,of whom1 then1 did the ,italian potters learn this art8 ,we have no answer to the question in any historical record1 and we are forced to infer that the name by which this lustred ware was known at the time and in the country of its production1 reflected that of ,illustration the place from which it was derived4 ,accordingly we find that the coarser lead glazed lustred ware was known as 8mezza-maiolica10 while that more nearly resembling its original1 by the use of the tin enamel1 was known as 8maiolica40 ,that the ,moorish potters of ,majorca conveyed this knowledge1 and that the ,italians named their ware after that of the island1 would seem a reasonable conclusion4 ,m4 ,jacquemart1 however1 thinks it equally probable that although the ,majorcan wares were well known in ,italy1 this art may really have been communicated by ,persian potters1 or their pupils1 coming to the eastern ports of ,italy2 and that the style of decoration on the early ,italian lustred wares is more ,persian than ,moresque4 ,this would also in some measure explain why the lustrous colours were used at some potteries anterior to the adoption of the stanniferous enamel4 ,the woodcut represents a bowl at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #ejc1 possibly of this manufacture1 and of great rarity4 ,in date it is somewhat late2 about #adij4 ,illustration ,the general term 8,maiolica10 also spelt 8,majolica10 has long been and is still erroneously applied to all varieties of glazed earthenware of ,italian origin4 ,we have seen that it was not so originally but that the term was restricted to the lustred wares1 which resemble in that respect those of the island from which they had long been imported into ,italy4 ,it is a curious fact1 proving their estimation in that country1 that nearly all the specimens of ,hispano-moresque pottery which adorn our cabinets and enrich our museums have been procured in ,italy2 comparatively few pieces having been found in ,spain4 ,scaliger states in reference to the ,italian pottery as comparable with the porcelain of ,china1 that the former derived its name from ,majorca1 of which the wares are most excellent4 ,fabio ,ferrari also1 in his work upon the origin of the ,italian language1 states his belief 8that the use of majolica1 as well as the name1 came from ,majorca1 which the ancient ,tuscan writers called ,maiolica40 ,thus ,dante writes3--8,tra l'isola di ,cipri e ,maiolica20 showing the then mode of spelling the name of the island1 and it would seem but natural to distinguish an imitation of its produce as 8 la ,maiolica40 ,the 8mezza-maiolica0 was the coarser ware1 formed of potter's earth1 covered with a white 8slip0 upon which the subject was painted2 then glazed with the common 8marza-cotto0 or lead glaze1 over which the lustre pigments were applied4 ,the 8maiolica10 on the other hand1 was the tin enamelled ware similarly lustred4 ,as before stated1 these terms were originally used with reference only to the lustred wares1 but towards the middle of the sixteenth century they seem to have been generally applied to the glazed earthenware of ,italy4 ,we think with ,m4 ,jacquemart1 ,m4 ,darcel1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,robinson1 and others1 that the word maiolica should be again restricted to the lustred wares1 although in ,italy and elsewhere it is habitually used to designate all the numerous varieties of glazed earthenware1 with the exception of the more common 8terraglia0 and in distinction from porcelain4 ,the ,germans ascribe the discovery of the tin enamel glazing to a potter of ,schelestadt1 in ,alsace1 whose name is unknown but who died in the year #abhc2 and in the convent of ,st4 ,paul at ,leipzic is a frieze of large glazed tiles1 with heads in relief1 the date of which is stated to be #abjg4 ,the potters' art is said to have developed itself in that country at an earlier period than in ,italy2 rilievo architectural decorations1 monuments with figures in high relief1 and other works of great artistic merit having been executed in #abcj at ,breslau1 where there is a monument to ,henry ,,iv4 of ,silesia who died in #abij1 an important work in this material4 ,later1 at ,nuremberg1 the elder ,veit ,hirschvgel was born in #adda1 and by him the use of the tin glaze was known4 ,specimens ascribed to his hand and dating from #adgj are preserved in museums4 ,at ,strehla a pulpit of glazed terra-cotta is of the date #aefe1 and at ,saltzburg is the wonderful chimney-piece of the fifteenth century1 still in its original position in the ,schloss4 ,at that time1 also1 ,hans ,kraut1 of ,villengen in ,swabia1 produced good works1 but it is probable that many of these larger examples are covered with an admirably manipulated green or brown glaze which is produced without the admixture of tin4 ,in ,italy history has always awarded the honour of its discovery to ,luca della ,robbia1 whose first great work was executed in #adch2 and however recent observation may lead to the assumption that its use was known in the ,italian potteries before his time1 there can be no doubt that his was not merely an application of a well-known process to a new purpose1 but that he really did invent an enamel of peculiar whiteness and excellence1 better adapted to his purpose and of somewhat different composition from that in use at any of the potteries of his time4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,we have already seen that in the twelfth1 thirteenth1 and fourteenth centuries native wares were produced in various places1 some of which still exist in the towers and faades of churches1 and of a palace at ,bologna4 ,these are lead glazed1 rudely painted or with single colours1 and in some instances 8sgraffiato0 proving that the use of a white 8slip10 or 8engobe0 was known in ,italy at that period1 as affirmed by ,passeri1 who further asserts that in #acjj the art assumed a more decorative character1 under the then lords of ,pesaro1 the ,malatestas4 ,having thus attained an even opaque white surface the development of its artistic decoration steadily advanced4 ,the colours used were yellow1 green1 blue1 and black1 to which we may add a dull brownish red1 noticed on some of the ,pisan 8bacini40 ,passeri states that the reflection of the sun's rays from the concave surfaces of these 8bacini0 at ,pesaro was most brilliant1 and hence it has been wrongly inferred that they were enriched with metallic lustre4 ,we believe that this effect may arise from iridescence on the surface of the soft lead glaze1 easily decomposed by the action of the atmosphere in the neighbourhood of the sea4 ,pieces exist1 of considerable merit1 which may be ascribed to an earlier period than that on which we find the earliest date4 ,a votive plaque preserved in the museum of the htel ,cluny1 at ,paris1 has the sacred monogram surrounded by the legend ,nicolaus de ,ragnolis ad honorem dei et ,sancti ,michaelis fecit fieri ano #adge4 ,we have always considered this plaque as of ,faenza1 but it would seem that ,,mm4 ,jacquemart and ,darcel are disposed to ascribe it to ,caffaggiolo4 ,the next example1 two years later in sequence of date1 is in the possession of ,mr4 ,cook2 it represents the ,virgin seated on a throne in an architectural framing1 and holding the ,child2 it has all the characteristics of a ,tuscan origin and the glaze appears to be stanniferous4 ,we next have the ,faenza plate in the ,correr museum at ,venice1 dated #adhb1 followed by the plaque ascribed to ,forl1 #adhi1 and one of ,faenza1 #adia4 ,other pieces1 dated #adhf and #adhg1 are in other collections4 ,but we have no record or dated example of ,italian pottery1 coated with the stanniferous enamel1 previous to the first important production by ,luca della ,robbia in #adch4 ,m4 ,jacquemart is of opinion that the use of the tin enamel was known on pottery in ,italy previous to its application to sculpture by that artist1 and in this opinion ,mr4 ,robinson agrees2 yet it is remarkable that no record of such knowledge has descended to us4 ,no enamelled product of the early fabriques of ,faenza or ,caffaggiolo bears an earlier date1 nor of that of ,pesaro where decoration by means of the lustre pigments is believed to have preceded their application on enamelled wares2 whereas the use of the tin enamel by ,luca on flat painted surfaces is proved by the tondo on the church of ,or ,san ,michele1 the lunette over a door at the ,opera del ,duomo1 and the tiles on the tomb of ,benozzo ,federighi1 bishop of ,fiesole1 now in the church of ,s4 ,francesco de ,paolo below ,bellosguardo1 as ,florentine evidences2 and the twelve circular discs1 on which are painted allegorical figures of the twelve months1 are also to be referred to at ,south ,kensington4 ,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,robinson1 in his catalogue of ,italian sculpture1 has given a notice of the life and works of ,luca della ,robbia and his family1 and a description of the specimens ascribed to them and possessed by the museum at ,south ,kensington2 the majority of these rank as works of sculpture1 but among the rest are the tondi1 here mentioned1 a wood-cut from one of which we introduce4 ,they are1 in fact1 circular plaques of enamelled pottery painted on the plain surface with allegorical representations of the months1 in all probability by the hand of ,luca della ,robbia himself4 ,we quote ,mr4 ,robinson's description of them from page #ei of that catalogue3-- ,illustration 8,nos4 #gfcb-gfdc4 ,luca della ,robbia4 ,a series of twelve circular medallions1 in enamelled terra-cotta1 painted in chiar'oscuro1 with impersonations of the twelve months4 ,diameter of each1 #a foot #aj inches4 ,vasari tells us that #8,luca sought to invent a method of painting figures and historical representations on flat surfaces of terra-cotta1 which1 being executed in vitrified enamels1 would secure them an endless duration2 of this he made an experiment on a medallion1 which is above the tabernacle of the four saints on the exterior of ,or ,san ,michele1 on the plane surface of which he delineated the instruments and emblems of the builder's arts1 accompanied with beautiful ornaments4 ,for the bishop of ,fiesole1 in the church of ,san ,brancazio1 he also made a marble tomb on which are the recumbent effigy of the bishop and three other half-length figures besides1 and in the pilasters of that work he painted1 on the flat1 certain festoons and clusters of fruit and foliage so skilfully and naturally1 that1 were they even painted in oil on panel1 they could not be more beautifully or forcibly rendered4' ,we have here a record of the fact that ,luca1 simultaneously with his enamelled terra-cotta sculptures1 also practised painting in the same vehicle on the flat1 or1 in other words1 the art of majolica painting4 ,the monumental works before mentioned are now extant to attest the truth of this account4 8,from a careful and repeated study of the above-named works on the spot1 and likewise from the internal evidence of the technical qualities of the vehicle1 terra-cotta1 enamel pigments1 c41 the writer has now to add to the list of ,luca's productions1 in this especially interesting branch1 the present series of medallions1 doubtless united originally in a grand decorative work4 ,each roundel is a massive disc of terra-cotta1 of a single piece1 evidently prepared to be built into a wall 7or vaulted ceiling7 of some edifice4 ,round the margin of each is a decorated moulding1 in relief1 of a characteristic ,della ,robbia type4 ,the surface within the narrow border is flat or plane1 and the designs are painted in two or three grisaille tints on a blue ground1 of the usual quiet sober tint affected in all the backgrounds and plane surfaces of the relievo subjects4 ,these consist of single figures of contadini or husbandmen1 impersonating the agricultural operations of the ,florentine country1 characteristic of each month of the year2 and although invested with a certain artistic charm of expression1 the various figures1 each of which exhibits a different individual character1 may be taken as life portraits of the sturdy ,tuscan peasants of the day4 ,a band or fascia forming an inner border round each subject1 is ingeniously and fancifully divided into two unequal halves1 one being of a lighter tint than the general ground of the composition1 and the other half darker1 thus indicating the night and the day2 the mean duration of each for every month1 being accurately computed1 set off on the band accordingly1 and noted in written characters on the upper or daylight part1 whilst the name of the month is written in large capital letters at the bottom in white1 on the dark ground of the nocturnal portion4 ,the sun pouring down a cone of yellow rays1 accompanied by the sign of the zodiac proper to each month1 is also seen on the left of the upper part of each margin1 and the moon on the lower half opposite to him40 ,the author gives further proof that these medallions are the work of ,luca della ,robbia1 believing the fact to be as certain as anything not absolutely authenticated can be4 ,luca della ,robbia was born about the year #adjj1 and his name must ever be associated with the discovery or adaptation on a large scale1 and improvement in composition1 of stanniferous enamel4 ,that the nature of this enamel is different from what was used upon other pottery of the time may be seen by a comparison of the two surfaces4 ,the greater degree of opacity and solidity in the former is a marked variation from that in general use2 so with the surface of his painted tiles4 ,perhaps the earlier productions of the ,caffaggiolo furnaces approach the nearest to it4 ,there is no piece1 seemingly1 of the production of a ,florentine or ,tuscan pottery with a date before #adgg1 and this example would appear to be tin-glazed4 ,with that exception1 the first pieces surfaced with the stanniferous enamel are ascribed to the ,caffaggiolo pottery and are dated #aejg and #aeji1 some seventy years subsequent to its first recorded use by ,luca della ,robbia2 and we have no specimens which can with any probability be ascribed to a period within a quarter of a century of its habitual application by him4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 find the slightest evidence to disprove the assertion of ,vasari and others that ,luca was the discoverer1 for ,italy1 of this important improvement in the glazing of earthenware vessels4 ,it is not1 however1 unreasonable to suppose that its composition may have been communicated to him by one of the ,moorish potters from ,spain1 and that1 acting upon this communication1 he made a series of experiments resulting in the perfection to which he attained1 and which result was guarded as a family secret by two succeeding generations4 ,a modification of this composition1 perhaps also learnt from ,hispano-moorish potters1 became gradually known and adopted at various fabriques1 spreading throughout the potteries of ,italy1 ,france1 c4 ,we are inclined to ,m4 ,jacquemart's opinion that it first came into use at ,caffaggiolo1 the fabrique established under the influence of the ,medici family1 but cannot consent to his suggestion that ,luca learnt there the composition of the enamel4 ,we agree with ,mr4 ,robinson in giving the precedence1 or at any rate an equality in point of age1 to ,faenza1 and in ascribing to that place certain figures and groups in alto-rilievo1 bearing inscriptions in ,gothic letters1 the modelling and design of which are more characteristic of the north of the ,apennines than of the ,tuscan valley4 ,andrea della ,robbia1 to whom his uncle's mantle descended1 also painted occasionally on plane surfaces1 as may be seen on tiles which cover the flat surface of a 8lavabo0 in the sacristy of the church of ,sta4 ,maria ,novella1 in ,florence4 ,we would merely further note the fact that in #aebj the art was in decadence under the hand of ,giovanni the son of ,andrea1 ,luca's nephew1 and that during the first quarter of that century various imitators produced inferior works in the same style1 copying the models of the ,della ,robbia and the works of some other sculptors4 ,by ,giovanni's brother ,girolamo it was introduced into ,france1 where the chteau de ,madrid was decorated by him under the patronage of ,francis the first4 ,in ,italy1 ,agostino di ,antonio di ,duccio1 said to be a pupil of ,luca1 worked at ,perugia in #adei-fa1 where he executed enamelled bas-reliefs on the faade of the church of ,s4 ,bernardino1 and in ,s4 ,domenico4 ,pier ,paolo di ,agapito da ,sassoferrato is said to have erected an altar in this manner in the church of the ,cappucini in ,arceria1 in the diocese of ,sinigaglia1 in the year #aeac4 ,he was also a painter4 ,an able modeller as well as artist potter ,maestro ,giorgio ,andreoli1 of ,gubbio1 also appears to have executed works in the manner of the ,della ,robbia4 ,the practice of enamelling large works modelled in terra-cotta would seem to have gone out of repute before the end of the first half of the sixteenth century2 not perhaps so much from the secret of the glaze being known only1 as we are told1 to the descendants of the ,della ,robbia family1 as from the want of demand for works in that material4 ,from the increased use of decorative tiles and the encouragement afforded to the production of artistic pottery1 furnaces and boteghe had been established in various parts of northern and central ,italy1 particularly in ,romagna1 in ,tuscany1 and in the lordship of ,urbino1 where the manufacture was patronized at an early time by the ruling family1 as also by the ,sforza at ,pesaro4 ,here the first use of the metallic lustre would appear to have been developed2 but we have even less historical evidence of the date of its earliest introduction than in the case of the tin enamel4 ,before that great improvement was adopted by any of the potteries in ,italy1 the pearly1 the golden1 and the ruby lustre colours were produced at ,pesaro1 and perhaps at ,gubbio where it subsequently attained its greatest perfection4 ,pesaro being a coast town of the ,adriatic1 and one where furnaces had long existed1 would form a ready asylum for oriental workmen fleeing from persecution in their own country4 ,it is reasonable to suppose that from them the use of these metallic pigments was acquired1 and accordingly we find early pieces presumably of this fabrique1 the decorative 8motif0 on which is eastern to a marked degree4 ,painted wares had been produced anterior to the use of the metallic pigments1 and among them specimens are occasionally found betraying ,persian influence in their design4 ,illustration ,the outlines on the 8mezza maiolica0 of this period were traced in manganese black or zaffre blue1 with which last the shadings are also indicated2 the flesh is left white4 ,a certain rigidity but truthfulness is observable in the design1 crude and wanting in relief1 but precise and free from timidity4 ,a moresque border frequently surrounds a coat-of-arms1 portrait busts in profile of contemporary princes1 or that of a saint or heathen goddess2 or the sacred monogram2 or1 again 7betrothal gifts7 a heart with joined hands1 as in the woodcut2 or portraits of ladies with a ribbon or banderole1 on which the name is inscribed with a complimentary adjective as 8bella10 8diva10 and the like2 such are the principal subjects of these early bacili4 ,the admirable 8madreperla0 lustre of these pieces1 changing in colour and effect with every angle at which the light is reflected from their brilliant surface1 is the leading characteristic and special beauty of this class of wares1 which must have been in great request and produced in considerable quantity4 ,pesaro and ,diruta lay claim to their production1 and each fabrique has its champions4 ,illustration ,we are inclined to ascribe the earlier and more important productions to ,pesaro1 and are disposed to consider the ,diruta fabrique as a subsequent and less important source of supply in respect to the quality of the wares4 ,these bacili are nearly all of the same size and form2 large heavy dishes of flesh-coloured clay with deep sunk centres and a projecting circular 8giretto0 behind1 forming a foot or base2 this is invariably pierced with two lateral holes1 for the purpose of introducing a cord by which to suspend them to the wall1 thus proving that they were looked upon more as decorative pieces 7piatti di pompa7 than for general use upon the table2 the back is covered by a coarse yellow glaze1 the front having a surface whitened by slip and painted as above-mentioned4 ,the rim is sometimes ornamented in compartments 7a quartiere71 or with chequered1 8chevron0 or imbricated patterns1 or conventional flowers4 ,engraved 7p4 #ca7 is a fine plateau of early date3 no4 #djgh at ,south ,kensington4 ,the larger pieces of the period made at various places have a certain general resemblance in the clumsy fashion1 the dry archaic style of drawing executed in blue outline1 and in the diaper patterns of the border4 ,glazed wares of polychrome and subject decoration were no doubt produced before the introduction of the lustre colours and1 judging from examples which have come down to us1 the forms seem to have been partially derived from ,persian1 ,hispano-moresque1 and other oriental originals2 deep dishes with angular sides and narrow rims2 others with a wide border or side sloping at a gradual angle from the small circular centre4 ,the gothic element is1 however1 traceable on some early pieces of north ,italian origin4 ,a more careful investigation of the records of ,italian families1 and the archives of the many towns at which potteries formerly existed1 might throw considerable light on the history and establishment of the various fabriques and the marks and characteristics of their productions2 but at present we can only form an approximate opinion by comparison of the examples existing in collections with signed examples by the same hand4 ,we agree in believing with ,passeri that the potteries of ,pesaro were of very early date1 probably anterior to ,gubbio1 and think that full weight should be given to his statement that the use of the lustre pigments was introduced from the former to the latter fabrique1 where it attained to unsurpassed excellence under the able management and improvement of ,m4 ,giorgio but whether the furnaces of ,faenza and ,forl were of earlier or subsequent establishment to that of ,pesaro is still a matter of conjecture1 and of ,caffaggiolo and others we have no record4 ,of the antiquity of these last there can be no doubt4 ,but although producing at the latter end of the fifteenth ,illustration and early in the sixteenth centuries some of the most exquisite examples of artistic decoration and of the perfection of manufacture in this class of ceramics1 we are unable to find a single proof of the use of the lustrous metallic tints1 or a single example of pottery so enriched1 which can with probability be ascribed to the ,faenza furnaces4 ,the same remark applies to other potteries on the northern side of the ,apennines4 ,the ,piedmontese and ,lombard cities do not appear to have encouraged the potter's art to an equal extent in the #aeth and #afth centuries1 neither can we learn of any excellence attained in ,venice till the establishment of ,durantine and ,pesarese artists at that city in the middle of the latter period4 ,possibly1 the fine dish 7engraved p4 #cc7 may be of that manufacture3 the costumes have a ,venetian character4 ,perhaps commerce did for the ,queen of the ,adriatic by the importation of ,rhodian1 ,damascus1 and other eastern wares1 what native industry supplied to the pomp and luxury of the hill cities of ,umbria2 for it must be borne in mind that the finer sorts of enamelled or glazed pottery1 decorated by artistic hands1 were only attainable by the richer class of purchasers2 more modest wares or wooden trenchers1 and ancestral copper vessels1 contenting the middle class4 ,the northern duchies1 ,ferrara1 ,rimini1 and ,ravenna1 also encouraged the art1 but to a smaller extent than that of ,urbino4 ,it would seem that the use of the white stanniferous enamel did not become general in ,italy until some years after the death of ,luca della ,robbia1 in #adha2 and was not adopted by the potters of ,umbria before the end of the fifteenth century4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,the history of the development1 perfection1 and decline of the ceramic art of the renaissance in ,italy is so intimately connected with and centred round that of the dukedom of ,urbino1 that in tracing its progress we must also briefly call to memory the fortunes and the failures of that noble house4 ,in #addc what had been but an unimportant mountain fief was erected into a duchy1 and the house of ,montefeltro ruled a fair territory in the person of the infamous ,oddantonio1 the first duke of ,urbino4 ,on his violent death in #addd ,federigo1 his illegitimate brother1 succeeded to the dukedom4 ,of enlightened mind1 as well as of martial capacity1 he developed the native capabilities of the country and gathered about him at the court of ,urbino the science and learning of the period4 ,he built a noble castellated palace at ,urbino1 for the embellishment of which he invited the leading artists of the day4 ,a patron of all art1 and a great collector1 he encouraged the manufacture of the maiolica wares which flourished under his reign4 ,on his death in #adhb his son ,guidobaldo ,i4 continued his father's patronage to the ceramic artists of the duchy1 although much occupied in the ,italian wars consequent on the ,french invasion by ,charles ,,viii4 ,passeri states that fine maiolica 7by which he means that covered with the tin enamel7 was introduced into ,pesaro in #aejj2 and there is some reason to believe that the new process came from ,tuscany4 ,it differed materially in composition and manufacture from the 8mezza majolica0 wares to which it was very superior1 and was known as 8,porcellana10 a name applied at that period in ,italy to the choicer description of enamelled earthenware4 ,passeri also states that in the inventory of the ducal palaces a large quantity of painted 8majolica0 vases were included under this name4 ,the superior whiteness of the enamel1 more nearly approaching to that of oriental porcelain1 was probably the reason for its adoption2 but we must not confound the term as used in this sense with its technical meaning in reference to a decorative design known as 8a porcellana40 ,the introduction of the new enamel1 which afforded a better ground for painting1 did not cause the use of the bright metallic colours and prismatic glaze to be relinquished at those potteries where it had become established1 but it appears to have stimulated a development in the artistic productions of other places1 the wares of which before that period were less attractive4 ,the botega of ,maestro ,giorgio at ,gubbio seems to have been at this time the great centre of the process of embellishment with the golden and ruby metallic lustres2 and1 indeed1 we have little or no knowledge of artistic pottery produced at that fabrique which is not so enriched4 ,from some technicality in the process of the manufacture1 some local advantage1 or some secret in the composition1 almost a monopoly of its use was established at ,gubbio1 for we have the evidence of well-known examples that from the end of the first to the commencement of the last quarter of the #aeth century many pieces painted by the artists of ,pesaro1 ,urbino1 and ,castel ,durante1 were sent there to receive the additional enrichment of the lustre colours4 ,pieces may be seen in collections signed in blue by the artist ,francesco ,xanto and others which have been subsequently lustred at ,gubbio1 and again signed in the metallic pigment by the 8maestro0 of that botega4 ,at ,diruta also its use appears to have been extensive though not to so exclusive a degree nor on wares of such high character as at ,gubbio1 neither are we enabled by the possession of examples to conclude that the works or other fabriques were sent to ,diruta for the additional embellishment4 ,the crude drawing of the earlier ware improved very slowly2 in #aejb tiles executed for the palace at ,pesaro were still of sorry design2 but it developed by the introduction of half tints1 the colouring of the drapery1 and in the composition of the groups of figures1 inspired by the works of ,timoteo della ,vite and other artists of the ,umbrian school4 ,at ,pesaro the art appears to have attained its highest perfection at the botega of the ,lanfranco family1 about #aedj-de4 ,the establishment of the ducal ,court at ,urbino naturally drew more favour to the potteries of that city1 and of its near neighbour ,castel ,durante4 ,the latter of these appears also to have been a seat of this industry from very remote times1 and not only to have furnished large quantities of glazed earthenware but also artistic works of the highest merit4 ,castel ,durante not only produced fine wares at home but artists of great ability emigrated from her1 establishing themselves at various places4 ,hence originally came the ,fontana family1 the most important producers of the higher class of decorative pottery at ,urbino4 ,at ,venice ,francesco ,pieragnolo in #aede1 accompanied by his father ,gian-,antonio da ,pesaro1 formed a botega2 but his wares are not among the earliest dated pieces made in that city1 where we know that ,m ,ludovico was producing admirable works five years previously1 and ,m ,jacomo da ,pesaro in #aedb4 ,a member of the ,fontana family1 ,camillo1 younger brother of the celebrated ,orazio1 went to ,florence1 and another ,m ,camillo to ,ferrara in #aefg1 by the request of the then reigning duke1 ,alfonso ,,ii42 in #afjj we find that ,maestro ,diomede ,durante had a pottery at ,rome1 producing pieces painted by ,gio4 ,paulo ,savino1 in the style of the ,urbino grotesques on white ground1 which had been brought to such perfection by the ,fontana family4 ,another artist of this family1 ,guido di ,savino1 is stated to have previously established himself at ,antwerp4 ,illustration ,at ,urbino and ,gubbio the shaped pieces1 the vases1 cisterns1 c4 were of large size admirably modelled1 as1 for instance1 the fine vase at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #eae1 in the woodcut2 they were also richly 8istoriata0 with subjects from sacred and profane history1 poetry1 c43 the produce of the celebrated ,fontana botega being1 perhaps1 the most important of them4 ,here also worked the able artist ,francesco ,xanto1 from #aecj to #aeda 7latterly in the pottery of ,francesco ,silvano71 so many of whose painted pieces were subsequently decorated with ruby and gold lustre at ,gubbio4 ,from #aebj to #aedj the art constantly advanced in this duchy1 and had retained great perfection till #aefj4 ,it is probable that the potteries at ,castel ,durante were of earlier foundation than those at ,urbino and1 from their first establishment to the decadence of the art were some of the most important and productive furnaces of the duchy4 ,here several boteghe existed1 one of which was under the direction of the cavaliere ,cipriano ,piccolpasso who1 himself an artist and a professor of medicine1 was doubtless well advanced in the chemical knowledge of his day4 ,he worked about #aeej1 and has left the important and interesting manuscript1 entitled 8,li tre libri dell' arte dell' ,vasajo10 now in the library of the ,south ,kensington museum4 ,this manuscript was printed and published at ,rome in #aheg1 and a translation in ,french at ,paris in #ahda1 both editions with engraved copies of the numerous designs4 ,guidobaldo ,i4 was succeeded in the dukedom by his nephew ,francesco ,maria ,della ,rovere1 in #aejh1 who1 incurring the resentment of pope ,leo the tenth1 was obliged to retire into ,lombardy but was reinstated in #aeag4 ,rome was sacked in #aebg1 and history accuses ,guidobaldo of having permitted the horrible act without interfering to prevent it4 ,he died from poison in #aech at ,pesaro1 whither he had retired after a reverseful life and reign4 ,his duchess was the excellent ,leonora ,gonzaga4 ,she built a palace near ,pesaro1 known as the 8,imperiale10 richly decorated by able artists among whom was ,raffaelle dal ,colle1 whose designs were also adopted for the maiolica ware4 ,the frequently repeated error of ascribing the actual painting1 as also the making designs for this ware1 to the great ,raffaelle ,sanzio may probably have arisen from the similarity in the ,christian names of these artists4 ,the development of the manufacture in the duchy of ,urbino may be considered to have attained its culminating point about #aedj1 after which1 for some twenty years1 it continued in great excellence not only as regards the 8istoriati10 but more particularly in the shaped pieces and dishes 7of which we engrave an example p4 #dj7 decorated with the so-called 8,urbino arabesques0 on a clear white ground2 the subjects painted in medallions1 surrounded by grotesques of admirable invention and execution1 after the style known as 8,raffaellesque40 ,but excellent and highly decorative as are the finer products of this period from the furnaces of the ,fontana of ,urbino1 or of the ,lanfranchi of ,illustration ,pesaro1 they want to the eye of the true connoisseur the sentiment and expressive drawing1 the exquisite finish and delicacy1 the rich colour1 and the admirable design of the earlier works produced at the ,casa ,pirota in ,faenza1 at ,forl1 ,castel ,durante1 ,siena1 and ,caffaggiolo1 in the latter years of the fifteenth and the first quarter of the sixteenth centuries1 and by ,m ,giorgio at ,gubbio1 many of which rival in beauty the exquisite miniature illuminations of that palmy period of ,italian art4 ,the service in the ,correr museum in ,venice1 supposed to have been painted by an unknown artist of ,faenza and dated #adhb1 is of high quality2 ,illustration and we possess at ,south ,kensington works by his hand1 particularly a plaque or tile 7,no4 #fi7 on which is a representation of the ,resurrection of our ,lord1 worthy of being ranked with the highest productions of pictorial art4 ,the borders of grotesques on the plates of this earlier period differ greatly from those of the ,urbino factories of the middle time1 being generally grounded on dark blue or yellow1 and executed with great delicacy of touch and power of colouring2 the centres of the smaller pieces are usually occupied by single figures1 small medallion subjects1 portrait heads1 amorini1 shields-of-arms1 c42 frequently they were intended for 8amatorii0 or love tokens4 ,some of the most careful and highly finished productions of ,m ,giorgio are of this early time1 before he was in the habit of signing with the well-known initials ,m ,g2 the earliest so signed being the admirable ,st4 ,francis tazza at ,south ,kensington1 dated #aeag4 ,we may therefore affirm that the choicest works in ,italian pottery were produced during a period which extended from #adhj to #aebj or #aecj2 thence till #aefj was its meridian1 although some fine works were produced at ,urbino by the ,fontana till #aegj2 before that time the ruby lustre had been lost1 and soon after a rapid decline of design and execution reduces all to painful inferiority4 ,the woodcut 7p4 #da7 is from a splendid dish1 dated #aecc1 no4 #agdh1 at ,south ,kensington4 ,guidobaldo ,,ii41 who had succeeded to ,francesco ,maria in #aech1 wanted the force of character and nice appreciation of the higher literature and art which had distinguished his father2 but he was a great patron of the ceramic productions of his duchy1 and sought to improve the designs used by painters on pottery by the introduction of subjects of higher character and composition4 ,with this view1 lavish of expense1 he bought original drawings by ,raffaelle and the engravings of ,marc ,antonio from that master's designs4 ,he also made presents of services to contemporary princes and friends4 ,one1 given to the emperor ,charles ,v41 a double service1 is mentioned by ,vasari1 the vases of which had been painted from the designs of ,battista ,franco1 a ,venetian1 whom he had invited to ,urbino4 ,another service of which pieces are extant was given by the duke to ,andrea da ,volterra1 his confessor4 ,for the ,spezieria or medical dispensary1 attached to his own palace1 he ordered a complete set of vases and drug pots2 designs were prepared for these by ,b4 ,franco and ,raffaelle dal ,colle and executed at the botega of ,orazio ,fontana1 by whom some of the pieces were painted4 ,they were subsequently presented by duke ,francesco ,maria ,,ii4 to the ,santa ,casa at ,loreto1 where the greater part of them are still preserved4 ,some of them were engraved by ,bartoli4 ,the story tells us that so highly were they esteemed by ,christina of ,sweden that she offered to buy them for their weight of gold1 after a grand duke of ,florence had more prudently proposed an equal number of silver vessels of like weight4 ,orazio ,fontana1 the great artist potter and painter of ,urbino1 worked for the duke from #aedj to #aefj and carried the art to the highest perfection4 ,passeri states that ,orazio had no equal in the execution of his paintings1 the distribution of his colours1 and in the calculation of the effect of the fire upon them in the production of his wares4 ,he also quotes various contemporary authors who speak of the excellence of the maiolica of this period4 ,after the death of ,orazio ,fontana and ,battista ,franco works of an inferior class only were produced from the designs of the ,flemish engravers4 ,from #aehj the decline of the art was rapid4 ,it met but small encouragement from duke ,francesco ,maria ,,ii41 who succeeded in #aegd1 except during his residence at ,castel ,durante where it still1 though feebly1 survived4 ,he abdicated in favour of the ,holy ,see1 and died in #afca4 ,the rich collections of art then remaining at ,urbino became the property of ,ferdinand de' ,medici1 who had married the duke's granddaughter1 and were removed to ,florence4 ,artistic manufactories had1 in addition to those of the ,umbrian duchy1 greatly increased in various parts of ,italy under the encouragement of powerful local families2 but none appear to have attained to higher excellence than those of ,tuscany4 ,at ,caffaggiolo under the powerful patronage of the ,medici1 and at ,siena1 some of the most excellent pieces of this beautiful pottery were produced1 rivalling but not surpassing the fine examples of ,faenza4 ,the ,tuscan pieces are remarkable for their rich enamel1 for the force and brilliancy of the colours1 and for the execution and design of the grotesque borders and other decoration2 a deep rich blue1 a peculiar opaque but bright red1 and a brilliant yellow1 are characteristic pigments4 ,the existence of the former fabrique has been made known to us only by the inscription of the name on some few pieces preserved in cabinets4 ,from their style and the mark accompanying the inscription we are enabled to detect many examples1 some of which bear concurrent testimony in the subjects connected with the history of the ,medici family with ,illustration which they are painted4 ,the well-known plate 7in the woodcut7 on which a painter is represented engaged in executing the portraits of a noble personage and his lady1 who are seated near1 and which were supposed to be intended for ,raffaelle and the ,fornarina1 is a fine specimen of the work of perhaps the most able artist engaged at this pottery4 ,this beautiful example is now in the ,south ,kensington museum1 acquired from the ,bernal collection4 ,at ,siena also admirable works were produced but we are disposed to think that their inspiration was derived from ,caffaggiolo1 whence also her potters probably received instruction in the application of the stanniferous enamel4 ,some pieces of the latter end of the fifteenth century are with probability ascribed to ,siena1 and dated pieces as early as #aeja4 ,tiles also from the same fabrique are remarkable for the excellence of their grotesque borders on an orange yellow ground1 having centres painted with great delicacy3 some unusual examples having a black ground to their decorative borders4 ,rome and the south of ,italy do not appear to have produced meritorious works in this field1 during the period of its greatest excellence in the northern and ,tuscan states2 and it is not till the dispersion of the artists1 consequent upon the absorption of the ,umbrian duchy into the ,pontifical states1 that we find a ,durantine establishing a pottery at ,rome1 and producing in #afjj an inferior repetition of the grotesque style so admirable in the hands of the ,fontana1 half a century earlier at ,urbino4 ,the decadence was rapid2 an increased number of inferior potteries produced wares of a lower price and quality2 the fall of the ducal houses which had so greatly encouraged its higher excellence as a branch of fine art1 together with the general deterioration in artistic taste1 alike tended to its end4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,a revival in the production of native decorative earthenware took place in various parts of ,italy1 as also in the rest of ,europe4 ,the efforts made to imitate true porcelain were reflected by improvements in the quality and decoration of enamelled earthenware1 and in the last century we find potteries in various pacts of ,piedmont and ,lombardy1 ,venice1 ,genoa and ,savona1 ,urbino and ,pesaro1 ,siena1 ,castelli1 ,florence and ,rome1 producing wares of greater or less artistic excellence4 ,but although careful drawing is occasionally found1 as on some of the pieces painted by ,ferdinando ,maria ,campana at ,siena1 from the prints of ,marc ,antonio1 and some charming designs with borders of amorini among foliage1 and subject pieces of great merit from the ,castelli fabrique2 and although the 8technique0 of the manufacture is also of great excellence2 the ornamentation wants that masculine power of colouring and vigour of the renaissance1 so strikingly apparent upon the better productions of the older furnaces1 and the admirable delicacy and richness of effect to be seen upon the earlier works4 ,the endeavours made throughout ,europe to discover a method of making porcelain1 similar in its qualities or approaching to that imported from ,china1 had begun in the sixteenth century4 ,in this direction also royal encouragement was of the greatest value1 and we find that first in the field of discovery was1 as naturally might be expected1 that country in which the enamelled earthenware had previously reached its highest perfection4 ,under the patronage of the ,grand ,duke ,francis ,i4 about #aehj1 experiments were made which at length resulted in the production of an artificial porcelain of close body and even glaze4 ,the existence of such a production and the history of its origin have been revealed to us only within the last few years1 and we are indebted to ,dr4 ,foresi of ,florence for having made this discovery1 so interesting in the history of the ceramic arts4 ,he had noticed and collected some pieces of a porcelain of heavy nature and indifferent whiteness1 decorated in blue with flower and leafage pattern of somewhat oriental style but at the same time unmistakably ,european1 on some of which a mark occurs consisting of the capital letter ,f1 surmounted by a dome4 ,the earliest recorded ,european porcelain had heretofore been that produced by ,dr4 ,dwight1 at ,fulham1 in #afga1 and at ,st4 ,cloud in ,france1 about #afie1 but the specimens found by ,dr4 ,foresi were manifestly not attributable to either of these or any other known sources4 ,further researches brought to light a piece of the same ware on which the pellets of the ,medici coat were substituted for the more useful mark1 and led to a search among the records of that house4 ,dr4 ,foresi was rewarded for his trouble by the discovery that the above-named duke had actually caused experiments to be made1 and had established a private fabrique in connection with his laboratory in the ,boboli gardens4 ,the ,magliabecchian library yielded an important manuscript compilation by some person employed by the duke1 giving the nature of the composition and details of the production of this ware4 ,the marks on the pieces explained the rest4 ,the ,medici arms and the initials ,f4 ,m4 ,m4 ,e4 ,d4 ,i4 ,i41 reading 8,franciscus ,medici ,magnus ,etruri ,dux ,secundus10 on one important piece now in the collection of the baron ,gustave de ,rothschild of ,paris1 clearly attached it to his reign1 while the letter ,f1 the initial of the city1 and the dome of her cathedral of which she was so proud1 equally pointed to the place of its production4 ,another exceptionally fine and interesting piece has recently been acquired in ,italy by signor ,alessandro ,castellani4 ,it is a shallow basin in the centre of which the figure of ,st4 ,mark1 with the lion1 is painted in the usual blue pigment1 and in a manner which stamps it as the work of a master's pencil4 ,what makes this specimen particularly interesting is the existence of a monogram composed of the letters ,g4 and ,p4 which is painted on the volume held beneath the lion's paw1 while on the reverse of the piece the usual mark occurs1 as given in the accompanying facsimile4 ,it has been suggested that this monogram may be that of ,raffaelle's great pupil1 ,giulio ,pippi detto ,romano1 and that1 as it has been stated that he occasionally painted upon enamelled earthenware1 this piece may be considered as his work4 ,that the design was from the hand of that master is probable1 and that its execution was by able ceramic painters is equally so3 but ,giulio ,romano died in #aedf1 whereas the ,medici porcelain does not appear to have been perfected before #aehj4 ,illustration ,this ,florentine porcelain is especially rare2 scarcely thirty examples being known to exist4 ,three of these are at ,south ,kensington1 and one is in the possession of the present writer4 ,it is of value to our subject1 not merely as an important episode in the narrative of the rise and progress of ceramic industry in ,italy but from its exceptional nature1 as one at least of the specimens was decorated by an artist whose handiwork is to be recognised upon pieces of the ,urbino enamelled earthenware4 ,the fine 8,brocca0 #ae inches high1 belonging to the baron ,gustave ,rothschild1 is surmounted by an elegantly formed handle springing from grotesque winged masks1 modelled in relief4 ,the body is decorated with two belts of grotesques1 divided by a narrower one1 on which are masks and scroll ornaments2 beneath these is a band divided into arched panels or compartments1 in each of which is a flower in somewhat ,persian taste4 ,these grotesques are executed with great freedom and force and at the same time with a careful finish and delicacy1 and in the manner of an unknown painter who worked at the botega of ,camillo ,fontana4 ,it remains to us only to notice the productions of the present day1 many of the more meritorious of which are only imitations 7in some instances1 we regret to say1 produced for fraudulent purposes7 of the more excellent works of an original period of art3 and to give some account of the mode of manufacture1 the forms and uses of the pieces1 and the manner of their decoration4 ,the first successful attempt at re-producing the ,italian enamelled pottery of the renaissance from original models was1 we believe1 made at ,doccia 7the manufactory belonging to the ,marquis ,ginori7 near ,florence4 ,the greater number of these pieces were ordered by an unprincipled dealer of that city who supplied the models1 and by whom and his agents they were more or less scratched1 chipped and otherwise 8doctored0 to look old1 and so imposed upon unwary purchasers at high prices4 ,the writer recollects some of these specimens which were1 years since1 offered to him at ,leghorn by an ,english tradesman of position 7himself possibly deceived71 to which a family history had been attached1 their reputed owner 7it was said7 being under the necessity of parting with them4 ,since that period the productions of ,doccia have improved1 the lustre pigment has been re-produced1 and these revivals have been justly admired at various international exhibitions of art and industry as legitimate works of the manufactory4 ,but a still better imitation of the metallic lustre of ,gubbio has been produced by an artist of that city2 and at ,siena some excellent copies of tiles and other pieces have been made2 so also at ,faenza4 ,bologna1 too1 has made copies of the rilievos of ,della ,robbia which1 like those produced at ,doccia1 may be purchased new of the makers1 or found1 scratched and dirty1 in various curiosity shops throughout ,europe1 ready to pass for old1 some of the worst being occasionally signed as by ,luca to enhance their interest4 ,it is to be regretted that a few of these forgeries1 as well as admirably executed terra-cottas1 have found their way into public museums under a false passport4 ,at ,naples reproductions of the wares of ,castelli are well executed4 ,in ,france the excellent reproductions of ,persian and ,rhodian wares by ,deck1 and some good imitations of the ,italian enamelled and lustred pottery by various artists2 and in ,england the pieces produced by ,minton1 ,wedgwood1 and other manufacturers1 have led to modifications and adaptations1 resulting in an important development of this branch of artistic pottery4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,we are fortunate in possessing a manual of the ,italian potters' art of the sixteenth century1 in the manuscript by the 8,cavaliere ,cipriano ,piccolpassi ,durantino10 as he signs his name on the title page of his work4 ,nearly all the information on this branch of the subject1 conveyed to us by ,passeri and subsequently by ,sig4 ,giuseppe ,raffaelli and other writers1 has been gathered from that manuscript written in #aedh4 ,we think we cannot do better than go at once to this fountain head1 and epitomize the information it conveys1 upon the manner and materials1 upon the forms and decoration1 of maiolica4 ,after a 8prologo0 in which the author defends himself from the invidious remarks of others1 he tells us how the earth or clay brought down by the river ,metauro was gathered from its bed during the summer when the stream was low1 and by some was made into large balls1 which were stowed in holes 7terrai7 purposely dug in the ground2 by others it was previously dried in the sun2 here it remained to mellow and purge itself from impurities1 which otherwise would be injurious4 ,this same method of gathering the material for the foundation of the wares was adopted at many other places4 ,at ,venice the earth of ,ravenna and ,rimini is worked1 although they frequently use that dug at ,battaglia1 near ,padua1 but for the better sort that of ,pesaro4 ,our author enters into further details of the method of gathering the potters' clay where there are no rivers1 by digging a succession of square pits connected by a channel in the depressions between hills1 into which the earth1 washed by showers of rain1 is refined in its passage from pit to pit4 ,for inferior wares the earth is then collected on a table and well beaten with an iron instrument1 weighing twelve pounds1 three or four times1 being kneaded with the fingers as a woman would in making bread1 and all impurities carefully removed4 ,afterwards it is formed into masses1 from which a piece is taken to work upon the wheel or press into moulds4 ,if the earth is too 8morbida0 it is placed upon the wall or house top1 on sieves1 through which it is washed by the rain1 and gathered in old broken vases1 c41 placed beneath4 ,for making wares 8all' urbinate0 7meaning probably with a white ground7 the dug clay ought to be white1 for if of a blue colour it will not take the tin glaze2 this1 however1 is not objectionable if it is to be covered with a slip of 8terra di ,vicenza0 7a white clay71 a method which he terms 8alla castellana40 ,but it is the reverse with the clay gathered from the beds of rivers1 the blue in this case being of the better quality4 ,it is difficult for us now accurately to apply the names which he gives to the variously shaped pieces1 and the more so1 as we are informed that in our author's time various names were attached by different artists and at different potteries to the same form4 ,thus the 8,vaso a pera0 was also known as 8,vaso da due maniche0 and 8,vaso ,dorico20 and the body of such a vase was by some made in one piece1 by others in two or three1 making joints at the lower part and at the insertion of the neck1 and uniting them by means of lute 7barbatina74 ,vases and jugs with pyriform bodies1 moulded handles1 and shaped spouts1 or lips1 were known as 8a bronzo antico0 7fig4 #a71 their forms1 doubtless1 being derived from the antique bronze vessels discovered in excavations4 ,some of these pieces have a stopper fitting into the neck by a screw1 the worm of which is worked upon it by means of a piece of wood 7stecca7 formed with projecting teeth1 the interior of the neck being furnished with a corresponding sunken worm4 ,the details of all these methods are illustrated on the third table of ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 his atlas of plates4 ,after telling us that the albarello 7fig4 #b71 or drug pot1 universally known under that name1 is made of different sizes and always of one piece1 our author describes the manner of ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d4 forming the ,vaso senza bocca 7fig4 #c71 a sort of puzzle jug with hermetically fixed cover on the top and an opening beneath the foot1 from which an inverted funnel rises inside the body of the vase4 ,to fill it1 the piece must be turned upside down and the liquid poured into the funnel below1 and may be again poured out at the spout when required1 in the ordinary way1 the vase having been placed upright4 ,it is hardly necessary to give a list of different forms1 but we may follow our author in his description of that set of five1 or sometimes nine separate pieces1 which1 fitting together1 form a single vase 7fig4 #d74 ,these sets1 known as 8scudella da donna di parto0 or 8vasi puerperali10 were made for the use of ladies in their confinements1 and consist of the following pieces3--7#a47 ,the broth basin or ,scodella1 on raised foot4 ,over this fits the lid 7#b71 which also does duty as a plate 7,tagliere7 for the roll or slice of bread2 inverted over this is the drinking cup4 7#c71 ,ongaresca1 upon the foot of which fits the salt cellar1 ,saliera 7#d71 surmounted by its cover 7#e74 ,the particulars of the arrangement of the nine pieces are not given4 ,single portions of these are to be found in collections1 but the present writer is not aware of any one complete set having been preserved4 ,using either the mugiuolo or the scudella1 the mass of clay placed upon the disk is revolved by the wheel and fashioned into form with the hands1 assisted by variously shaped pieces of flat wood 7stecche7 and moulding tools of iron 7serri7 all of which are figured in ,piccolpasso's designs4 ,the forms of the seggers1 case 7that is1 cases made of fire-clay and pierced with holes1 in which the finer wares are baked1 being thus protected from dirt or accident in the furnace71 and the composition of the clay of which they were made1 as also of the tagli1 punte1 smarelle1 pironi1 c4 variously formed tripods and supports for holding the pieces to be fired1 are given us in detail4 ,the clay consists of a mixture of the red earth used for coarser wares and the white1 which is reserved for vases and finer pieces4 ,shaped pieces with ornaments in relief1 masks1 spouts1 handles1 c4 are formed in moulds made of plaster of ,paris 7gesso7 upon the original models4 ,the mould being ready1 the potter's clay is formed into a cheese-shaped mass of a diameter suitable to the size of the mould2 from this slices are cut by means of a wire worked over two pieces of wood of the thickness of the required slice1 and placed at either side of the cheese of clay4 ,a slice of even thickness being thus obtained it is pressed by the hand into the hollows of the mould2 that for the other side of the piece is then steadily pressed over the clay which occupies the corresponding mould1 and the excess exuding from the edge between is neatly cut away4 ,the foot would be similarly formed in another mould1 and subsequently attached to the bowl by means of lute 7barbatina74 ,this lute is made of the finer quality of clay1 much worked and allowed to dry1 then mixed with a certain quantity of the shearings of fine woollen cloth1 kneaded with water and diluted to the consistence of thick cream4 ,to make shaped vases or ewers 7bronzi antiche7 a mould is formed to each side of the piece1 uniting longitudinally at the handle and spout2 the clay pressed into each of these is neatly cut from the edge by means of the archetto1 a wire strained across a forked stick1 and joined to the corresponding side with barbatina by which also the handle1 formed in another mould1 is attached to the piece1 the inside being smoothed at the joint by means of a knobbed stick 7bastone74 ,the pieces known as 8abborchiati10 such as salt-cellars with ornaments in rilievo1 are made in the same manner1 as are also the 8smartellati0 or tazze1 c4 formed after the manner of pieces in beaten metal 7repouss7 with bosses and radiating compartments in relief4 ,the basket-like pieces 7canestrella7 were similarly moulded4 ,in his second book ,piccolpasso gives the receipts and methods of preparing the glaze and colours1 commencing with the 8marzacotto10 the silicate of potass or glass1 which is the foundation of all glaze4 ,we are then told the manner of constructing a reverberatory furnace in which the tin and lead can be oxydized1 and which is built of brick with an earth called 8sciabione10 probably a sort of fire-clay4 ,it consists of an elongated square structure divided longitudinally into two compartments1 in one of which is placed the fire1 while the other is occupied1 on a higher level1 by a shallow tray or trough made of tufo1 a volcanic stone1 or of brickwork1 to contain the metals1 upon and over which the flame of the burning wood is made to play in its passage to the draft hole at the end4 ,the construction of other furnaces is his next subject4 ,they were built of brick and of an elongated quadrilateral plan1 divided into two stories by an arched floor1 pierced to allow of a free circulation to the heat2 the upper chamber1 which is higher than the lower1 is furnished with four small openings on the upper part of either side 7vedette7 and nine similar ones in the vaulted roof2 the lower chamber has a well or depression sunk about one foot beneath the surface to receive the ashes from the fire1 and both it and the upper one have an arched opening or feeding door 7bocca7 at one end4 ,the dimensions usual at ,castel ,durante were six feet long by five wide1 and six high1 but in ,venice they were larger1 for1 says ,piccolpasso1 8,i have seen one at the house of ,m ,francesco di ,pier ten feet wide by twelve long1 outside1 having three openings to feed the fire40 ,in the upper chamber the wares are placed for baking1 the finer sorts being enclosed in the seggers 7case7 piled one above another1 and the coarser arranged between1 supported by pieces of tile1 c4 and so packed as to fill the chamber as much as possible without impeding the free current of the fire4 ,this is the first baking1 and at the same time the pigments1 prepared as previously described1 are submitted to the action of the fire in the upper part of the furnace4 ,the opening to the upper chamber is then roughly bricked and luted up1 leaving only a small orifice 7bocchetta7 in the upper part4 ,the small lateral openings 7vedette7 are also closed1 and those in the roof loosely covered with pieces of tile4 ,the vases containing the mixture of sand and feccia for making the marzacotto are then placed upon each other under the furnace at the further end 7probably in the lower or fire chamber74 ,all being prepared1 and invoking the name of ,god1 8uso ,christiano10 with the sign of the cross1 take a handful of straw and light the fire made of well-dried wood placed in the lower chamber1 and which must be gradually increased for four hours1 taking care that it is never pushed too much1 lest the pieces run or become too hard to receive the glaze4 ,the furnace should be of a clear heat all throughout and so continued for about twelve hours1 drawing away the ashes from below with the 8cacciabragie0 or rake4 ,when sufficiently baked let the fire burn out1 and remove the cinders that all may become cool4 ,we must refer to the ,introduction to the large catalogue of the maiolica collection at ,south ,kensington for further extracts1 quoting here one sentence only where the author says1 8,and now ,i will give you the #8sbiancheggiati' that is made in ,lombardy1 bearing in mind that the earth of ,vicenza is used1 making the design on the white earth2 ,i would say with a style of iron of this kind 7gives design71 and this drawing is called #8sgraffio4'0 ,this is an interesting passage connecting as it does these incised wares with the fabriques of ,lombardy1 to which1 from the character of the designs upon the earlier pieces1 we have always assigned them4 ,in his third book ,piccolpasso goes into further details of the glaze and colours1 manner of painting1 firing1 c4 ,the 8bianchetto0 which is only once baked1 and the other colours1 being removed from the furnace1 are triturated with water on a 8piletta0 or hand colour mill1 or by means of a pestle and mortar1 to reduce them to a fine powder1 and passed through a horse-hair sieve4 ,some grind them on a slab of porphyry which is even better4 ,the green pigment may be baked two or three times4 ,the 8zallo0 and the 8zallulino10 after once or twice baking1 are covered with earth and again baked in the hottest part of the furnace4 ,the white enamel glaze1 having been properly milled and fined through a sieve1 is made into a bath with water to the consistency of milk4 ,the pottery baked in biscuit is taken out of the furnace1 and after being carefully dusted with a fox's tail is dipped into this bath of glaze and immediately withdrawn1 or some of the pieces may be held in the left hand while the liquor is poured over them from a bowl4 ,a trial piece should show the thickness of glove leather in the adhering coat4 ,the 8invetriatura0 having been thus applied and the pieces allowed to dry are now ready to receive the painting4 ,this is executed with coarser and finer brushes or penelli1 made of goats' and asses' hair1 and the finest of the whiskers of rats or mice2 the ordinary wares being held in the left hand or on the left knee and the finer in wooden cases1 lined with tow1 to prevent rubbing4 ,a different brush must be used for each colour4 ,the painters generally sit round a circular table suspended from the ceiling so that it may turn round1 and upon this the different pigments are placed4 ,the painted pieces after being dried in a clean place1 taking care that the 8bianco0 is not chipped or rubbed off1 are painted with zallulino on the outer edge and are then ready to receive the 8coperta0 or outer glaze4 ,the liquid of the bath must be thin1 as a translucent coating only is required over the colours2 into this the pieces are dipped1 and being again dried are ready for the final firing4 ,in a supplement ,piccolpasso gives us an account of the manner of making maiolica1 and it will be observed that throughout his narrative he has never applied that term to the painted and glazed wares produced at his own botega1 or at any of the others to which he refers4 ,he tells us that he feels he ought not to omit the account of it which he has received from others1 although he has never made or even witnessed the making of it himself4 8,i know well0 he says 8that it is painted over finished works2 this ,i have seen in ,ugubio1 at the house of one ,maestro ,cencio40 ,the portion of the design which is to receive the lustre colour is left white at the first painting2 thus1 a figure in a grotesque whose extremities are to be lustred will only have those parts painted which are to be coloured1 leaving the extremities merely sketched in outline upon the white ground2 these1 after the colours have been set by firing1 are subsequently touched with the lustre pigment4 ,the process of firing differs from the former one1 because the pieces are not enclosed in seggars but are exposed to the direct action of the flames4 ,the furnace also is differently constructed1 the fire chamber square in form1 having no arched roof pierced with holes but only two intersecting arches of brick to support the chamber above1 the four corners being left as openings for the free current of the flames4 ,upon these arches is placed a large circular chamber or vessel1 formed of fire-clay1 which fits into the square brick structure1 touching at the four sides and supported on the intersecting arches beneath1 but leaving the angles free4 ,this inner chamber is pierced in all directions with circular holes1 to allow the flames free passage among the wares4 ,the method of building these furnaces is kept guarded1 and it is pretended that in it and the manner of firing consist the great secrets of the art4 ,the scudelli are packed with the edge of one against the foot of another1 the first being supported on an unglazed cup4 ,the furnaces are small1 only from three to four feet square1 because this art is uncertain in its success1 frequently only six pieces being good out of one hundred2 8true the art is beautiful and ingenious1 and when the pieces are good they pay in gold40 ,the fire is increased gradually1 and is made of palli or dry willow branches2 with these three hours firing is given1 then1 when the furnace shows a certain clearness1 having in readiness a quantity of dry broom cease using the willow wood1 and give an hour's firing with this2 after1 with a pair of tongs remove a sample from above4 ,others leave an opening in one of the sides by which a sample or trial1 painted on a piece of broken ware1 can be removed for examination1 and if it appears sufficiently baked decrease the fire4 ,this done1 allow all to cool1 then take out the wares and allow them to soak in a lessive of soap-suds1 wash and rub them dry with a piece of flannel1 then with another dry piece and some ashes 7of wood7 give them a gentle rubbing1 which will develope all their beauty4 8,this is all1 as it appears to me1 that can be said about the maiolica1 as also about the other colours and mixtures that are required in this art40 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,we have given in the last chapter a very brief abstract or epitome of the interesting manuscript of ,piccolpasso1 which offers us a perfect idea of the manner and comparatively simple appliances under which the beautiful examples of the potter's art were produced in ,italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries4 ,the rationale of these processes is clear enough and requires no comment2 but we may perhaps remark that whereas the fixing of the glaze and colours in the ordinary process is merely produced by a degree of heat sufficient to liquefy and blend them1 in the case of the metallic reflection a different effect is requisite1 and different means adopted4 ,the pigments consist partly of metallic salts1 which being painted on the wares1 after exposure to a simple heat for some time1 have then directed upon their glowing surface the heated smoke given off by the fagots of broom2 this smoke being in fact carbon in a finely divided state has great power1 at a high temperature1 of reducing metals from their salts2 painted on the wares these are thereby decomposed1 leaving a thin coat of mixed metal1 varying in colour and iridescence from admixture with the glaze and other causes1 and producing the beautiful effects so well known4 ,the various names by which the ,italian pottery of the renaissance has been known have in some instances arisen from1 as they have also led to1 error4 8,faenza ware10 doubtless1 had its origin from the town of that name1 although its ,french equivalent 8faence0 may either be a translation of the ,italian1 or may be derived from a town in ,provence1 called 8,faiance0 or 8,fayence10 a few miles from ,cannes and ,frjus1 where potteries are stated to have existed from an early period4 8,urbino ware0 and 8,umbrian ware0 explain themselves as connected with those important sites of the manufacture1 while the name of 8,raffaelle ware0 was doubtless derived from the subjects after his designs1 with which so many pieces were painted1 and from the grotesques after his manner4 ,a very beautiful drawing of his school1 and which has been ascribed to ,raffaelle's own pencil1 is in the royal collection at ,windsor4 ,it is for the border of a plate1 and consists of a continuous circular group of amorini1 dancing in the most graceful attitudes4 ,scripture subjects are perhaps more general upon the pieces of early date1 particularly those of ,faenza1 on which designs from ,albert ,drer1 ,martin ,schn1 and other ,german painters are found1 executed with the greatest care2 such subjects were also used at ,caffaggiolo4 ,the spirit of the renaissance awakening a passion for the antique declared itself in the numerous representations from ,greek and ,roman history and mythology1 scenes from ,homer1 the metamorphoses of ,ovid1 and the like1 which formed the main stock subjects for the wares of the ,umbrian fabriques1 excepting always the sacred histories delineated so admirably by ,orazio ,fontana and others1 from the designs of ,raffaelle and his scholars4 ,it was among the artists of this duchy that the habit of writing the subject on the back of the piece chiefly prevailed1 with specimens of curious spelling and strange latinity4 ,transmutation of subject is not rare1 as the burning of the 8,borgo0 for the siege of ,troy1 and others4 ,the forms appear to have varied considerably at different localities of the craft1 partaking of a classic origin1 mixed with some orientalism in the earlier and gothic forms in the more northern pieces2 but upon all the exuberance of fancy and rich ornamentation characteristic of the ,italian 8cinque-cento0 is made evident1 as it is upon the furniture1 the bronzes1 and the jewellery of that artistic period4 ,illustration ,there can be little doubt that the maiolica and finer painted wares were looked upon at the time they were produced as objects of ornament or as services 8de luxe40 ,the more ordinary wares or dozzinale were doubtless used for general domestic purposes in the houses of the higher classes1 but the finer pieces decorated by better artists were highly prized4 ,thus we find that services were only made for royal or princely personages1 frequently as presents4 ,some of the choicest specimens in our cabinets were single gift pieces2 small plates and scodelle which it was then the fashion for gallants to present1 filled with preserves or confetti to ladies4 ,many of these are of the form known as tondino1 small1 with a wide flat brim and sunk centre2 in this the central medallion is generally occupied by a figure of ,cupid1 hearts tied by ribbon1 or pierced by arrows2 or by joined hands and similar amatory devices1 or with a shield of arms and initial letters4 ,the borders are painted with grotesques and trophies1 among which sonnets and music sometimes occur1 and medallions with love emblems1 portraits1 and armorial bearings4 ,these amatorii pieces also occur as large plates and deep saucers1 the surface of each entirely covered with a portrait of the beloved 7as in the engraving p4 #fc7 accompanied by a ribbon or banderole1 on which her name or a motto is inscribed1 often with the complimentary accompaniment of 8bella10 8diva10 8paragon di tutti10 c4 ,jugs1 vases1 and other shaped pieces were also decorated in a similar style4 ,we find in maiolica all objects for table use3 inkstands1 ornamental vases1 and quaint surprises2 salt-cellars of curious forms2 jugs of different size and model2 many kinds of drug pots and flasks2 pilgrims' bottles1 vasques1 and cisterns2 candelabra and candlesticks1 rilievos and figures in the round2 in short1 every object capable of being produced in varied fancy by the potter's art3 even beads for necklaces1 some of which are in the writer's possession1 decorated with knot work and concentric patterns and inscribed severally ,,andrea ,,bella ,,margarita ,,bela ,,memento ,,mei 2 these last1 the only examples known1 are finished with considerable care and are probably of the earlier years of the sixteenth century4 ,there is little doubt that many of the pieces ostensibly for table use were only intended and applied for decorative purposes 7like the vase in the woodcut p4 #aca71 to enrich the shelves of the 8credenza10 8dressoir10 or high-backed sideboard1 intermingled with gold and silver plate1 ,venetian glass1 c4 ,such pieces were known as 8piatti di pompa0 or show plates1 and among them are some of the most important and beautiful of the larger dishes and bacili1 as well as the more elaborate and elegant of the shaped pieces4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,persian1 ,,damascus1 ,,and ,,rhodian ,,wares4 ,in a previous chapter we have traced the origin or parentage of this section of wares to the glazed pottery and artificial semi-porcelain of ,egypt1 and we have seen that in ,assyria and at ,babylon siliceous glazed tiles were used for wall decoration4 ,whether in ,persia and in ,india a similar manufacture existed at that early period we have at present no exact knowledge1 but we are told by the ,count ,julien de ,rochchouart in his interesting 8,souvenirs d'un voyage en ,perse0 that he possesses a brick glazed of dark blue colour1 with cuneiform characters in white1 which was found among the ruins of the ancient city of ,kirman4 ,the mosques of the #abth century in that country1 particularly that at ,natinz1 are covered with glazed tiles of the most perfect workmanship and artistic excellence1 with coloured and lustred decoration4 ,later examples--of the earlier years of the #agth century--specimens of which are in the ,kensington museum are also beautiful1 and the fashion1 though in a degenerate form1 is revived in that country at the present day4 ,the piece of glazed pottery supposed to have been of ancient ,hebrew origin and now preserved in the ,louvre is also of this nature1 and it is suggested by ,m4 ,jacquemart that the ,israelites may have acquired the art in ,egypt4 ,the varieties of pottery known under the names of ,persian1 ,damascus1 ,rhodian1 and ,lindus wares1 composing a large family1 may be classified as siliceous or glass-glazed wares4 ,the leading characteristics are-- #a4 ,a paste composed of a sandy and a white argillaceous earth1 and some alkali or flux1 greatly varying in their relative proportions1 and producing degrees of fineness and hardness from a coarse sandy earthenware to a semi-vitrified translucent body1 the latter being in fact a kind of porcelain of artificial paste4 #b4 ,a glaze formed as a true glass1 of siliceous sand and an alkali 7potash or soda71 with the addition in some cases of a small quantity of oxide of lead or other flux4 ,such is the general1 but by no means the constant1 definition of the component ingredients of all the varieties rightly classed together as members of this group1 for there can be no doubt that great variations occurred in their composition at different periods and places1 and some examples of the finer kinds of ,persian1 ,arabian1 and perhaps of ,damascus wares are met with in1 or under1 the glaze of which the oxide of tin has been used to produce a white and more even surface4 ,a large amount of information about ,persian ware is conveyed to us in the work of the comte de ,rochchouart who1 during a residence of some years in ,persia1 gave great attention to its ceramic productions of former and of present times4 ,after establishing the fact of the former production of at least four distinct kinds of ,kaolinic porcelain1 he minutely describes ancient varieties of faience of which the polychrome pieces are the more rare1 the blue and white less so2 he mentions one uncommon variety1 believed to have been made at ,cachan1 as having a paste of red earth covered with a stanniferous enamel of great beauty1 and painted in cobalt under a glaze highly baked2 they ring like metal4 ,we do not recollect having seen an example of this variety4 ,marks imitating those on ,chinese porcelain occur on pieces painted in cobalt blue on white4 ,he further tells us that the ancient faience of ,persia is as admirable as the modern is detestable1 notwithstanding it retains a degree of oriental elegance4 ,the industry at present is carried on at ,nahinna2 at ,natinz1 where pottery has been made for some hundred years1 and where some of the finest was produced but now inferior2 at ,cachan1 turquoise blue1 and many-coloured2 while ,hamadan1 ,kaswine and ,teheran make inferior wares1 the latter being the worst4 ,we do not derive any information from ,m4 de ,rochchouart on the subject of the lustred wares1 except in his description of the tiles of the mosque of ,natinz of the #abth century2 nor do we learn anything of that variety of creamy white pottery having the sides pierced through the paste but filled with the translucent glaze1 and which is believed to be the ,gombrn ware of ,horace ,walpole's day4 ,but he gives interesting information on the subject of the tiles used for decoration1 of which the finest are those mentioned above2 those of ,ispahan and of the period of ,shah ,abbas 7#aehe-afbi7 being also admirable for their exquisite design4 ,the ,persian glazed pottery known to us may be divided into3 ,a4 ,wares1 generally highly baked1 and sometimes semi-translucent4 ,paste1 fine and rather thin1 decorated with ruby1 brown1 and coppery lustre1 on dark blue and creamy white ground4 ,engraved p4 #fh is a very curious and characteristic example3 unfortunately imperfect4 ,it is in the ,kensington collection4 ,b4 ,wares1 of fine paste1 highly baked1 semi-translucent1 of creamy colour and rich clear glaze1 running into tears beneath the piece of a pale sea-green tint4 ,its characteristic decoration consisting of holes pierced through the paste1 and filled in with the transparent glaze3 the raised centres1 c4 are bordered with a chocolate brown or blue leafage1 slightly used4 ,this is supposed to be the ,gombrn ware4 ,c4 ,wares1 frequently of fine paste1 and highly baked to semi-transparency3 the ground white2 decoration of plants and animals1 sometimes after the ,chinese1 in bright cobalt blue1 the outlines frequently drawn in manganese2 some ,illustration pieces with reliefs and imitation ,chinese marks also occur2 this variety is perhaps more recent than the others4 ,we assign the name ,,damascus as the chief centre of a large class of wares which were also made1 in all probability1 in ,egypt1 ,turkey1 ,syria1 ,asia ,minor1 c41 and among which pieces of ,persian manufacture may be included from our want of exact knowledge of their technical differences2 a certain general character pertaining to the whole class4 ,there can be no doubt that ,damascus was an important producer of this pottery1 which was known to the commerce of the #afth century as 8,damas0 ware1 and we have examples1 in silver mountings1 of the period of queen ,elizabeth4 ,it would be well1 therefore1 to revive the term 8,damas0 or 8,damascus ware0 for this family1 of which the true ,damascus and ,rhodian are only local varieties1 in preference to the misapplied general name of 8,persian10 by which they have been known4 ,the paste varies in quality more than in kind1 being of a grey white colour and sandy consistence1 analogous to that of the ,persian wares4 ,the decoration is more generally rich in colour1 the ground white1 blue1 turquoise1 tobacco colour1 and lilac1 sometimes covered with scale work1 with panels of oriental form or leafage1 large sprays of flowers1 particularly roses1 tulips1 hyacinths1 carnations1 c41 the colours used being a rich blue1 turquoise1 green1 purple1 yellow1 red1 black4 ,the forms are elegant2 large bowls on raised feet1 flasks or bottles bulb-shaped with elongated necks2 pear-shaped jugs with cylindrical necks and loop-handle2 circular dishes or plates with deep centres1 c4 ,an interesting example of the highest quality of this ware is in the writer's possession1 and is described and figured in colour in vol4 xlii4 of the 8,archologia40 ,it is a hanging lamp made for and obtained from the mosque of ,omar at ,jerusalem1 signed and dated ,june #aedi4 ,two leading varieties are known in collections3 namely1 ,damascus proper2 known by its evenness of surface and rich glaze with subdued but harmonious colouring1 certain tones of which are peculiar to this variety2 for example1 a dull lilac or purple1 replacing the embossed red so conspicuous on the ,rhodian1 and used against blue1 which is of two or three shades1 the turquoise being frequently placed against the darker tone2 a sage green is also characteristic4 ,the dishes of this variety usually have the outer edge shaped in alternating ogee4 ,this kind is much more uncommon than the other1 ,,rhodian or ,,lindus1 to which the greater number of pieces known in collections as 8,persian ware0 belong4 ,it is to ,mr4 ,salzmann that we owe the discovery of the remains of ancient furnaces at ,lindus1 in the island of ,rhodes1 from the old palaces of which he collected numerous examples4 ,this variety1 although extremely beautiful1 is generally coarser than the former1 and the decoration ,illustration more marked and brilliant4 ,a bright red pigment1 so thickly laid on as to stand out in relief upon the surface of the piece1 is very characteristic and in many cases is a colour of great beauty2 the predominant decoration of the plates consists of two or three sprays of roses1 pinks1 hyacinths1 and tulips1 and leaves1 sometimes tied together 7as in the woodcut7 at the stem and spreading over the entire surface of the piece in graceful lines2 the border frequently of black and blue scroll work4 ,ships1 birds1 and animals1 are also depicted2 and a shield of arms occurs on some pieces4 ,illustration ,another very distinct and perhaps more recent class1 the ,,anatolian1 consists of those wares frequently found in collections1 as cups and saucers1 sprinklers1 perfume vases1 covered bowls1 and the like1 generally pieces of small size4 ,the ground is usually white1 sometimes incised with cross lines by means of a piece of wood scratching the soft paste1 with a gay decoration of many colours1 among which a brilliant yellow is conspicuous in scale work1 lattice and diaper patterns1 flowers1 c4 ,its glaze is frequently not brilliant1 but rather rough on the surface2 but the pieces are well baked4 ,this variety is ascribed to the fabrique of ,kutahia in ,anatolia4 ,there is yet another variety of this section which is somewhat exceptional1 approaching as it does in composition to the first division of the ,persian wares1 and on the other hand to the decoration of the earlier pieces of the ,hispano-moresque4 ,it is composed of a sandy paste of the kind general to this section1 and is decorated either in black outline relieved or filled in with blue painted directly on the paste1 and covered by a thick translucent glaze of a creamy tone1 running into tears at the bottom of the piece2 or glazed entirely with a translucent dark blue glass1 over which the decoration is painted in a rich lustre colour1 varying between the golden and ruby tints of the ,italian ,majolica1 and differing considerably from those upon the ,hispano-moresque wares4 ,we give on the preceding page three or four marks from various pieces of ,persian or rather 8,damascus0 ware4 ,before we pass to another class1 it may be well again to direct the reader's attention to that important application of glazed oriental pottery1 already referred to1 and which has been in use more or less throughout the east from a period of remote antiquity4 ,indeed1 there is perhaps no instance in which the superiority of oriental taste in surface decoration is more distinctly shown than in the use of enamelled1 or more properly speaking1 siliceous glazed tiles1 as a covering for external and internal wall space4 ,we have already seen how fragments of such embellishments have been yielded by the ruins of ,assyria and ,babylon1 by ,arabia in the seventh1 and ,persia in the twelfth century2 and ,damascus1 ,jerusalem1 ,cairo1 and ,constantinople still have brilliant examples of this exercise of the potter's art4 ,the distressing state of ruin or neglect into which many of the tombs and mosques1 so beautified1 have been reduced or permitted to fall greatly detracts from their effect1 although not without its charm to the painter's eye and it is refreshing to see them1 as at ,constantinople1 in a somewhat better state of preservation4 ,in that city there is excellent work of this kind in the old palace of the ,seraglio1 where the writer noticed tiles remarkable for their size and for the perfection of their manufacture4 ,some of these1 nearly two feet square1 are covered with the most elegant arabesque diapering of foliage and flowers intertwined1 among which birds and insects are depicted4 ,these may probably have been the work of a ,persian potter4 ,but it is in the tomb of ,soliman the great1 built in #aedd1 that the effect of this mode of decoration can be studied to better advantage4 ,here the entire walls of the interior are faced with tiles of admirable diaper patterns1 within borders of equal elegance1 adapted to the form of the wall which they panel and following the subtle outlines of the window openings1 which1 filled in with gem-like coloured glass between their intricate tracery1 produce an effect of the greatest richness and harmony4 ,the application of glazed pottery for decorating wall surface seems never to have taken root in ,greece or ,italy 7although slabs of glass of various colours were used by the ,romans for that purpose71 where ,mosaic had established itself long anterior to the advance of oriental influence2 and even in the most palmy days of the production of ,italian majolica and painted pottery1 nothing of this kind was attempted by her artists beyond an occasional flooring--with the exception of ,luca della ,robbia1 who not only covered ceilings with tiles between the relievo subjects on the spandrils and the centre1 as seen at ,san ,miniato and the ,pazzi chapel at ,santa ,croce in ,florence1 but executed roundels and arch fillings of tiles1 painted with subjects on the flat surface4 ,germany made great use of tiles for facing stoves and other purposes in the sixteenth century1 but their inspiration was not oriental2 and1 again1 the ,dutch tiles1 much used in ,england during the last century1 are well known but ornamented on a false principle of decorative art4 ,in the ,indian court of the international exhibition of #ahga were examples of ,zenana windows and wall tiles from ,sinde1 of recent manufacture1 and of precisely similar character in body and glaze to the class of wares now under consideration4 ,they1 moreover1 show another mode of decoration1 known as 8pte sur pte10 in which the design is painted on the surface of the clay in a slip or 8engobe0 of lighter colour underneath the glaze2 a manner of ornamentation found upon early ,chinese porcelain1 and upon that ascribed by ,m4 ,jacquemart to ,persia4 ,these tiles1 together with shaped pieces of the same ,indian ware1 are very interesting1 being without doubt the modern representatives of a remote manufacture and having the closest affinity with the ancient ,egyptian glazed pottery4 ,whence they were derived or which the parent stock is a question the answer to which we are not at present in a position to do more than guess at4 ,in ,france and ,england reproductions have appeared1 many of which are excellent from the talent of their painters or from the technical qualities of their manufacture3 those produced by the ,messrs4 ,minton1 copied or derived from oriental originals1 are particularly beautiful4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,hispano-,,moresque ,,pottery4 ,this numerous and now well-defined class of wares was a few years since indiscriminately grouped with the lustred ,maiolica of ,italy1 in which country the larger number of specimens now in our collections had been preserved1 and whence they have been procured4 ,many hesitated to believe in their ,spanish origin1 thinking it more probable that they were the work of ,moorish potters established in the sister peninsula4 ,the correspondence1 however1 of technical character with the 8azulejos10 the well-known tiles which adorn the palace of the ,alhambra at ,seville1 and with the celebrated 8jarra0 or ,alhambra vase1 as also a marked difference between these and any wares of known ,italian manufacture1 led to the conviction that they must be of ,spanish origin1 and the work of the ,moorish potters and their descendants who had been established in that country4 ,under this belief they were classed together as ,hispano-arabian enamelled and lustred wares1 but this appellation would connect them with the so-called ,saracens who conquered that country in ,a4,d4 #gab4 ,the first ,arab invaders were themselves expelled in #gef by ,abd-el-,rhama1 who caused himself to be proclaimed caliph at ,cordova4 ,this city thus became the great centre of his power1 and here was erected the mosque of which the decoration attests the exquisite oriental taste of its founders4 ,the ornamental wall tiles on this building are of truly ,hispano-arabian manufacture4 ,the rule of the successors of ,abd-el-,rhama ended and the line became extinct in #ajch1 soon after which time the ,moorish conquest was completed4 ,in #abce ,granada became the chief seat of the ,moorish rulers1 and there they erected the fortress-palace of the ,alhambra about #abgc4 ,after an occupation of the country for four centuries the ,moors were conquered in #adib4 ,the ,christian element would then predominate in the decoration of the pottery2 and in #aeff the last blow was struck at ,moorish art by the promulgation of a decree prohibiting the speaking or writing of their language1 and forbidding the use to men and women of their national dress and veil1 and the execution of decorative works in the ,moresque style4 ,when first recognized as a distinct family these wares were found to be difficult of classification1 from the entire absence of dates or names of manufactories4 ,labarte and others considered the copper-lustred pieces to be the earlier1 but ,mr4 ,robinson1 with his usual acuteness1 saw in the ornamentation of various examples reasons for reversing this arrangement1 and suggested one which subsequent observation has only tended to confirm4 ,he placed those pieces having a decoration in a paler lustre with interlacings and other ornaments in manganese and blue1 coats of arms1 c41 in the earlier period2 those having the ornament in the paler lustre only1 without colour1 of nearly equal date1 as also some of the darker coppery examples with shields of arms2 and of a later period those so glaring in copper-coloured lustre as to be more painful than pleasing to the eye4 ,m4 ,davillier 7to whose researches into the history of these wares we are greatly indebted7 considers that in all probability ,,malaga was the earliest site of the manufacture1 and argues that its maritime situation and trade with the east and its proximity to ,granada would warrant that opinion1 which is strengthened by the earliest documentary evidence yet brought to light4 ,one ,ibn-,batoutah a native of ,tangier1 writing in #acej after journeying through the east1 states that 8at ,malaga1 the beautiful gilt pottery or porcelain is made1 which is exported to the most distant countries40 ,he makes no mention of a fabrique at ,granada in describing that city1 and we may therefore reasonably conclude that ,malaga was the centre of this industry in the ,moorish kingdom1 and if so there is great probability that the celebrated ,alhambra vase was made there4 ,from the style of its ornamentation1 the form of the characters in the inscriptions1 and other inferences1 the date of this piece may be fairly assigned to the middle of the #adth century1 which would be about the same period as that traveller's visit to the city4 ,it has nevertheless been ascribed by others to an earlier time1 about #acbj4 ,this vase is so generally and well known that we need only allude to its characteristic form and richly decorated surface4 ,it is said to have been found in the #afth century under the pavement of the ,alhambra together with several others1 all of which were filled with gold2 a tradition which may1 perhaps1 have some foundation in fact4 ,the ,alhambra vase was copied at ,svres in #ahdb1 and since by the ,messrs4 ,deck in faience1 of the original size after a cast and photographs procured by ,m4 ,davillier4 ,this last is now in the ,south ,kensington museum4 ,the fabrique of ,malaga existed in the sixteenth century2 and the plateau engraved p4 #gh was probably made there4 ,we learn from ,lucio ,marineo writing of the memorable things of ,spain in #aeag1 that 8at ,malaga are made also very beautiful vases of faience40 ,after this date no further record is found1 and ,m4 ,davillier thinks it probable that the works gradually declined as those of ,valencia increased in importance1 and that by the middle of the sixteenth century they had entirely ceased4 ,he attributes to these potteries three large deep basins and two vases in the htel ,cluny at ,paris1 which are covered with designs in golden reflet and blue of great similarity to those of the ,alhambra vase1 and also the fine vase from the ,soulages collection at ,south ,kensington4 ,after the fabrique of ,malaga that of ,,majorca is thought to be the most ancient1 and the extension of its manufactures by commerce is indirectly proved by the adoption of the term 8,majolica0 by the potters of ,italy for such of their wares as were decorated with the metallic lustre4 ,scaliger1 writing in the first half of the sixteenth century1 speaks highly of the wares of the ,illustration ,balearic islands3 but not being an 8expert0 in ceramic productions1 after praising the porcelain recently brought from ,china1 admires what he calls their imitations made at ,majorca4 8,we call them 7he says7 #8majolica1' changing one letter in the name of the island where we are assured that the most beautiful are made30 an interesting testimony to the importation of these wares into ,italy and the knowledge of their origin1 as also to the derivation of the term applied to the home manufacture of ,pesaro and ,gubbio4 ,although presumably of much earlier date no record of this pottery occurs till that of ,giovanni di ,bernardi da ,uzzano1 the son of a rich ,pisan merchant1 who in #addb wrote a treaty on commerce and navigation1 published by ,paquini1 in which he speaks of the manufactures of ,majorca and ,minorca1 particularly mentioning faience which 8had then a very large sale in ,italy40 ,we have evidence that the principal seat of the manufacture was at ,ynca1 in the interior of the island2 and in confirmation of this discovery some plates have been observed by ,m4 ,davillier in collections on which the arms of that island are represented4 ,one is in the htel ,cluny1 and is probably of the fifteenth century4 ,it is ,moresque in style with illegible inscriptions in an odd mixture of the ,arabic and ,gothic characters2 the lustre of a red colour and the arms in the centre4 ,these arms are1 paly gules and or1 on a fess argent a dog in the act of bounding1 sable4 ,there would seem also to have been a fabrique at ,ivia for ,vargas1 in his description of the ,balearic islands1 says1 8,it is much to be regretted that ,ivia has ceased to make her famous vases of faience1 destined for exportation as well as for local consumption40 ,but of their precise nature he gives us no information and we have no knowledge4 ,the kingdom of ,,valencia in the time of the ,romans was noted for its works in pottery2 those produced at ,saguntum1 the present ,murviedro1 having a great reputation at that period according to ,pliny1 who mentions the jasper red pottery of ,saguntum where #a1bjj workmen were employed4 ,to these1 after the occupation of the ,goths1 succeeded the ,arab workmen who accompanied the ,mussulman conquest in #gaa4 ,again1 when the ,moors were in #abci subjected to ,christian domination the potters' art was considered of sufficient importance to claim a special charter from the king1 who granted it to the ,saracens of ,xativa1 a small town now called ,san-,felipe4 ,this charter provides that every master potter making vases1 domestic vessels1 tiles1 8rajolas0 7an ,arabic name for wall-tiles1 synonymous with 8azulejos071 should pay a 8besant0 annually and freely pursue his calling4 ,sir ,wm4 ,drake in his notes on ,venetian ceramics cites an ordinance of the ,venetian senate in #adee1 declaring that no earthenware works of any kind should be introduced into the dominions of the ,signory except crucibles 78correzzoli07 and ,majolica of ,valencia2 an important fact proving the value that was attached to the ,spanish lustre wares in ,italy in the middle of the fifteenth century4 ,the woodcut p4 #ha represents a fine plateau at ,south ,kensington1 golden lustred2 of about the year #aejj4 ,marineo ,siculo1 writing in #aeag1 devotes a chapter to the utensils and other objects of faience made in ,spain1 in which he states that 8the most esteemed are those of ,valencia1 which are so well worked and so well gilded20 and ,capmany records a decree of the municipal council of ,barcelona in #aebh relative to the exportation of faience to ,sicily and elsewhere1 in which 8la loza de ,valencia0 is named4 ,again ,barreyros a ,portuguese1 in his 8,chorographia10 praising the pottery of ,barcelona says that it is 8even superior0 to that of ,valencia4 ,the expulsion of the ,moors in #afaj by ,philip ,,iii4 gave the fatal blow to this industry1 as we learn from contemporary authors that many of the banished artizans were potters 78olleros074 ,from time immemorial ,st4 ,john the evangelist has been particularly venerated at ,valencia1 and in the grand processions of ,corpus ,christi the emblematic eagle is carried1 holding in his beak a banderole on which is inscribed the first sentence of his gospel3 8,in principio erat ,verbum et ,verbum erat apud ,deum40 ,on some pieces of ,hispano-moresque ware this sentence is inscribed1 and the eagle sometimes covers the front1 sometimes the back4 ,there is therefore reason to infer that these were made in one of the fabriques of ,valencia1 and if so their style would be to a considerable extent typical of the ,valencian pottery4 ,the decoration was probably inspired by the wares of ,malaga1 and it is likely that many of the pieces of the fifteenth century1 bearing inscriptions in ,gothic characters with animals1 c4 in blue1 may be of this fabrique4 ,illustration ,in the ,british museum is a plate painted with an antelope and ,moresque ornament in blue1 and with the inscription 8,senta ,catalina ,guarda ,nos30 others occur1 though very rarely1 with ,spanish inscriptions4 ,at the commencement of the #agth century the ,valencian wares had lost nearly all their ,moresque character1 and the employment of the copper lustre only was retained3 the designs having figures in the costumes of that period and coarse leafage or birds with 8rococo0 ornaments4 ,illustration ,it would thus appear that the fabrique of ,malaga was the most ancient1 and that of ,valencia the most important in ,spain2 but other potteries existed1 and their productions were widely distributed4 ,the woodcut represents a ,valencian dish with golden lustre1 of the #aeth century4 ,that these wares were imported into ,england is proved by fragments found in ,london1 on one of which1 in the ,british museum1 is represented a man in the costume of the period of ,henry the fourth1 about #adjj4 ,illustration ,illustration ,makers' names have never been observed upon pieces of this pottery1 and marks are very rarely met with4 ,the above marks are on the back of two small plates with deep centres1 in which is painted a shield of arms bearing a crowned eagle with open wings in blue1 the rest of the surface being diapered with small vine or briony leaves and interlaced tendrils in concentric order1 of golden lustre on the creamy white ground4 ,these pieces are perhaps of the same service1 probably of ,malaga or ,valencia1 and may be of the earlier half of the #aeth century2 they are in the writer's possession4 ,in ,mr4 ,henderson's rich collection is a vase on one side of which is the inscription1 of which we give a facsimile3 ,illustration ,it reads 8,illustrissimo ,signore ,cardinale ,d',este in ,urbe ,rom40 ,specimens of a lustred ware have been brought from ,sicily1 differing materially from that of ,spain1 and perhaps forming a connecting link between that and the earlier ,persian pottery4 ,they are formed of an ordinary clay covered with an earthy or stanniferous 787 wash1 which is again coated with a rich translucent blue glaze on which a diapering of vermicular ornament in coppery lustre covers the whole piece1 except that the edges and handles are also painted in lustre4 ,this ware is by no means common2 it occurs in the form of plates1 covered bowls1 and 8albarelli30 and is supposed to be the workmanship of ,moorish potters at ,calata-,girone4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,italian ,,pottery2 ,,sgraffiati1 ,,and ,,caffaggiolo4 ,coming now to ,italian pottery1 we must speak first of sgraffiati1 graffiti1 or incised wares4 ,this mode of ornamentation is one of the most primitive and universal in a ruder form1 although it appears but little on the early glazed wares of our own country2 of those of ,france a fine example1 attributed to the #adth century1 is preserved at ,svres4 ,in ,italy1 as was the case in all other varieties of pictorial art1 it was brought to a high degree of perfection1 not merely as a manner of ornamenting pottery but applied on a large scale to mural decoration4 ,it appears to have been in use from an early period1 examples of a coarse kind occurring among the plates incrusted in the towers of churches of the #abth and #acth centuries at ,pisa and elsewhere1 and it was probably in use before or coeval with the earliest painted wares4 ,its method as applied to pottery is described by ,piccolpasso in his manuscript1 and consists in covering the previously baked 8biscuit0 of ordinary potter's clay with a 8slip0 or 8engobe0 of the white marl of ,vicenza1 by dipping it into a bath of that earth milled with water to the consistence of cream2 when dry1 this white covering1 fixed by a slight baking1 is scratched through with an iron instrument shewing the design in the red colour of the clay against the superimposed white ground4 ,it is then covered with an ordinary translucent lead glaze1 and clouded with yellow and green by slight application of the oxides of iron and copper4 ,there appears to be a considerable range in the dates of various specimens in collections1 some of which are probably among the earliest examples of ,italian decorative pottery that have come down to us2 others may be of the middle or last quarter of the #aeth century and1 like the fine example which we engrave1 are highly characteristic2 great skill is shown upon them in the combination of figures and foliage in relievo with the incised ornamentation4 ,nearly all the pieces of this class are probably the work of one botega1 and are distinguished by the character of their designs2 a border of mulberry leaves is very general1 or shields of the 8pavoise0 or kite form4 ,judging also from the sort of florid ,gothic character to be seen in some of the leafage mouldings1 from the costumes of the north of ,italy in the #aeth century1 and from the lion supporters and other details which connect them with north ,italian art1 we have little hesitation in believing that they were produced in ,lombardy or the ,venetian mainland4 ,illustration ,of the more important examples1 the ,louvre possesses a fine cup on a raised stem and supported by three lions2 in the interior1 a man habited in the costume of the #aeth century stands playing a mandolin between two females1 one of whom sings while the other plays the tambourine2 the raised and incised mouldings on this piece are very characteristic4 ,in the ,british museum are some fine dishes1 one of which is remarkable for the admirable execution of the work1 on which are represented figures in the costume of the #aeth century1 festoons of fruit and other ornaments4 ,on another are the figures of a gentleman and a lady who plays the viol1 in the costume of the #aeth or early #afth century standing 8dos dos20 on her side is a 8pavoise0 shield bearing the 8biscia0 or serpent of the ,visconti1 while the man supports himself on one bearing the flaming bomb-shell1 the impresa of ,alfonso d',este1 borne by him at the battle of ,ravenna in #aeab4 ,in the writer's collection are two early dishes1 one of which is remarkable for a raised flower in the centre and incised decoration on front and back4 ,he also possesses a large dish1 #ai inches in diameter1 having a medallion central subject of the ,virgin and ,child3 the rest of the piece being covered with interlacing branches of what may be mulberry bearing leaves and fruit1 a serpentine wreath of the same encircling the border4 ,it is probable that were the archives of ,florence thoroughly searched some record might be found of the establishment or existence at ,,caffaggiolo of an artistic pottery encouraged and patronized by the ,medici family1 but at present we have no such recorded history4 ,here again the objects themselves have been their best and only historians4 ,it was but a few years since that the ill indited name of this botega1 noticed upon the back of a plate1 was read as that of the artist who had painted it2 but the discovery of other more legible signatures proved that at this spot important and highly artistic works had been produced4 ,the occurrence of a monogram upon several1 with the comparison of their technical details1 has led to the recognition of many pieces1 and revealed the fact that this fabrique had existed from an early period1 and was productive of a large number of pieces of varying quality4 ,m4 ,jacquemart surmises that at ,caffaggiolo ,luca della ,robbia learnt the nature of the enamel glaze1 which he applied to his relievos in terra cotta4 ,we know that ,luca painted subjects on plain surfaces1 enamelled with the stanniferous glaze as early as the year #adef1 when he executed the painted tiles which form a kind of framing to the tomb of ,benozzo ,federighi in the church of ,san ,francesco de ,paolo1 under the hill of ,bellosguardo4 ,the most important work by him of this nature is the lunette over one of the doors in the entrance-hall of the 8,opera del ,duomo0 in ,florence4 ,whether1 learnt from him1 this enamel was adopted at the ,grand ,ducal fabrique at an early period1 or whether he there obtained the knowledge which he applied and modified to his own uses1 remains a question1 the answer to which would be facilitated by the proved date of the establishment of that pottery1 or the occurrence of pieces anterior to the tiles enamelled and painted by ,luca2 but upon these points we unfortunately have not as yet discovered any recorded memorial4 ,it is worthy of remark that although many are of very early date no piece of a ,mezza ware1 confidently assignable to this establishment1 is known to the writer2 all that have come under his notice are enamelled with the white stanniferous glaze1 no instance of the use of an engobe or slip having been observed4 ,the woodcut p4 #ij is from an early and probably ,tuscan plateau4 ,the leading characteristics of the ,caffaggiolo wares are a glaze of rich and even quality1 and purely white2 and the use of a very dark cobalt blue of great intensity but brilliant as that of lapis lazuli1 frequently in masses as a grounding to the subject3 and it would seem laid on purposely with a coarse brush1 the strokes of which are very apparent4 ,we give an engraving p4 #ia of a curiously decorated tazza of early date4 ,the colours are green1 purple and blue4 ,a bright yellow1 an orange of brilliant but opaque quality1 a peculiarly liquid and semi-transparent copper green are also found1 and another characteristic pigment is an opaque bright ,indian red4 ,this pottery has a nearer affinity to that of ,siena than to any other fabrique1 and it is not unreasonable to suppose that they had a like origin or that the establishment at ,siena emanated from ,caffaggiolo4 ,both resemble in general style the pieces produced at ,faenza and ,forl more than those of other fabriques of the northern duchies1 or of the ,umbrian centres of the art2 and it becomes a question as to which can claim the earliest origin1 as also the earliest use of the stanniferous enamel glaze4 ,the dates inscribed upon pieces begin in #aejg-i1 but undated examples1 assignable to this locality and of an earlier period1 exist in collections4 ,illustration ,the use of the metallic lustre seems to have been tried at ,caffaggiolo1 but from the extreme rarity of examples bearing the mark of or fairly ascribable to that establishment1 we may ,illustration perhaps infer that only a few experimental pieces were made1 and that this method of enrichment was but little used4 ,a small ,illustration plateau at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #gaed1 represented in the woodcut is an important example1 having the mark4 ,as might be expected1 the arms1 emblems1 and mottoes of the ,medici family frequently occur1 and occasionally the letters ,s4 ,p4 ,q4 ,f4 are introduced on labels for 8,senatus populusque ,florentinus40 ,m4 ,jacquemart considers that some of the early groups1 c4 in relievo and in the round and early plaques with the sacred emblem1 the majority of which are generally ascribed to ,faenza1 may be of this botega4 ,we quite concur with him in this opinion4 ,the ,south ,kensington museum is rich in fine specimens of this ware of various date and great variety1 some of which are among the most admirable examples of the potter's art4 ,it is remarkable that we have no recorded names of the artists who painted these beautiful pieces1 and it is only at the latter end of the sixteenth century that we find mention of ,giacomo and ,loys ,ridolfi of ,caffaggiolo1 who emigrated with other potters from the then less encouraged manufactories of ,italy to try their fortune in ,france4 ,m4 ,jacquemart tells us that these potters or painters founded a 8faencerie0 in #aeij at ,marchecoul1 in ,bretagne4 ,some confusion has arisen among connoisseurs in ,france and elsewhere as to the wares of ,caffaggiolo and those of ,faenza1 and indeed it is frequently difficult to draw the line of distinction2 but we can hardly follow ,m4 ,jacquemart in his historical classification1 believing that some of the pieces assigned by him to this fabrique do not really support their claim4 ,a similar remark may apply to many of those in the ,louvre ascribed to this pottery by ,mons4 ,darcel4 ,two large and finely painted early dishes 7presented by ,mr4 ,franks7 are in the ,british museum2 they were probably made about #adhj-aejj4 ,on one is a group of saints1 after an engraving by ,benedetto ,montana1 on red ground1 with a border of leafage moulding and peacock's feather ornament4 ,on the other is the subject of the ,judgment of ,solomon4 ,the colours on these pieces are very rich1 with much of the characteristic red pigment2 the bold and firm drawing has an archaic tendency which points to an early period4 ,the earliest dated piece having a mark and with reason believed to be of this fabrique1 is a plate in the style ,illustration of ,faenza with border of grotesques and central shields of arms1 in the painting of which the characteristic red is used and on which is the date #aejg with the mark2 that curious combination of letters ,p4,l and ,o4 ,another is dated #aeji4 ,the letters ,s4 ,p4 ,q4 ,f4 occur among the ornaments4 ,m4 ,jacquemart considers as of the first period1 those pieces having letters allusive to the ,florentine republic1 or the ,medici arms and emblems2 or the motto of ,giuliano di ,medici4 8,glovis0 also occurs1 which has been ingeniously deciphered as meaning 8,si volg10 8it 7fortune7 turns10 if read backwards3 referring to the favour shown to ,giuliano when appointed ,gonfalonier to the ,church4 ,a noble pitcher at ,south ,kensington no4 #agae 7p4 #ic7 has the ,medici arms2 and1 beneath1 also the motto ,glovis4 ,a large carelessly painted dish1 in the ,british museum1 the subject ,abel's sacrifice1 has the word 8,,glovis0 and the letters ,s4 ,p4 ,q4 ,r4 on the altar1 and on the reverse the name1 curiously spelt1 8,in ,chafaggilolo0 between the ordinary mark twice repeated4 ,the name seems to have been spelt in various ways1 as 8,cffagiulo10 8,cafagiol10 8,caffaggiolo10 8,chaffaggiolo10 8,chafaggilolo10 8,gafagizotto10 c4 ,some of the specimens at ,south ,kensington are of extraordinary beauty4 ,of the more interesting may be instanced no4 #gaed1 lustred1 having the ,caffaggiolo mark painted on the reverse in the yellow pigment4 ,the large circular dish no4 #hibh on which is represented a procession of ,leo ,x4 is curious as a contemporary work and for the costume4 ,the ,st4 ,george after the statue by ,donatello1 no4 #agbf1 is of great excellence1 as is the interesting plate engraved above1 p4 #dd1 on which a ceramic painter is represented at work in the presence of a gentleman and lady1 probably portraits of personages of high standing1 as also of the painter himself4 ,it is to be regretted that he refrained from recording their names and was content with affixing only the monogram of the fabrique at the back of the piece4 ,the beautiful plate with central subject of ,vulcan forging a wing and elegant border of grotesques1 masks1 cupids1 c41 no4 #biij1 is probably by the same hand as the two last referred to and is a fine example4 ,the large jug already referred to having the ,medici arms on the front and other devices of that family1 no4 #agae1 is remarkable for its excellence of glaze and colour1 as well as for ,illustration its historical associations4 ,so1 again1 is the vase no4 #cba made for the ,medici at a somewhat later date2 and which we also engrave4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,siena ,,and ,,pesaro4 ,well-nigh all the history we have of the early artistic pottery of ,,siena may be read upon the specimens of her produce1 preserved in our museums and private collections4 ,a considerable number of pieces1 evidently the work of one able hand1 has been variously assigned to the furnaces of ,faenza1 of ,caffaggiolo1 and of ,pesaro2 to the first two from a general similarity in the character of their design4 ,on the other hand1 the initials ,i4 ,p4 occurring in large characters on the reverse of some of the pieces were presumed to be those of the words 8,in ,pesaro10 and led to a confusion of them with others really painted at the ,lanfranchi works at ,pesaro and marked with the same initials but in a smaller form2 standing for the signature of the artist1 8jiacomo pinsit40 ,these last1 then unknown to collectors1 were cited by ,passeri who was supposed to refer to the far more beautiful works now under consideration4 ,the acquisition1 however1 of a pavement of tiles from the ,petrucci palace at ,siena1 dated #aeji1 and the knowledge of the existence of others of a similar stamp in the church of ,san ,francesco in that city1 the style of handling as well as the design and colouring upon which agreed closely with these works2 a fine dish in the ,british museum in the same manner1 and on which occurs one of the same coats of arms as those upon the pavement of the ,petrucci2 and the further acquisition of a small plate1 the painting of which in blue camaeu is assuredly in the manner of the finer examples above referred to1 and which is signed on the reverse 8fata i ,siena da m benedetto20 form together a chain of evidence conclusive as to the existence of this fabrique1 and the origin of the various pieces in question4 ,the ,south ,kensington museum possesses very important specimens of this master's work2 and the connexion of the ,illustration several examples is very minutely traced in the large catalogue of ,maiolica4 ,we need only1 therefore1 generally observe that they are worthy of being ranked among the most excellent productions of the potter's skill in ,italy during the earlier years of the #afth century2 and that in respect of their technical characteristics1 and the tone and manner of their colouring and design1 they are more nearly allied to the productions of the ,caffaggiolo furnaces1 from which in all probability the inspiration of them was derived4 ,we give woodcuts of three of these beautiful pieces3 nos4 #aefi1 #agib1 and #ddhg4 ,the last of these is very interesting on account of the mark and inscription upon the reverse 7also engraved p4 #ii71 showing that the painter was probably ,benedetto himself1 who was then the head of the establishment4 ,the drawing of the central figure is masterly and finished with the utmost care4 ,illustration ,illustration ,one of the finest specimens of this master belongs to ,mr4 ,henderson2 the central subject is that of ,mutius ,scvola before ,porsenna2 it is painted with great care and is surrounded by a border of grotesques on orange ground4 ,on the reverse is the mark in the accompanying woodcut4 ,the grotesques upon the border of a large dish in the ,british museum are painted upon a black ground1 an unusual style which also occurs on some of the tiles of the ,petrucci pavement1 and is we believe almost peculiar to this botega4 ,illustration ,illustration ,we lose sight of the ,sienese pottery for two centuries1 when it again appears under the then best ceramic painter in ,italy1 ,ferdinando ,maria ,campani who is said1 but we do not know on what exact authority1 to have worked also at ,castelli and at ,san ,quirico4 ,a piece signed by him is at ,south ,kensington4 ,his subjects1 as in this instance1 were frequently taken from the ,bible series of ,raffaelle as rendered by ,marc ,antonio's engravings1 and from the works of the ,caracci4 ,some extremely well executed tiles1 plates1 c4 copied and adapted from the old1 have also been produced within the last few years at ,siena under the superintendence of signor ,pepi1 a druggist1 opposite the ,prefecture4 ,we have occasionally met with some of these1 scratched and chipped by other artists to suit the modern-antique market4 ,the small town of ,,monte ,,lupo1 nestling under its 8rocca0 on the southern bank of the river at the opening of the ,val d' ,arno inferiore1 is on the road from ,florence and near to ,empoli4 ,its pottery is distinguished 7or we should rather say notorious7 for having produced the ugliest and most inferior painted pieces that bear the signature of their maker and the place where they were made4 ,but a ware of a different kind formed of a red clay and glazed with a rich treacle-brown or black glaze1 the forms of the pieces being sometimes extremely elegant1 has been also assigned to this locality4 ,some of them are enriched with gilding and with subjects painted in oil colours1 not by a ceramic artist4 ,we are informed1 however1 by signor ,giuseppe ,raffaelli that wares of this description were made at ,castel ,durante1 and that a fine example of them1 with portraits of a count ,maldini and his wife1 is preserved in the library at ,urbania4 ,he describes them as made of a red earth covered with an intensely black glaze1 on which the oil painting and gilding were executed4 ,it is nevertheless probable that ,monte ,lupo produced a similar ware1 and pieces occur ornamented with reliefs and with raised work1 engob1 with a white or yellow clay on the brown ground1 by the process known as pte sur pte4 ,certain pieces marbled on the surface to imitate tortoiseshell1 agate1 c4 are ascribed to this pottery4 ,at ,svres is a tazza with ill painted subject on white ground and inscribed1-- 8,dipinta1 ,giovinale ,tereni 8da ,montelupo40 and a dish in the htel ,cluny at ,paris1 painted with the subject of the rape of ,helen somewhat in the manner of the ,urbino wares1 has at the back1 8,vrate dlina 8fate in ,monte40 ,illustration ,this1 we think1 more likely to have been the production of ,monte ,lupo than of ,monte ,feltro1 to which it has been ascribed4 ,there can be little doubt that potteries existed in the neighbourhood of the important commercial city of ,,pisa1 and it is more than probable that the painted and incised bacini1 which are encrusted into her church towers and faades1 are mostly of local manufacture during the #abth1 #acth1 and #adth centuries4 ,on this subject we must refer the reader to the remarks in the chapter on ,persian and ,hispano-moresque wares4 ,among the latter1 references will be found to two writers who stated that a commerce existed between ,valencia and ,pisa1 from whence faence was imported into ,spain in exchange for the wares of that country4 ,it does not however follow that this faence was entirely of ,pisan production1 although exported thence2 but it is not improbable that a considerable quantity was made there for exportation4 ,antonio ,beuter1 praising the wares of ,spain1 says that they are equal in beauty to those of ,pisa and other places4 ,this was about #aeej4 ,early in the next century ,escolano says1 speaking of the wares of ,manises1 8that in exchange for the faences that ,italy sends us from ,pisa1 we export to that country cargoes of that of ,manises40 ,in the collection of baron ,alphonse de ,rothschild1 of ,paris1 is a large and well formed vase with serpent handles1 under which the name ,,pisa is inscribed on tablets4 ,it is much in the manner of the later ,urbino wares1 having grotesques on a white ground1 but more nearly approaching those examples at ,south ,kensington 7nos4 #cba and #cbc7 having the arms of the ,medici1 which we have ascribed in the large catalogue to ,caffaggiolo or ,florence4 ,it has been suggested that this vase may be of the ,pesaro fabrique1 and that the word upon it was merely a variation in spelling the first half of the name ,pisaro2 but we see no reason for accepting such an explanation or that ,pisa should be denied the small honour of having produced this example1 the only one inscribed with her name4 ,there can be very little doubt that a manufactory of glazed earthenware existed at ,,pesaro or in its immediate outskirts from a very early period1 and that it probably succeeded to the works established there in ,roman times1 the remains of which have occasionally been brought to light2 but with the exception of the recorded names of certain potters1 occurring in deeds and records which are preserved among the public archives of the city1 we are uninformed1 and unable to recognize the produce of these potteries or to know their characteristics4 ,anterior to #aedj we have no signed and dated example1 and should therefore be reduced to the position of entire ignorance as to their previous productions but for the work of the indefatigable archologist ,giambattista ,passeri4 ,born in #afid at ,farnese in the ,campagna di ,roma 7where his father1 of a patrician family of ,pesaro1 practised as a physician7 and educated at ,rome1 he subsequently settled in his parental city and published the 8,istoria delle pitture in ,maiolica fatte in ,pesaro e in luoghi circonvicini10 in #ageh4 ,to him we are indebted for the notice of the potters above alluded to1 and in his work he gives us an account of the mode pursued in the manufacture1 much of which however he appears to have derived from the earlier manuscript of ,piccolpasso4 ,he tells us that the large early bacili enriched with a madreperla lustre were the produce of ,pesaro2 and in corroboration states that many of them are painted with the coats of arms and portraits of the members of noble ,pesarese families1 instancing one with the arms of the 8,bergnana0 family then preserved in the ,casa ,olivieri4 ,it has been objected that ,passeri was influenced by local partiality in favour of the native city of his family1 and that he ascribed to her furnaces what may in equal likelihood have been produced at ,gubbio or ,diruta2 and the discovery of a few pieces of lustred ware1 marked as the produce of the latter ,castello in the middle of the #afth century1 was hailed by several critics as conclusive evidence against his assertion4 ,it appears to the writer that such evidence is equally unsatisfactory1 inasmuch as the works in question were produced some century and a half anterior to the earliest dated piece of ,diruta ware4 ,passeri wrote in the middle of the last century1 when the art was no longer in existence and its specimens only preserved in the cabinets of the curious2 but he was a man of erudition and research and probably had means of obtaining information with which we are unacquainted2 we think therefore that as his statements have not yet been met by proofs of their incorrectness1 or by counter-statements of greater weight1 we are bound to accept them until additional light be thrown upon the subject4 ,he tells us that remains of antique furnaces and ruins of a vase shop of classic times1 with fragments of red and black wares and lamps marked with the letter ,g1 were found in the locality known as the 8,gabbice0 where the ,lanfranchi works were afterwards established in the #afth century1 and where the earth is of fine quality4 ,he traces the use of this earth in the time of the ,goths1 and states that it again revived under the government of the ,malatesta2 and that soon afterwards a mode of adorning churches was adopted by the insertion of discs of earthenware at first simply glazed with the oxide of lead1 but that coloured ones were subsequently used4 ,the wares were made by covering the crude baked clay with a slip or engobe of white earth1 the 8terra di ,san ,giovanni0 from ,siena1 or with that of ,verona1 and glazing it with 8marzacotto10 a mixture of oxide of lead1 sand and potash4 ,the colours1 used were yellow1 green1 manganese black1 and cobalt blue 7from the 8zaffara0 of the ,levant74 ,during the government of the ,sforza the manufacture greatly developed and was protected1 for on #ast ,april #adhf a decree was made prohibiting the introduction of earthenwares for sale from other parts1 except the jars for oil and water4 ,this was confirmed in #aejh4 ,in #aeaj a document enumerates 8,maiolica0 as one of the trades of ,pesaro1 naming also 8figoli10 8vasai10 and 8boccalari20 and we must bear in mind that there is good reason for believing that at that period 8,maiolica0 was a name technically understood as applying only to the lustred wares4 ,passeri states that about #adej the 8invetriatura0 or glazing had already begun to perfect itself under the ,sforza1 when those early pieces were produced decorated with 8arabesque0 borders encircling coats of arms1 portraits1 and ideal heads outlined with manganese and coloured with the 8madreperla0 lustre1 leaving the flesh white4 ,he ascribes the improvement in the manufacture by the use of the stanniferous glaze to the discovery of the ,della ,robbia1 and adds that1 although the art of making it was known ,illustration earlier at ,florence1 the fine ware was only introduced at ,pesaro about #aejj3 near which period the beautiful portrait dish which we engrave 7no4 #djgh at ,kensington7 was probably made4 ,here he again says that the lustred ware derived its name from the pottery of ,maiolica1 and that the earlier and coarser varieties were known as 8,mezza-maiolica40 ,guid' ,ubaldo ,,ii4 greatly encouraged the art1 and in #aeeb granted to ,bernardin ,gagliardino1 ,girolamo ,lanfranchi1 ,ranaldo and others an edict prohibiting the importation of other wares for sale1 thus confirming the former acts1 which would appear to have fallen into neglect3 and in the year #aefb1 on the #ast of ,june1 he granted another1 confirming to ,giacomo ,lanfranco a protection of his art or patent for applying real gold to his wares4 ,passeri then 7after some further historical details7 describes examples of the glazed and enamelled pottery of ,pesaro which he had seen1 and the earliest he refers to are floorings of tiles existing in his time1 upon one of which1 brought to him by a workman1 was inscribed ---------------- adi #d de ,genar o4 in ,pesaro4 ---------------- and on the other ------- #aejb4 ------- ,a considerable period elapses between this and the next dated example1 a plate1 with the subject of ,horatius ,codes1 inscribed1-- ,orazio solo contro ,toscana tutta4 ,fatto in ,pesaro4 #aeda4 ,on another 7a companion of a plate preserved in the ,louvre71 l ,pianetto di ,marte fatto in ,pesaro #aedb in bottega da ,mastro ,gironimo ,vasaro4 ,i4,p4 ,he further mentions a plate having a mark consisting of the initials ,o ,a connected by a cross1 and a bas-relief with the same initials which again occur sculptured over a door1 which he suggests may have been that of the potter's house2 we should1 however1 be more disposed to regard it as a conventual or cathedral monogram4 ,we will now leave the work of ,passeri and quote another record of the pottery made at ,pesaro a short time before the #afth century1 returning to him for information on the revival of the art at that locality in the last4 ,dennistoun in his history of the dukes of ,urbino 7vol4 #c1 p4 #chh7 refers to a letter among the diplomatic archives of the duchy preserved at ,florence dated #adgd1 from pope ,sextus ,,iv4 in which he thanks ,costanzo ,sforza1 lord of ,pesaro1 for a present of ,illustration most elegantly wrought earthen vases which for the donor's sake are prized as much as gold or silver instead of earthenware4 ,another letter from ,lorenzo the magnificent to ,roberto ,malatesta of ,pesaro1 thanking him for a similar present1 says1 8they please me entirely by their perfection and rarity1 being quite novelties in these parts1 and are valued more than if of silver1 the donor's arms serving daily to recall their origin40 ,there is every reason for assuming that both these presents consisted of wares produced at the ,pesaro furnaces4 ,these wares must have been looked upon as 8novelties0 at ,florence1 not simply because they were painted on flat surfaces covered with stanniferous glaze 7for ,luca della ,robbia had done this many years before7 but because1 being decorated with rich metallic glaze and madreperla lustre1 they probably were novelties to the ,florentines as productions of an ,italian pottery4 ,if this inference be correct1 may not another be drawn from it8 ,that these presents being the produce of ,pesaro1 and enriched with the metallic lustre1 we may derive from the whole matter an additional proof that the early lustred pieces1 whose origin has been disputed1 were really made at that city2 and that we may agree with ,passeri in ascribing the well-known 8bacili0 to that place4 ,engraved p4 #ajg is a fine lustred bacile at ,south ,kensington1 probably of ,pesaro ware1 and about the year #aeaj4 ,the earliest dated ,pesaro piece is in the possession of the writer4 ,it is a 8fruttiera0 which is painted the creation of animals by the ,almighty1 ,who1 moving in the midst1 is surrounded by animals rising out of the ground2 a distant landscape1 with a town 767 on the side of a steep mountain1 forms the background4 ,on the reverse is inscribed as in the woodcut on the next page1 #aedj4 ,chrianite anim allis ,christtus fatto in ,pesaro4 ,we have seen some large dishes decorated with raised masks1 strapwork1 c4 and painted with grotesques on a white ground1 and subject panels1 and other grandiose pieces which are ascribed to the ,urbino artists1 but which may in equal likelihood be attributed to the ,lanfranchi of ,pesaro4 ,a triangular plateau in the possession of ,mrs4 ,hope has the character of their finest productions4 ,illustration ,the art at ,pesaro rapidly declined after #aefj1 wanting the encouragement of a reigning ducal court2 and ,passeri ascribes much evil influence to what he considers the bad taste of preferring the unmeaning designs of the oriental porcelain1 which was greatly prized by the wealthy1 and the painting after the prints of the later ,german school of ,sadeler1 c4 to the grander works of the old masters2 the landscapes were1 however1 well executed4 ,he gives us also a history of the revival of the manufacture in his own time1 under the influence and encouragement of the cardinal prelate ,ludovico ,merlini4 ,in #agah there was only one potter at ,pesaro1 ,alfonzo ,marzi1 who produced the most ordinary wares4 ,in #ageg signor ,giuseppe ,bertolucci1 an accomplished ceramist of ,urbania1 in conjunction with signor ,francesco di ,fattori1 engaged workmen and artists and commenced a fabrique1 but it was soon abandoned4 ,again in #agfc signors ,antonio ,casali and ,filippo ,antonio ,caligari1 both of ,lodi1 came to ,pesaro and were joined by ,pietro ,lei da ,sassuolo of ,modena1 an able painter on ,maiolica2 they established a fabrique producing wares of great excellence hardly to be distinguished from the ,chinese4 ,in the ,debruge-,labarte collection was a one-handled jug or pot1 painted with flowers in white medallions on a blue ground1 and on the foot engraven in the paste-- 8,pesaro #agga40 ,a manufacture at present exists of painted tiles for pavement1 removed to ,pesaro from ,urbania1 and which at one time produced vases and plates in the manner of the ,urbino istoriati pieces as also lustred wares after the style of ,m4 ,giorgio4 ,it has1 we are informed1 ceased making these imitations and now confines itself to the first-named class of goods4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,gubbio ,,and ,,castel ,,durante4 ,although probably not among the earliest manufactories or boteghe of ,italian enamelled and painted wares1 ,,gubbio undoubtedly holds one of the most prominent positions in the history and development of the potter's art in the #afth century4 ,this small town1 seated on the eastern slope of the ,apennines1 was then incorporated in the territory of the dukes of ,urbino under whose influence and enlightened patronage the artist potters of the duchy received the greatest encouragement2 and were thus enabled to produce the beautiful works of which so many examples have descended to us4 ,chiefly under the direction of one man1 it would seem that the produce of the ,gubbio furnaces was for the most part of a special nature2 namely1 a decoration of the pieces with the lustre pigments1 producing those brilliant metallic ruby1 golden1 and opalescent tints which vary in every piece1 and which assume almost every colour of the rainbow as they reflect the light directed at varying angles upon their surface4 ,the woodcut 7p4 #aab7 represents a vase of great interest and beauty2 no4 #ejj in the ,south ,kensington collection4 ,it is early in date2 probably about #aejj4 ,the admirable way in which the moulded ornament is arranged to show the full effect of the lustre1 and the bold yet harmonious design are worthy of observation4 ,that the ,gubbio ware was of a special nature1 and produced only at a few fabriques almost exclusively devoted to that class of decoration1 is to be reasonably inferred from ,piccolpasso's statement2 who speaking of the application of the maiolica pigments says1 8,non ch'io ne abbia mai fatto ne men veduto fare40 ,he was the maestro of an important botega at ,castel ,durante1 one of the largest and most productive of the ,umbrian manufactories1 within a few miles also ,illustration of those of ,urbino1 with which he must have been intimately acquainted and in frequent correspondence4 ,that he1 in the middle of the #afth century1 when all these works were at the highest period of their development1 should be able to state that he had not only never applied or even witnessed the process of application of these lustrous enrichments is1 we think1 a convincing proof that they were never adopted at either of those seats of the manufacture of enamelled pottery4 ,although much modified and improved1 lustre colours were not invented by ,italian artists1 but were derived from the potters of the east1 probably from the ,moors of ,sicily1 of ,spain1 or of ,majorca4 ,hence 7we once more repeat7 the name 8,majolica0 was originally applied only to wares having the lustre enrichment2 but since the decline of the manufacture1 the term has been more generally given3 all varieties of ,italian enamelled pottery being usually1 though wrongly1 known as 8,maiolica40 ,illustration ,the ,gubbio fabrique was in full work previous to #aeah2 and the brilliantly lustred dish1 which we engrave1 now at ,south ,kensington is before that date4 ,that some of these early bacili so well known and apparently the work of one artist were made at ,pesaro1 whence the secret and probably the artist passed to ,gubbio1 is far from improbable4 ,the reason for this emigration is not known1 but it may be surmised that the large quantity of broom and other brush-wood1 necessary for the reducing process of the reverberatory furnace in which this lustre was produced1 might have been more abundantly supplied by the hills of ,gubbio than in the vicinity of the larger city on the coast4 ,that the process of producing these metallic effects was costly1 we gather from ,piccolpasso's statement that sometimes not more than six pieces out of a hundred succeeded in the firing4 ,the fame of the ,gubbio wares is associated almost entirely with one name1 that of ,giorgio ,andreoli4 ,we learn from the marchese ,brancaleoni that this artist was the son of ,pietro1 of a 8,castello0 called 8,judeo10 in the diocese of ,pavia2 and that1 accompanied by his brother ,salimbene1 he went to ,gubbio in the second half of the #aeth century4 ,he appears to have left and again returned thither in #adib1 accompanied by his younger brother ,giovanni4 ,they were enrolled as citizens on the #bcrd ,may #adih1 on pain of forfeiting #ejj ducats if they left the city in which they engaged to continue practising their ceramic art4 ,patronised by the dukes of ,urbino1 ,giorgio was made 8castellano0 of ,gubbio4 ,passeri states that the family was noble in ,pavia4 ,it is not known why or when he was created a 8,maestro10 a title prized even more than nobility1 but it is to be presumed that it took place at the time of his enrolment as a citizen2 his name with the title 8,maestro0 first appearing on a document dated that same year1 #adih4 ,piccolpasso states that ,maiolica painters were considered noble by profession4 ,the family of ,andreoli and the 8,casa0 still exist in ,gubbio1 and it was asserted by his descendant ,girolamo ,andreoli1 who died some #dj years since1 that political motives induced their emigration from ,pavia4 ,maestro ,giorgio was an artist by profession1 not only as a draughtsman but as a modeller1 and being familiar with the enamelled terra cottas of ,luca della ,robbia is said to have executed with his own hands and in their manner large altar-pieces4 ,we were once disposed to think that great confusion existed in respect to these altar-pieces in rilievo1 and were inclined to the belief that although some of the smaller lustred works may have been modelled by ,giorgio the larger altar-pieces were really only imported by him4 ,judging from the most important which we have been able to examine1 the 8,madonna del ,rosario0 portions of which are in the museum at ,frankfort-on-the-,maine1 it seemed to approach more nearly to the work of some member of the ,della ,robbia family4 ,this fine work is in part glazed1 and in part coloured in distemper on the unglazed terra cotta1 in which respect it precisely agrees with works known to have been executed by ,andrea della ,robbia assisted by his sons4 ,there are no signs of the application of the lustre colours to any portion of the work1 but this might be accounted for by the great risk of failure in the firing1 particularly to pieces of such large size and in high relief4 ,be this as it may1 from a further consideration of the style of this work and the record of others1 some of which are heightened with the lustre colours1 and the fact stated by the marchese ,brancaleoni that a receipt for an altar-piece is still preserved in the archives of ,gubbio1 we are inclined to think that history must be correct in attributing these important works in ceramic sculpture to ,m ,giorgio ,andreoli4 ,if they were his unassisted work1 he deserves as high a place among the modellers of his period as he is acknowledged to have among artistic potters4 ,to go back twelve years in the history of the products of this fabrique1 we have in the ,south ,kensington museum a very interesting example of a work in rilievo1 no4 #bfja1 a figure of ,s4 ,sebastian1 lustred with the gold and ruby pigments1 and dated #aeja4 ,notwithstanding its inferiority of modelling when compared with later works1 we are in little doubt that this is by ,m ,giorgio's own hand1 agreeing as it does in the manner of its painted outline and shading with the treatment of subjects on the earlier dishes1 believed to be by him4 ,we must also bear in mind that an interval of twelve years had elapsed between this comparatively crude work1 and that beautiful altar-piece whose ,illustration excellence causes us some doubt in ascribing it to his unaided hand2 and we may observe at the same time an equal difference in the merit of his own painted pieces4 ,the small bowl here engraved is of about this period1 and is characteristic of a style of ornament commonly found upon ,gubbio ware4 ,this is now at ,illustration ,south ,kensington4 ,we add also another piece1 no4 #hijf2 well worth the attention of a student1 as exhibiting the full power ,illustration attainable by the introduction of the lustre tints4 ,the yellow has a full rich golden tone1 and the ruby a pure vivid red4 ,passeri states that ,giorgio brought the secret of the ruby lustre with him from ,pavia1 and ,m4 ,jacquemart infers that he must have produced works at ,pavia before going to ,gubbio2 but we are inclined to think with ,mr4 ,robinson that it was from an artist previously working at ,gubbio that he acquired the art and the monopoly of the ruby tint2 and it is by no means improbable that this artist1 or his predecessor1 may have emigrated from ,pesaro as stated above4 ,the following conclusions arrived at by ,mr4 ,robinson after the careful study of a vast number of examples of the ,gubbio and other works are endorsed by the writer1 who1 having contributed some few of the facts upon which those conclusions were based1 has himself examined the contents of the principal ,european collections4 ,those conclusions are3-- #ast4 ,that maestro ,giorgio did not invent the ruby lustre1 but succeeded to and monopolized the use of a pigment1 used by an earlier artist of ,gubbio4 #b;d4 ,that the signed works were really painted by several distinct hands4 #c;d4 ,that his own work may be distinguished with approximate certainty4 #dth4 ,that probably nearly all the 8istoriati0 pieces 7#aecj-ej7 of ,urbino1 ,castel ,durante1 or other fabriques1 enriched with lustre1 were so decorated by a subsequent operation at the ,giorgio botega2 and1 #eth4 ,consequently1 the use of lustre colours was mainly confined to ,gubbio1 where painted wares by ,xanto and other artists working at ,urbino and other places1 were sent to be lustred4 ,before entering upon the subject of maestro ,giorgio's own works it will be necessary to glance at the earlier productions of his predecessors and probable instructors4 ,in the absence of more positive evidence of the manufacture of early lustred wares at ,pesaro1 and with a view to keeping all the lustred wares together as much as possible1 we have thought it more convenient to include in the large catalogue those pieces which may probably have been made at that city among the lustred wares of ,gubbio1 always affixing to each such piece the name of ,pesaro and of ,gubbio with a 7871 and arranging them as a separate class4 ,and in order to facilitate the methodical study of the rise and development of the art at ,gubbio we have classified the lustred wares in the following manner1 and in probable sequence of date3-- ,a4 ,works ascribed to ,pesaro 7or ,gubbio871 the typical 8bacili0 referred to by ,passeri1 c4 ,b4 ,works believed of the early master who preceded ,m ,giorgio at ,gubbio4 ,c4 ,works ascribed to maestro ,giorgio's own hand4 ,d4 ,works of the fabrique1 and pieces painted by unknown artists1 though bearing the initials of the master4 ,e4 ,works by the artist signing ,n4 and by his assistants4 ,f4 ,works painted by other artists at other fabriques1 and subsequently lustred at ,gubbio4 ,g4 ,works of ,m ,prestino1 and of the later period4 ,of the first class ,a4 are those early 8mezza-maiolica0 dishes having a lustre of a peculiar pearly effect3 these are frequently painted with portraits and armorial bearings1 and have by many writers been ascribed to the ,diruta potteries4 ,at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #gafj is a characteristic example of the usual type1 while in no4 #afjf we have an early specimen of the ruby lustre4 ,on the back of no4 #cjce is found the only mark with which ,i am acquainted on pieces of this class2 the well-known ,gubbio scroll executed in manganese colour on the course yellow glaze4 ,class ,b4 is important as connecting the former with the works of the ,gubbio furnaces4 ,no4 #gfhb is a typical piece1 bearing another variety of the ,gubbio scroll mark in dark colour4 ,class ,c4 contains of course the cream of the manufacture1 being the works assigned to ,m ,giorgio's own hand4 ,the museum series is very complete1 containing specimens from the earliest period of his unsigned work4 ,the deep tazza and large plateau1 both of which we engrave1 are admirable examples of this period4 ,the first dated piece in any collection which we have every reason to believe a work of maestro ,giorgio1 is the ,illustration rilievo of ,s4 ,sebastian 7shown in the woodcut1 p4 #aaf74 ,other but undated works in rilievo exist1 which1 as in this instance1 are heightened with the gold and ruby pigments4 ,the earliest example having a mark which may perhaps be that of ,giorgio1 and painted by him1 is a small plate in the possession of ,monsignore ,cajani2 a central medallion with half figure of ,s4 ,petronio1 surrounded by a border of the style of the early wares1 beautifully and carefully drawn and lustred with ruby and gold2 it is marked at the back with a sort of ,g1 intersected by a cross and a paraphe1 or flourish3 see p4 #abb4 ,we now come to the period of ,giorgio's signed pieces1 some of the first of which show to what perfection he had brought his art4 ,illustration ,the earliest known signed and dated piece is in the collection of ,mr4 ,robert ,napier2 the border is decorated with trophies1 c4 among which occurs the date #aeag written in blue1 while at the back #aeah is pencilled in lustre colours4 ,another plate of the same service and having the same initials of the owner1 a piece of exceeding beauty for the quality of the lustre colours1 is in the ,british museum2 we give 7p4 #abc7 a facsimile of the central initials and of the date on the back3 and also a woodcut 7p4 #abd71 from a small tazza at ,south ,kensington of about the same period4 ,mr4 ,robinson speaks of this specimen as 8being of the most perfect technique of the master2 and that1 although he was not a powerful draughtsman1 yet this single piece would suffice to establish his claims as a colourist40 ,illustration ,m ,giorgio's manner of decoration consists of foliated scrolls and other ornaments terminating in dolphins1 eagles1 and human heads1 trophies1 masks1 c42 in the drawing of which he exhibited considerable power with great facility of invention4 ,these 8grotesche0 differ materially from those of ,urbino and ,faenza1 approaching more to the style of some of the ,castel ,durante designs4 ,in the drawing of figures1 and of the nude1 ,giorgio cannot be ranked as an artist of the first class4 ,from #aeai his signature1 greatly varied1 occurs through succeeding years4 ,it would be useless to repeat the many varieties1 several of which will be seen in the large catalogue and among the marks on specimens in other collections4 ,we believe that to whim or accident may be ascribed those changes that have tasked the ingenuity of connoisseurs to read as other names4 ,his finer and more important pieces were generally signed in full 8,maestro ,giorgio da ,ugubio0 with the year1 and sometimes the day of the month4 ,about the year #aebe he executed some of his most beautiful works2 perhaps the finest large dish1 and of the highest quality which has been preserved to us1 was lately in the possession of the baronne de ,parpart2 we understand that it has been sold for #hhj4 ,in that piece a rich grotesque border surrounds the subject of ,diana and her nymphs1 surprised by ,acton2 on p4 #abe is a fac-simile1 half size1 of the signature at the back4 ,illustration ,in the next division ,d4 are the works of the fabrique under ,giorgio's direction1 and pieces which though manifestly painted by other hands are signed in lustre with his initials or full signature4 ,we have no means of learning what part his brothers undertook in the manufactory4 ,a separate division has also been formed of the works ascribed to or signed by the artist who used the letter ,n1 variously formed1 as his monogram4 ,mr4 ,robinson has ingeniously suggested that this letter1 containing as it does the ,illustration three1 ,v ,i and ,n1 may really have been adopted by 8,vincenzio10 the only one of his sons known to have assisted4 ,he succeeded ,m ,giorgio in the fabrique1 where he was generally known as ,m ,cencio4 ,brancaleoni states that he worked with his father till #aecf1 when he married and set up for himself4 ,there is little doubt that although ,m ,giorgio may himself have occasionally applied the lustre pigments with his own brush to the pieces painted by other artists at other places1 the majority of those so enriched were executed by his son or assistants4 ,m4 ,darcel thinks that this practice did not begin earlier than #aebe1 in which view we are inclined to agree4 ,illustration ,under division ,f4 will be found works of this kind1 among which the more interesting at ,south ,kensington are no4 #hhhf1 a fine portrait plate2 #dgbf having the painter's date and mark1 and that of him who lustred it2 the very remarkable plaque #ebj1 the work of ,orazio ,fontana1 with the monogram of ,giorgio2 and the small plate #hijg1 dated in lustre colour as late as #aedi4 ,the last division ,g4 contains works ascribed to him1 and examples of the decadence of the lustred wares4 ,before closing our observations on the splendid products of this abundant pottery1 we will refer to several marks which occur on pieces in all probability made and painted there but some of which we are unable to explain4 ,a plate with bust portrait of a warrior1 in the collection of ,m4 ,meurnier1 of ,paris1 having four coats of arms on the border and the letters ,y4 ,a4 ,e41 is inscribed on the face with the name 8,gabriel4 da4 ,gubbio40 ,this doubtless is a portrait plate1 and the letters may allude to the families or individuals whose arms are blazoned4 8,gualdo0 is said to be inscribed on a brilliantly lustred specimen which we have failed to trace1 and pieces in the ,louvre have been doubtingly classed under that name by ,m4 ,darcel4 ,a man's head1 rudely sketched in lustre colours1 occurs on the back of a plate in the ,british museum1 more probably an artist's whim than an intentional mark4 ,the letters ,,mr combined occur on a lustred piece1 perhaps a monogram of ,m4 ,prestino4 ,the letter ,p1 variously formed1 may also probably be his initial4 ,about #aefj-gj the use of the lustre pigments would seem to have been almost discontinued2 the secret of their proper composition and manipulation was lost during the general decline of ,italian artistic pottery1 and the death of ,guid' ,ubaldo ,,ii4 in #aegd was the 8coup-de-grce0 to the already much deteriorated wares of the duchy4 ,those beautiful colours1 known to the ,italians as 8rubino10 8cangiante10 8madreperla10 8a reverbero10 and to the ,french as 8reflet mtallique10 8nacr10 c4 have been to a certain extent reproduced4 ,unfortunately many pieces made in the manufactory at ,doccia have1 after chipping and scratching1 been palmed upon unwary amateurs as ancient specimens by unprincipled dealers at ,florence and elsewhere4 ,some of these modern examples are in the ceramic gallery at ,south ,kensington4 ,the most successful reproduction of the famous lustre has however been made at ,gubbio itself by an able young chemist and artist1 ,luigi ,carocci4 ,some of his productions are excellent1 though far from having those artistic qualities so apparent in the finer specimens of maestro ,giorgio's work4 ,although there can be little doubt that ,,castel ,,durante was one of the earliest sites of the manufacture of enamelled pottery in ,italy1 as well as one of the most fruitful not only of produce but of those potters who in their own city1 and at other establishments founded by them in various parts of ,italy1 spread the fame of the ,durantine wares and the ,durantine artists throughout ,europe1 it is remarkable that so few pieces have descended to us1 upon which the names of their authors are recorded1 or of the 8boteghe0 in which they were produced4 ,long lists are given by ,raffaelli and other writers1 but to identify the works of their hands is generally denied us1 from the absence of signed examples by which their style can be known4 ,from ,castel ,durante came the ,pelliparii who on establishing themselves at the capital city of the duchy took the name of ,fontana1 to which is attached some of the greatest triumphs of their art4 8,francesco10 the able painter who probably worked at ,urbino and afterwards at ,monte ,bagnolo near ,perugia1 was as he styled himself 8,durantino40 ,a new life seems to have been given to artistic pottery in ,venice by the immigration of a ,durantine artist ,francesco del ,vasaro in #aede2 and even later in the history1 when the independence of the duchy was oppressed and local patronage had waned1 another potter1 ,m ,diomede ,durante1 tried his fortune at ,rome4 ,others went to ,france1 ,flanders1 and ,corfu1 spreading the art which attained important development at ,nevers1 at ,lyons1 and other ,french centres4 ,castel ,durante1 which rose from the ruins of ,castel ,ripense in the thirteenth century1 took the appellation of ,urbania under the reign and in compliment to her native ,pope1 ,urban ,,viii4 ,it is now a small dull town on the banks of the ,metauro1 on the post-road from ,urbino to ,borgo ,san ,sepolcro1 and about thirteen ,italian miles distant from the former city4 ,the alluvial banks and deposits of the river furnished the material for her pottery4 ,signor ,raffaelli1 in his valuable 8,memorie10 surmises that the manufacture of glazed pottery1 as an art1 was introduced at the time when monsignor ,durante built a 8,castello0 at the badia of ,st4 ,cristoforo at ,cerreto on the ,metauro1 in #abhd1 as a place of security for the ,guelphs4 ,seventy years afterwards in #acfa the then deceased maestro ,giovanni dai ,bistugi of ,castel ,durante is referred to1 who probably was so named to distinguish him from the workers in glazed ware4 ,this glazed ware was doubtless the ordinary lead glazed pottery or 8mezza0 ware1 which preceded the use of that with stanniferous enamel and does not1 as ,m4 ,darcel would suggest1 afford any proof that the use of this enamel was known here before its application or stated discovery by ,luca della ,robbia4 ,at that time even these lead glazed wares were little known1 and it was not till #acjj that they seem to have become more generally adopted4 ,thenceforward their manufacture continued1 for in #acfd a work is mentioned on the bank of the torrent ,maltempo at 8,pozzarelli10 perhaps so named from the pits dug for extracting the loam4 ,the early wares were coarse1 painted with coats of arms and half figures1 the flesh being left white and the dress in gay colours4 ,in #aejj both the 8mezza0 and the enamelled wares1 as well as the 8sgraffio0 work1 were made4 ,the beautiful 8amatoria0 plate which we engrave was about this date1 and shows the beginning of a style of decoration which afterwards prevailed in a more developed form at this fabrique4 ,the manufacture was at its perfection about #aebe and #aecj1 and continued to produce good wares even till #aehj4 ,it would appear that the great artists only painted the more important subject of the piece1 leaving the ornamentation to be finished by the pupils and assistants4 ,piccolpasso informs us that the earth or loam gathered on the banks of the ,metauro1 near ,castel ,durante1 is of superior quality for the manufacture of pottery4 ,a variety called 8celestrina0 was used for making the seggers1 8astucci10 when mixed with the 8terra rossa20 but for the finer class of work the loam deposited by the river which when washed was called 8bianco allattato10 and when of a blue shade of colour1 was reserved for the more important pieces4 ,the turnings of this variety mixed with the shavings of woollen cloth were used to attach the handles and other moulded ornaments1 and was known as 8barbatina40 ,the red pigment of ,faenza1 called 8vergiliotto0 was not used at ,castel ,durante4 ,we presume this colour to be that ochreous red employed for heightening and shading the draperies1 c4 by the painters of the ,fontana fabrique at ,urbino1 and that of ,lanfranco at ,pesaro1 and some others2 if so1 the absence or presence of it would be useful as evidence in determining the origin of a piece4 ,illustration ,signor ,raffaelli thinks that many of the wares generally known as of ,urbino were so called from the province1 and frequently included those which were really the produce of ,castel ,durante4 ,passeri also speaks in high commendation of the ,durantine wares1 and ,pozzi states that it was the rival of and only second to ,faenza in the quality of its productions4 ,the fatal blow to this branch of industry was the death of the last duke1 ,francesco ,maria ,,ii4 in #afca1 when there being no longer a court the trade declined1 money became scarce1 and the artists emigrated4 ,of signed examples of the wares of ,castel ,durante1 the earliest piece known is the beautiful bowl belonging to ,mrs4 ,h4 ,t4 ,hope which was exhibited in the ,loan collection4 ,the ground of this piece is of an intense dark and rich blue1 entirely covered with a decoration of grotesques1 among which occurs a shield of arms of the ,delia ,rovere family surmounted by the papal tiara and the keys1 proving it to have been made for pope ,julius ,,ii42 trophies of books1 festoons of drapery and1 above1 a boy angel holding a 8veronica0 or napkin impressed with the face of the ,saviour4 ,at the sides other trophies1 satyrs1 cupids1 and interlaced foliage are richly and harmoniously disposed1 among which are two labels inscribed respectively 8,iv4 ,,ii4 ,pon4 ,max40 and 8,tu4 es4 sacerdos4 i eter40 8,in the design and execution of the painting10 says ,mr4 ,robinson1 in his catalogue of that famous collection1 8splendour of colour1 and perfection of enamel glaze1 this magnificent piece is a triumph of the art40 ,on the same occasion ,mr4 ,morland exhibited a piece by the same hand1 and we think we recognize variations of the same manner in two examples now in the ,south ,kensington museum1 nos4 #agbh and #agce4 ,in the rich and even quality of the glaze1 the tendency to that form of decoration known as 8a candeliere0 7as in the vase engraved71 mixed grotesques1 trophies of musical instruments1 and cupids1 in a style of painting which is free and at the same time firm and sure1 and in the full yet soft colouring1 we see in ,mrs4 ,hope's bowl a commencement of what became a very general manner in the decoration of the ,durantine wares4 ,of eleven years later we have the pharmacy jars which must have formed portions of a large and important service1 one of which is in the ,british museum and another in the ,south ,kensington4 ,the signature on the ,british museum jar states1 8,ne la botega d' ,sebastiano d' ,marforia10 and 8,a di xi de ,octobre fece #aeai10 and again at the base1 8,in ,castel dur40 ,on p4 #acb is a woodcut of a mark in yellow1 on a plate in the same museum1 on which is the subject of ,dido and ,ascanius4 ,illustration ,it would seem that this fabrique continued to flourish when those of ,urbino and ,pesaro had comparatively decayed2 this may partly have been owing to the encouragement given by the duke ,francesco ,maria ,,ii4 7#aegd to #afca71 who frequently resided at ,castel ,durante and took some interest in the manufacture4 ,it however only produced at this period works of more general utility1 artistic and ornamental pieces being the exception4 ,illustration ,the wares of ,castel ,durante are generally to be recognised by a pale buff coloured paste1 and great richness and purity of the glaze4 ,the plates 7of which we give three woodcuts1 from examples at ,south ,kensington1 nos4 #hidg1 #hifj1 and #dac7 are rarely decorated at the back1 but like those of ,urbino and ,pesaro are generally edged with yellow on the subject pieces1 and with grey white on those having grotesques1 which are in low olive tint on a blue ground4 ,the colours are sometimes rather pale but harmonious and the carnations are of an olive tint1 thought by some a distinguishing mark of the fabrique2 while the absence of the ochreous red pigment so noticeable on the ,urbino and ,pesaro 8istoriati0 pieces is remarkable4 ,in the draperies painted upon these wares blue and ochreous yellow predominate4 ,broadly treated grotesques and trophies of arms1 musical instruments1 books1 c4 frequently painted in camaeu of greenish grey on a blue ground1 are favourite subjects of ornament2 these also ,illustration occur painted in rich colours1 among which a deep clear brown ,illustration may be noted1 and surrounding medallions having portrait or fanciful heads on a yellow ground4 ,subject pieces do not appear to have been so abundantly painted at ,castel ,durante as at the neighbouring fabriques1 and such pieces to which the lustre enrichment has been added are still less frequent4 ,illustration ,many of the tazze the whole surfaces of which are covered with a portrait head may probably be assigned to this place1 where there would appear to have been one or two artists who made almost a specialty of this style of decoration4 ,the ,south ,kensington museum is rich in these portrait plates2 among them is a remarkable example on which a likeness of ,pietro ,perugino in full face is portrayed 7p4 #ace7 and which we are disposed to assign to this fabrique1 but always with some hesitation4 ,another class of pieces which we believe to have been for the most part made at ,castel ,durante is that ornamented with oak branches painted yellow on a blue ground1 and sometimes in relief1 surrounding a small medallion central portrait or imaginary head4 ,castel ,durante seems to have supplied a larger number of pharmacy jars1 vases and bottles1 than any other fabrique perhaps with the exception of ,faenza4 ,the blue and yellow draperies of the earlier period were also a leading feature in the revival after #agcj1 and a washy green was also used2 the drawing was good and some of the landscape pieces excellent1 of careful finish1 soft colouring and good arial perspective4 ,it is very probable1 however1 that many pieces of this period were really the produce of ,castelli or ,naples4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,urbino4 ,although not to be ranked with the earliest seats of the manufacture of artistic pottery in ,italy1 there is no place so much associated with these beautiful productions of the potter's art as the small city of ,urbino1 whence1 indeed1 was derived one of the names by which it is distinguished4 ,crowning a steep among the many hills of ,umbria1 remarkable in the landscape from her picturesque position and the towering palace of her dukes1 ,urbino is one of those very curious cities with which ,italy abounds1 and which centre round themselves an individual history of the greatest interest4 ,what giants of art and of literature were born or nurtured in that little town6 now so neglected and unknown4 ,he who1 climbing the steep ascent and tortuous narrow streets1 has visited the deserted halls and richly decorated cabinets of her palace1 and has travelled through the beauteous scenery of her neighbourhood1 to where the delicious valley of the ,tiber bursts upon the sight1 will never forget the impressions that they leave4 ,in proof of the antiquity of ceramic industry of a more ordinary kind in the vicinity of this city1 ,pungileoni tells us that an antique amphora was not long since discovered in the grounds of the ,villa ,gaisa1 hard by the river ,isauro1 and that near to it were also found remains of a potter's furnace4 ,this1 however1 does not prove the early establishment of a fabrique of glazed or enamelled decorative wares4 ,marryat states that in a register of ,urbino dated #adgg one ,giovanni di ,donino ,garducci is mentioned as a potter of that place1 but it is not till #aeja that any further record occurs4 ,in that year an assortment of vases1 dishes1 c4 were ordered to be made for the use of the cardinal di ,carpaccio1 and among them are mentioned 8bacili0 having the arms of the cardinal in the centre1 and water 8boccali0 or jugs with little lions on the covers4 ,the earliest pieces now known to us1 which can with any certainty be ascribed to the potteries of ,urbino1 are probably those of the ,gonzaga-,este service1 which are undoubtedly the work of ,nicola da ,urbino2 these must have been painted between the period of the marriage of the marquis with ,isabella d' ,este1 in #adij1 and before her death in #aeci4 ,we have no account of the precise date at which the ,pellipario1 afterwards ,fontana1 family came from ,castel ,durante and settled at ,urbino1 but we have documentary proof that 8,guido ,niccolai ,pellipario figulo da ,durante10 or 8,guido1 son of ,nicola ,pellipario1 potter of ,durante10 was established at ,urbino in #aebj4 ,from this period through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries a number of pieces are dated and signed by various artists1 or as having been made in the boteghe of various maestri of ,urbino4 ,we are obliged to refer the reader to the large catalogue1 in detail1 of the ,south ,kensington collection of maiolica1 for an account of the works of the more important of these artists under their respective names1 beginning with ,nicola as the earliest of whom we have known examples2 the ,fontana family1 and of ,guido ,durantino2 the works of ,fra ,xanto2 of ,francesco ,durantino2 of the ,patanazzi2 not omitting those of other artists of the fabrique1 of whom we have smaller record in remaining examples or documentary history4 ,there seems little doubt that the revival or perhaps the first introduction of artistic ceramic manufacture to ,urbino was under the influence of ,guidobaldo ,i41 and that many of the potters and nearly all the more important artists immigrated from ,castel ,durante4 ,long lists of names have been published by ,raffaelli1 but it is difficult to distinguish between the more ordinary potters and the artists1 whose works we are unable to recognise from the absence of signed specimens4 ,our space here will allow us to do little more than mention their names4 ,considerable uncertainty exists and some confusion has arisen among connoisseurs in respect to the works of the very able artist ,nicola da ,urbino1 and as to his connection with the ,fontana family and fabrique at ,urbino1 the latter still a disputed and undecided question2 as also to the marks on various pieces attributable to his hand only1 but which have been assigned by ,m4 ,jacquemart to the fabrique of ,ferrara1 and by other writers to various painters and localities4 ,there are no pieces marked or signed by this artist in the ,south ,kensington museum1 but it possesses some examples of his work4 ,a certain similarity in some of his less careful pieces has caused them1 not unfrequently1 to be attributed to ,xanto1 but a closer study of his manner will show it to be really very distinct4 ,the first signed piece is in the ,british museum1 a plate1 representing a sacrifice to ,diana1 and inscribed on the reverse as in the opposite woodcut4 ,comparing this mark with those of the ,gonzaga-,este service1 ,mr4 ,franks arrived at the conclusion that they also were painted by ,nicola in his most careful manner2 the clue thus found1 he ingeniously deciphered the monogram on the beautiful fragment in the ,sauvageot collection painted with a group from the ,parnassus of ,raffaelle1 as clearly and unmistakably by the same hand4 ,the manner of ,nicola is remarkable for a sharp and careful outline of the figures1 the features clearly defined but with much delicacy of touch1 the eyes1 mouth1 and nostrils denoted by a clear black spot1 the faces oval1 derived from the ,greek model1 a free use of yellow and a pale yellow green1 a tightening of the ankle and a peculiar rounding of the knee1 the hair and beard of the older heads heightened with white2 the architecture bright and distinct2 the landscape background somewhat carefully rendered in dark blue against a golden sky2 and lastly1 the stems of the trees1 strangely tortuous1 are coloured brown1 strongly marked with black lines1 as also are the rolled up clouds2 these are treated in a manner not very true to nature4 ,illustration ,few ,maiolica painters have produced works of greater beauty than the plates of the ,gonzaga-,este service1 which are equally excellent in the quality of glaze and the brilliancy of colour4 ,with regard to the ,fontana family1 chiefs among ,italian ceramic artists1 we quote from the notice by ,mr4 ,robinson appended to the ,soulages catalogue4 ,he tells us that 8,the celebrity of one member of this family has been long established by common consent4 ,orazio ,fontana has always occupied the highest place in the scanty list of ,maiolica artists1 although at the same time nothing was definitely known of his works4 ,unlike their contemporary1 ,xanto1 the ,fontana seem but rarely to have signed their productions1 and consequently their reputation as yet rests almost entirely on tradition1 on incidental notices in writings which date back to the age in which they flourished1 and on facts extracted at a recent period from local records4 ,no connected account of this family has as yet been attempted1 although the materials are somewhat less scanty than usual4 ,there can be no doubt that a considerable proportion of the products of the ,fontana #8boteghe' is still extant1 and that future observations will throw light on much that is now obscure in the history of this notable race of industrial artists4 ,orazio ,fontana1 whose renown seems to have completely eclipsed that of the other members of his family and in fact of all the other ,urbinese artists1 is first mentioned by ,baldi1 at the beginning of the seventeenth century1 in his eulogy of the state of ,urbino pronounced before duke ,francesco ,maria ,,ii40 8,from documents cited by ,raffaelli1 it is established beyond doubt that the original family name was ,pellipario1 of ,castel ,durante1 ,fontana being an adopted surname2 and it is not immaterial to observe that down to the latest mention of any one of the family 7in #afje7 they are invariably described as of ,castel ,durante40 8,the ,fontana were undoubtedly manufacturers as well as artists1 i4e41 they were the proprietors of #8vaserie4' ,of the first ,nicola1 as we have only a brief incidental notice1 nothing positive can be affirmed3 but with respect to his son ,guido1 we have the testimony both of works still extant1 and of contemporary documents4 ,we know also that ,guido's son ,orazio also had a manufactory of his own1 and the fact is established1 that between #aefe and #aega there were two distinct ,fontana manufactories1--those of father and son4 ,what became of ,orazio's establishment after his death1 whether continued by his brother ,camillo1 or reunited to that of the father1 there is no evidence to show4 ,with respect to the remaining members of the family1 our information is of the scantiest kind4 ,camillo1 who was inferior in reputation as a painter only to his elder brother1 appears to have been invited to ,ferrara by duke ,alfonso ,,ii41 and to have introduced the ,maiolica manufacture into that city4 ,of ,nicola1 the third 787 son1 we have only incidental mention in a legal document1 showing that he was alive in the year #aegj4 ,guido1 son of ,camillo1 lived till #afje2 and of ,flaminio1 who may either have been son of ,camillo or of ,nicola1 ,dennistoun's vague notice asserting his settlement in ,florence is all ,i have been able to collect4 ,no signed pieces of ,camillo1 ,flaminio1 ,nicola the second1 or ,guido the second1 have as yet been observed4 8,a considerable proportion of the ,fontana maiolica is doubtless still extant2 and it is desirable to endeavour to identify the works of the individual members of the family1 without which the mere knowledge of their existence is of very little moment2 but this is no easy task2 although specimens from the hands of one or other of them are to be undoubtedly found in almost every collection1 the work of comparison and collation has as yet been scarcely attempted4 ,the similarity of style and technical characteristics of the several artists moreover1 working as they did with the same colours on the same quality of enamel ground1 and doubtless in intimate communication with each other1 resolves itself into such a strong family resemblance1 that it will require the most minute and careful observation1 unremittingly continued1 ere the authorship of the several specimens can be determined with anything like certainty4 ,the evidence of signed specimens is of course the most to be relied on1 and is indeed indispensable in giving the clue to complete identification in the first instance2 but in the case of the ,fontana family a difficulty presents itself which should be noticed in the outset4 ,this difficulty arises in determining the authorship of the pieces signed #8,fatto in botega1' c4 c42 a mode of signature1 in fact1 which proves very little in determining individual characteristics1 inasmuch as apparently nearly all the works so inscribed are painted by other hands than that of the proprietor of the ,vaseria4 ,in cases1 however1 in which the artist has actually signed or initialed pieces with his own name1 of course no such difficulty exists1 but the certainty acquired by this positive evidence is as yet confined in the case of the ,fontana family to their greatest name1 ,orazio40 ,we regret that our limits prevent further quotation from ,mr4 ,robinson's valuable remarks4 ,it is a matter of uncertainty whether ,guido ,fontana and ,guido ,durantino were the same person or rival maestri2 and we are disposed to the former opinion1 from the fact that in the documents quoted by ,pungileoni no other 8,vasaio0 named ,guido1 and of ,castel ,durante1 is named4 ,the pieces inscribed as having been made in their boteghe although painted by different hands may1 by the wording of their inscriptions afford some explanation2 thus1 on the ,sta4 ,cecilia plate painted by ,nicola1 he ,illustration writes in #aebh1 8fata in botega di ,guido da ,castello d',urante in ,urbino10 from which we argue a connexion with the ,fontana4 ,unfortunately1 we know no piece signed as actually painted by the hand of ,guido ,fontana1 but as he took that cognomen after settling in ,urbino it would be more probable that he would himself apply it on his own work2 whereas ,nicola 7presumably his father71 on a piece of earlier date1 retained the name of their native castello4 ,by others the botega would long be known as that of the 8durantini10 and that it retained that appellation ,illustration even in the following generation is proved by the occasional reference to ,orazio ,fontana as of ,castel ,durante4 ,we give a woodcut of an example of the highest quality2 a pilgrim's bottle1 at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #hdjh4 ,the manner of the painter of these pieces approaches very much to that of ,orazio but is less refined and rich in colouring wanting that harmony and power of expression for which he was remarkable2 the drawing is more correct and careful than on some of ,orazio's work1 but is more dry and on the surface2 there is great force and movement in the figures and the landscape backgrounds are finished with much care and effect1 sometimes covering the whole piece2 the foliage of the trees is also well rendered4 ,the celebrated vases made for the spezieria of the duke were produced at the ,fontana fabrique1 and subsequently presented to the ,santa ,casa at ,loreto where many of them are still preserved4 ,those shown to the writer on his visit to that celebrated shrine some few years since did not strike him as being of such extraordinary beauty and great artistic excellence1 as the high-flown eulogy bestowed upon them by some writers would have led him to expect4 ,the majority of the pieces are drug pots of a not unusual form1 but all or nearly all of them are 8istoriati10 instead of being1 as is generally the case1 simply decorated with 8trofei10 8foglie10 8grotesche10 the more usual and less costly ornamentation4 ,some of the pieces have serpent handles1 mask spouts1 c4 but he vainly looked for the magnificent vases of unsurpassed beauty1 nor indeed did he see anything equal to the shaped pieces preserved in the ,bargello at ,florence4 ,the work of the well-known hands of the ,fontana fabrique is clearly recognisable1 and several pieces are probably by ,orazio4 ,some1 more important1 preserved in a low press were finer examples4 ,we have said that the pieces individually are not so striking but taken as a whole it is a very remarkable service1 said to have originally numbered #chj vases1 all painted with subjects after the designs of ,battista ,franco1 ,giulio ,romano1 ,angelo1 and ,raffaelle2 and as the work of one private artistic pottery in the comparatively remote capital of a small duchy1 it bears no slight testimony to the extraordinary development of every branch of art-industry in the various districts of ,italy during the sixteenth century4 ,they were made by order of ,guidobaldo ,,ii41 but on the accession of ,francesco ,maria ,,ii4 in #aegd he found the financial condition of the duchy in a state so embarrassed that he was obliged to devote less attention to the encouragement of art4 ,he abdicated in favour of the ,holy ,see and died in #afca4 ,the vases of the ,spezieria were presented to our ,lady of ,loreto1 while his valuable art collections were removed to ,florence4 ,on the vases of ,loreto1 says ,mr4 ,marryat1 8the subjects are the four evangelists1 the twelve apostles1 ,st4 ,john1 ,st4 ,paul1 ,susannah and ,job4 ,the others represent incidents in the ,old ,testament1 actions of the ,romans1 their naval battles and the metamorphoses of ,ovid4 ,on eighty-five of the vases are pourtrayed the games of children1 each differing from the other4 ,these vases are highly prized for their beauty as well as for their variety4 ,they have been engraved by ,bartoli4 ,a ,grand ,duke of ,florence was so desirous of purchasing them1 that he proposed giving in exchange a like number of silver vessels of equal weight2 while ,christina of ,sweden was known to say1 that of all the treasures of the ,santa ,casa she esteemed these the most4 ,louis ,,xiv4 is reported to have offered for the four evangelists and ,st4 ,paul an equal number of gold statues40 ,with his other art treasures the ornamental vases and vessels of the credenza1 among which were doubtless some of the choicest productions of the ,urbino furnaces made for ,guidobaldo1 must have been in great part removed to ,florence2 and there accordingly we find some remarkable specimens4 ,for many years neglected1 these noble pieces were placed almost out of observation on the top of cases which contained the ,etruscan and other antique vases in the gallery of the ,uffizi4 ,when more general interest was excited on the subject of the renaissance pottery these examples were removed to another room4 ,they now occupy central cases in one of the rooms of the ,bargello1 used as a museum of art objects1 and form a magnificent assemblage of vases1 ewers1 vasques1 pilgrim's bottles1 and other shaped pieces1 dishes1 and salvers1 perhaps the richest that has descended collectively to our days1 and among which may be recognised the works of all the more important ceramic artists of ,urbino4 ,portions of a magnificent service of the best period of ,orazio ,fontana's botega are dispersed in various collections1 as also some pieces of equally rich quality made after the same models1 but which were probably of another 8credenza40 ,two of the former were exhibited at the loan exhibition in #ahfb1 by baron ,anthony de ,rothschild4 ,they are large oval dishes with raised medallion centres1 and having the surface1 both internally and outside1 divided into panels by raised strap work springing from masks1 with ornamental moulded borders1 c4 ,these panels1 edged with cartouche ornament1 are painted with subjects from the ,spanish romance of ,amadis de ,gaul1 and on the reverse are inscriptions in that language corresponding with the panel illustrations4 ,the central subject is not of the same series1 but represents boys shooting at a target1 on one dish1 and warriors fighting1 upon the other4 ,the border is painted with admirable ,urbino grotesques on a brilliant white ground4 ,the size of these pieces is #b ft4 #b in4 by #a4h in4 ,it appears that the ,fontana botega was neither founded nor maintained although greatly encouraged and patronised by the duke ,guidobaldo1 but was solely created by the enterprise and sustained by the united industry of the family4 ,orazio died on the #crd ,august #aega4 ,by his will he left his wife #djj scudi1 c4 and power to remain in partnership with his nephew ,flaminio1 with a view to the benefit of his only daughter1 ,virginia1 who had married into the ,giunta family when young4 ,we think there is every probability that the fabrique was so continued1 and that a numerous class1 having the character of the wares of the botega but of inferior artistic merit and showing the general decadence of the period1 may with probability be attributed to it4 ,on many of the grand pieces of the ,fontana fabrique the work of another hand is seen1 which differs from the acknowledged manner of ,orazio4 ,they are among the most decorative productions of the factory1 large round dishes with grotesque borders on a white ground1 shaped pieces similarly decorated1 and having panels of subject executed by the artist in question2 others also where the subject covers the whole surface of the dish4 ,we have no clue to the name of this able painter1 but we would venture to suggest the great probability that these were the work of ,camillo1 who is said to have been an artist only inferior in merit to ,orazio himself4 ,in manner they approach nearly to1 and are difficult to distinguish from1 the finer examples of the ,lanfranchi fabrique at ,pesaro2 less powerful and broad than the work of ,orazio1 and less careful in drawing than those ascribed to ,guido1 they approach the former in the blending of the colours and rich soft effect of surface1 while a similar mode of rendering various objects1 as stones1 water1 trees1 c4 pervades all three1 with slight individual variations4 ,a peculiar elongation of the figures1 and narrowing of the knee and ankle joints are characteristics of this hand1 as also a transparent golden hue to the flesh4 ,we are almost wholly in the dark as to the clever painters of the grotesques on a pure white ground which so charmingly decorate many of the noblest productions of ,orazio's furnace4 ,the work of two or more hands is manifest on various pieces of the best period2 one1 perhaps the most able1 is constantly seen on pieces1 the istoriati panels or interiors of which are painted by ,orazio himself or by the artist whose works we have just considered1 and may1 perhaps1 also have been by the hand of the latter1 a similar method of heightening with small strokes of red colour being observable on both4 ,gironimo1 by whom we have a signed piece in the ,south ,kensington museum1 no4 #dced1 may have been another1 but his manner is of a somewhat later character4 ,of ,nicola1 jun41 we know nothing2 he is mentioned in his father's wills made in #aegj and #aegf2 and that he was unfortunate or improvident would seem probable from the fact that in the deed of contract between ,orazio and his father on the occasion of his setting up for himself in #aefe he agrees to keep and provide for ,domitilla and ,flaminio1 children of his brother ,nicola1 for the space of three years4 ,flaminio the nephew1 son of ,nicola1 continued the works and was a favourite of the dukes ,guidobaldo and ,francesco ,maria2 it is said that the latter took him to ,florence to teach and aid pupils studying under ,bartolomeo degli ,ammanati1 where he remained for some years4 ,under the fabrique of ,caffaggiolo we find pieces which may perhaps have been produced under the influence of this member of the family4 ,in form and decoration with grotesques they are a poor reminiscence of the superior works of an earlier period4 ,the work of another1 a later and inferior hand1 probably of the ,fontana fabrique1 is abundant in collections2 his manner is between that of the ,fontana and of the ,patanazzi2 free and effective1 but loose and careless2 the ,fontana pigments are used1 and occasionally pieces occur painted with greater pains4 ,many vases with serpent handles and other shaped pieces were painted by this hand1 of whose name we have no record1 and it would be only guessing to suggest that ,guido ,fontana1 junior1 the son of ,camillo1 who died in #afje1 may have been their author4 ,another important artist of the ,urbino fabrique was ,,francesco ,,xanto1 who1 like ,giorgio1 adopted the unusual habit of signing in various forms the greater number of the pieces which he painted4 ,although we cannot but appreciate the modesty1 the 8,lamp of ,sacrifice10 which induced so many of the earlier and contemporary artists of the highest excellence to refrain from attaching their names to the works of their hands1 or at the most to sign a few of their admirable productions in monogram1 we must regret their having used so much reserve1 and that in consequence conjecture must take so large a place in the history of this branch of artistic handicraft4 ,we have little other information of this painter beyond what is conveyed by the inscriptions on pieces by his hand4 ,his name is mentioned by ,rog4 ,vincenzo ,vanni1 on the #bith ,march #aeci1 as 8,franciscus ,xatis fictilinus vasorum pictor egregius40 ,a native of ,rovigo1 he seems to have settled at ,urbino and there produced all his works4 ,his true name1 gathered from his varied signatures1 would appear to be ,francesco ,xanto ,avelli da ,rovigo1 and the dates of his signed works extend from #aecj to #aedb1 although it is highly probable that many existing undated pieces were executed before1 and perhaps after those dates4 ,his earlier works are generally more fully signed1 while many of the latter have only one or two initial letters4 ,works by ,xanto are to be found in almost every collection of any note1 and among them are examples of high artistic excellence1 although very many betray want of care and hasty execution4 ,it appears that many of his pieces were subsequently enriched with the golden and ruby lustre colour at the botega of ,m ,giorgio1 and ,m ,n at ,gubbio2 and1 indeed1 it was mainly by the observation of these1 so distinctly painted and signed by ,xanto at ,urbino1 and to which the metallic reflet had been added evidently by a subsequent process1 that it was inferred that the lustre was a special enrichment applied at another fabrique to works painted elsewhere4 ,of ,xanto's style and merits as an artist ,mr4 ,robinson writes3 8,xanto's works may be considered to represent perfectly the #8,majoliche istoriate1' and he certainly had a talent for the arrangement of his works in composition1 nearly all his subjects being #8pasticci'2 the various figures or groups introduced being the invention of other artists copied with adroit variations over and over again1 and made to do duty in the most widely different characters4 ,as an original artist1 if indeed he can be so considered1 he may be classed with the more mannered of the scholars of ,raffaelle4 ,his designs are generally from classical or mythological subjects4 ,xanto's execution1 although dexterous1 is monotonous and mechanical2 his scale of colouring is crude and positive1 full of violent oppositions2 the only merit1 if merit it be1 being that of a certain force and brightness of aspect2 in every other respect his colouring is commonplace1 not to say disagreeable even2 blue1 crude opaque yellow1 and orange tints1 and bright verdigris green are the dominant hues1 and are scattered over the pieces in full unbroken masses1 the yellow especially meeting the eye at the first glance4 ,in the unsigned pieces1 before #aeca1 the glaze is better and more transparent1 the execution more delicate1 and the outline more hard and black than in the later specimens4 ,some of ,xanto's wares are profusely enriched with metallic lustres1 including the beautiful ruby tint2 these specimens1 however1 form but a small per-centage of the entire number of his works extant4 ,this class of piece is1 moreover1 interesting from the fact that the iridescent colours were obviously not of ,xanto's own production1 but that on the contrary1 they were applied to his wares by ,m ,giorgio1 and the supposed continuers of ,giorgio's #8fabrique' in ,gubbio4 ,many pieces are extant1 which1 in addition to ,xanto's own signature1 nearly always written in dark blue or olive tint1 are likewise signed with the monagram ,n of the ,giorgio school in the lustre tint2 and one specimen at least has been observed which1 though painted by ,xanto1 has been signed in the lustre tint by ,maestro ,giorgio himself40 ,we cannot entirely agree with this somewhat severe judgment upon his artistic merits4 ,we have no evidence to confirm ,passeri's supposition that ,,battista ,,franco painted pieces and initialled them with the letters ,b4 ,f4 ,v4 ,f4 ,that artist was called to ,urbino in #aedj1 by ,guidobaldo ,,ii41 to make designs for various pieces1 and these initials are on some of the vases in the ,spezieria at ,loreto4 ,he returned to ,venice where he died in #aefa2 one of his cartoons for a plate is in the ,british museum1 and others are preserved4 ,of ,,francesco ,,durantino1 of ,urbino1 we know nothing more than his signed works1 and one of these gives rise to the question whether he ought to be ranked among the potters of ,urbino1 or as having a small establishment of his own at ,bagnolo1 or ,bagnara1 near ,perugia4 ,a plate in the ,british museum representing the meeting of ,coriolanus and his mother is signed 8frcesco durantino #aedd10 as in the woodcut4 ,illustration ,a yellow tone of flesh1 flowing drapery1 animals 7particularly horses7 drawn with great vigour of action1 a fine and delicate outline1 with careful execution but occasional weakness of effect and a peculiar softness on some of the smaller and more distant figures1 are characteristic of this artist's style3 the landscapes are executed with care and good effect4 ,an example in the ,british museum has1 however1 all the richness of colour and force of the works of the ,fontana4 ,,guido ,,merlingo or ,,merlini or ,,nerglino seems to have been a proprietor of a botega in ,urbino1 although his name does not occur as the actual painter4 ,in the ,brunswick museum a dish representing ,mark ,antony is signed1 8fate in botega di ,guido de ,nerglino40 ,in the ,louvre is a plate1 subject ,judith and ,holophernes1 signed at the back1 8ne #aeea fato in ,botega de ,guido ,merlino40 ,c,,sare ,,da ,,faenza worked in his fabrique about #aecf1 as proved by an agreement dated #ast ,january in that year1 in which he is styled 8,csare ,care ,carii ,faventinus40 ,among other recorded names are those of-- ,federigo di ,giannantonio1 ,nicolo di ,gabriele1 who worked about #aecj4 ,gian ,maria ,mariana1 ,simone di ,antonio ,mariani1 about #aedb4 ,rafaelle ,ciarla1 ,luca del fu ,bartolomeo1 about #aedd1 and ,guy1 from ,castel ,durante4 ,,francesco ,,silvano had a botega in ,urbino1 at which ,xanto worked in #aeda1 as proved by the signature on a plate representing the storming of ,goleta4 ,,georgio ,,picchi or ,,picci the younger1 of the ,durantine family1 painted at ,urbino4 ,pieces signed by him are extant4 ,borders of ,cupids among clouds or covering the surface is a favourite decoration4 ,in the decline of the ,urbino potteries must be placed the productions of the members of the ,,patanati or ,,patanazzi family4 ,they do not appear to have succeeded to any of the former eminent artists as masters of a fabrique1 but painted at the establishment of ,joseph ,batista ,boccione1 as we are informed by a signed example4 ,passeri only mentions them as being of a noble family and as finding their names inscribed on specimens which he instances4 ,one of these is at ,south ,kensington2 a large dish1 no4 #bfab1 signed ,,alf4 ,p4 ,f4 ,,vrbini4 #afjf4 ,the young ,vincenzio is the last whose name occurs4 ,passeri cites a piece by him1 8,vincenzio ,patanazzi da ,urbino di eta d'anni tredici1 #afbj40 ,another piece by this youthful phenomenon is in the collection of monsignore ,cajani at ,rome1 representing the expulsion from paradise4 ,it is a most inferior production and not meritorious even for so young an artist4 ,with the exception of some large dishes and a few others the wares of ,urbino1 as a rule1 are not ornamented on the reverse4 ,the more usual pieces are edged with a yellow line which is repeated round the foot or central hollow1 in the middle of which the titular inscription or date is written in manganese black1 dark olive1 or blue colour4 ,the paste is sometimes of a pink hue1 produced by the colour of the clay shining through the glaze1 but in other cases of a purer white4 ,in the 8sopra bianco0 grotesques the ground is rendered unusually white by an additional surface of terra di ,vicenza or bianco di ,ferrara2 the glaze is of fine quality and even surface4 ,it may be here noticed that the wares known of the ,lanfranco fabrique at ,pesaro have similar characteristics1 and it is not possible to distinguish between them4 ,that wares of a better class were occasionally produced at ,urbino during the last century is proved by a lamp in the ,south ,kensington collection1 no4 #fhef2 made1 as the inscription tells us1 at the ,fabrica di ,majolica fina1 which seems to have been established or conducted in that city in #aggc by a ,french artist named ,rolet4 ,we hear of him previously at ,borgo ,san ,sepolcro in #agga1 but all further record of his productions or his success is unknown4 ,we are not aware that ,urbino at present produces any artistic pottery4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,borgo ,,san-,,sepolcro1 ,,diruta1 ,c4 ,there is an example of the ,,borgo ,,san-,,sepolcro ware at ,south ,kensington1 a lamp1 formed of faience of a bluish white shade1 painted with garlands of flowers1 c4 in colour1 on which is written under the foot1 8,citta ,borgo ,s4 ,sepolcro a #f ,febraio #agga4 ,mart4 ,roletus fecit40 ,at ,,san ,,quirico cardinal ,chigi established a work about #agad1 inspired with the idea of reviving the art of painting on faience4 ,it was directed by ,piezzentili1 a painter who had given some study to the celebrated vases by ,orazio ,fontana4 ,on his death ,bartolomeo ,terchi1 ,feschi1 or ,ferchi1 seems to have worked at or directed the establishment1 for in the ,louvre is a plaque representing ,moses striking the rock1 and signed 8,bar ,terchi ,romano in ,s4 ,quirico40 ,we shall meet with this wandering artist also at ,bassano4 ,with other members of his family he seems to have worked at various potteries throughout ,italy1 and examples occur on which his or their signatures appear1 accompanied only by the patronymic 8,romano10 and which are of course difficult to assign to any one of the fabriques at which we know them to have worked4 ,ferdinando ,maria ,campani before going to ,siena worked also at this fabrique2 its productions were not sold1 but given as presents by the cardinal4 ,we have very little positive information in respect to the fabrique of ,,diruta in the ,papal ,states4 ,alluded to by ,passeri as a pottery near ,foligno where pieces were produced remarkable for the whiteness of the paste1 we are led to the supposition that he may have confounded the wares produced at other neighbouring localities with those made at ,diruta3 and he does not inform us whether it produced lustred wares or only those of polychrome decoration4 ,a few years since certain plates came under the notice of collectors inscribed 8,in ,deruta10 the subjects painted in blue outline1 and lustred with a brassy golden colour4 ,doubt and uncertainty had long existed as to the spot where the large 8bacili0 and other pieces of a well-known and abundant ware1 lustred with a golden pigment of peculiarly pearly effect in certain lights1 had been produced1 and the discovery of these signed examples1 having a somewhat similar metallic enrichment1 caused connoisseurs to grasp at the1 perhaps hasty1 conclusion1 that to ,diruta must be assigned those wares of earlier date and hitherto unknown locality1 and that ,diruta must have possessed a pottery of very early time and important character4 ,but after an examination and comparison of signed specimens1 and others which are with reasonable probability considered to be of this fabrique1 we are compelled to conclude that the productions of ,diruta were generally inferior to1 and in many instances copied or derived from1 those of the ,gubbio or earlier ,pesaro types4 ,castel di ,diruta or ,deruta is a 8borgo0 or dependency of ,perugia1 on the road from that city to ,orvieto by ,todi4 ,it is but a few miles from ,perugia1 within an easy day's journey of ,gubbio1 and although it may be reasonable to presume that potteries existed there from an early period1 we think it more probable that they derived the use of the lustre pigments from ,gubbio4 ,it is extremely difficult in many instances to decide with any degree of certainty as to whether some individual early specimens of the lustred ware alluded to above1 be of ,pesaro1 of ,gubbio1 or of ,diruta workmanship4 ,we have little hesitation in assigning the dish in the next woodcut to ,diruta2 the dance of ,cupids is after ,marc ,antonio4 ,the similarity of the process necessary to such productions entails a corresponding similarity of result1 but we notice a somewhat coarser grounding1 a golden reflet of a brassy character1 a ruby1 when it 7rarely7 occurs1 of pale dull quality1 ,illustration looser outlines of a colder and heavier blue1 and in the pieces not lustred the same tones of colour1 a dark blue approaching to that of ,caffaggiolo in depth but wanting its brilliancy1 the use of a bright yellow to heighten the figures in grotesques1 c4 in imitation of the golden lustre1 and a thin green4 ,the drawing is generally of an inferior stamp1 and a certain tout ensemble pervades the pieces difficult to define but which more or less prevails4 ,the discovery within the last few years of a fine work1 signed with the artist's monogram1 the date #aebg1 and the place at which ,illustration it was painted1 is all we know of the existence of a botega at ,,fabriano4 ,there can be little doubt that many such local and individual furnaces existed during the sixteenth century under the direction of ceramic artists1 in many instances an emigrant from one of the more important centres1 and encouraged to set up for himself at another city by the patronage of the leading families4 ,this plate1 which has for subject the 8,madonna della ,scala0 after ,marc ,antonio's engraving from ,raffaelle1 is cleverly painted1 and on the reverse is the inscription of which we have given a facsimile4 ,it was exhibited by ,m4 ,spitzer1 of ,paris1 at the 8,exposition ,universelle10 was purchased from him by signor ,alff4 ,castellani1 and subsequently sold at ,christie's for #aad4 ,another example by the same hand1 and with the same subject but without signature1 was sold at the same sale4 ,in the museum of ,economic geology is a plate of the same botega1 having for subject the rape of ,proserpine surrounding a cupid centre4 ,it is painted in grisaille1 the sky warmed with touches of yellow1 and ably executed4 ,this fabrique not being then known it was ascribed to ,urbino1 but the monogram on the reverse1 exactly corresponding with that on the signed ,fabriano piece1 proves it to be of the same origin4 ,we also give this mark in fac-simile4 ,illustration ,the pottery of ,,viterbo is not recorded by any writer1 but an inferior work at ,south ,kensington is inscribed with the name of the city and with that of ,diomeo1 who was perhaps the painter of the piece in #aedd4 ,it is a rough piece1 rudely coloured and ill-drawn1 but interesting from the name of place and the date4 ,we give an engraving of a portion of the border1 the hand of a youth holding a scroll4 ,two other examples are with some doubt referred to the same locality4 ,illustration ,,loreto is named in connexion with the set of ,spezieria vases1 of the fabrique of ,orazio ,fontana1 which were presented to the shrine of our ,lady of ,loreto by the last duke of ,urbino1 on his abdication in favour of the ,holy ,see4 ,it was the habit to collect the dust gathered from the walls of the ,santa ,casa and the dress of the ,virgin1 from which1 mixed in small quantities with the potter's clay1 cups or bowls were formed and painted with figures of the ,virgin and ,child1 generally on a yellow ground4 ,these cups were inscribed outside ,,con ,,pol ,,di ,s ,,casa 7with the dust of the ,holy ,house74 ,occasionally1 but less frequently1 some of the holy water from the shrine was sprinkled on the dust1 thereby to impart a still greater sanctity4 ,a cup so made is in the writer's collection1 and is inscribed ,,con ,,pol ,,et ,,aqva ,,di ,s ,,casa 7with dust and water of the ,holy ,house74 ,these cups were probably presented as marks of favour to pilgrims who had visited and probably enriched the sanctuary4 ,signor ,raffaelli believes that they were made at ,castel ,durante1 for the establishment at ,loreto4 ,the seal of the convent was affixed to them in red wax4 ,hitherto we have no published record of the former existence of a manufactory of artistic enamelled pottery at ,,rome1 that great centre to which by her affluence and power at various periods of history artists and objects of art have been drawn from their native countries4 ,we have no assurance that purely native ,roman art ever attained to any very high degree of excellence4 ,the ,etruscans and the ,greeks in ,pagan times1 the ,byzantine school of the middle ages1 and at the period of the renaissance the great ,tuscan and ,venetian artists worked in ,rome upon those monuments of genius of which she is so justly proud2 but they are possessions rather than native productions2 and it would appear that even in so comparatively small a branch of artistic manufacture she was indebted to a native of ,castel ,durante for the establishment of a fabrique of maiolica4 ,had there been pre-existing furnaces1 producing wares of artistic merit1 it would hardly have been worth while for ,m ,diomede on the fall of the dukedom of ,urbino to bring his art to ,rome4 ,there is no notice of any pieces of this ware inscribed as having been made at ,rome until the year #afjj1 when we find on two oviform pharmacy vases of good outline1 having each a pair of double serpent handles and a domed cover surmounted by a knob1 the following inscriptions written on oval labels4 ,on one vase 8,fatto in botega de ,m4 ,diomede ,durante in ,roma10 and on the other1 of which we give a woodcut1 8,fatto in ,roma da ,gio4 ,pavlo ,savino ,m4,d4,c40 ,these vases are decorated on one side with grotesques ably sketched in yellow1 greyish blue1 and orange colours on a white enamel ground of considerable purity2 on the other1 a leafage diaper in the same tone of blue covers the like ground4 ,on one only1 immediately above the inscribed oval1 the head of a buffalo is painted in dark blue1 approaching to black1 and may refer to the locality of the botega1 possibly in the vicinity of the ,via or ,palazzo del ,bufalo4 ,these vases were for many years in the possession of the ,gaetani family1 and were purchased by the writer during his sojourn at ,rome in the early part of #ahgj4 ,the style of execution is in the manner of the ,urbino grotesque decoration of the ,fontana fabrique1 but has not that delicacy1 combined with artistic freedom and navet1 so remarkable in the productions attributed to ,camillo ,fontana and other contemporary artists working some fifty years before2 in certain respects they have affinity to the work of ,m4 ,gironimo of ,urbino4 ,numerous examples of similar general character1 but later in date and of inferior execution1 are frequently to be met with in the shops at ,rome and prove the production to have been abundant2 specimens are in the ,south ,kensington museum4 ,illustration ,a manufacture of white glazed earthenware1 as also of 8biscuit0 porcelain1 was introduced by the famous engraver ,giovanni ,volpato1 of ,venice1 in the year #agij4 ,he expended a large sum of money in making experiments and in the founding of the works1 as also in procuring numerous models which were executed with the greatest care from the antique1 and from other objects in museums1 c4 as also from the works of ,canova4 ,at one time no less than twenty experienced artists were employed in modelling the 8biscuit0 porcelain to supply the great demand4 ,large furnaces were constructed1 but the great expense and risk in the production of pieces for table use necessitated their sale at a price which could not compete with the ,french wares1 although superior in the qualities of strength and resistance4 ,the establishment continued until about #ahcb1 when the works ceased4 ,the figures and groups in 8biscuit0 porcelain1 of pure white and stone colour 7variations arising from the different degrees of heat to which they were exposed in the oven7 were undoubtedly the more important artistic productions of the ,roman fabrique2 but glazed pottery1 very similar in character to that of ,leeds or the 8,queen's ware0 of the ,wedgwoods and known as 8terraglia verniciata10 was also made1 and in this material statuettes1 figures of animals1 candelabra1 vases1 and portrait busts were modelled4 ,there can be little doubt that the finer examples were produced at the period when the elder ,volpato perfected the establishment1 and when his critical and artistic eye directed his modellers1 and many of the figures and groups are admirable for their grace and careful execution4 ,few bear any mark1 but occasionally pieces1 both of the 8biscuit0 and glazed ware1 bear the name ,g ,,volpata ,,roma impressed in the clay4 ,a manufacture of coarse glazed pottery rudely ornamented with figures1 flowers1 fruit1 c4 in colour1 still exists in the ,trastevere1 which supplies the contadini and the humbler classes of the city with pots and pans of various form and startling decoration4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,faenza4 ,that long and rather monotonous old post road the ,via milia 7now run sidelong by the rail7 which forms almost a straight line from ,piacenza to ,ancona1 through one of the richest countries in the world1 after passing the fine cities of ,parma1 ,reggio1 ,modena1 and ,bologna1 reaches ,faenza and ,forl1 important and early centres of the potter's art4 ,faenza is a small dull town on the site of the ,roman ,faventia1 and of the antiquity of the ceramic industry at this site there can be no doubt1 although perhaps ,pesaro1 ,caffaggiolo1 and ,castel ,durante may have nearly equal claims in that respect4 ,of its extent and importance there is equal certainty1 and there is moreover great reason to believe that the ,french word faence applied to this class of pottery was derived from the name of the place2 although there is another claimant in the small town1 under the ,estrelle mountains1 a short way from ,cannes and ,grasse1 called by the very name1 ,faiance 7,faventia71 and now chef-lieu of a canton in ,draguignan of the ,var4 ,mezerai1 in his ,grande ,histoire1 tells us that this place was chiefly renowned for its ,vaisselles de terre1 and there would seem to be good evidence of the existence of its potteries from a very early period to the present day2 but of what degree of artistic merit we are unable to decide2 neither can we feel assured that the name1 as applied to enamelled earthenware1 was derived from the ,french town and not from the ,italian city4 ,in ,mr4 ,marryat's history of pottery and porcelain is an interesting notice on this subject1 from which we quote a few words4 8,faence1 ,fayence1 or ,fayance1 is the old ,french term1 under which were comprised all descriptions of glazed earthenware1 even inclusive of porcelain1 and1 to a certain extent1 continues so1 corresponding in its general use to the ,english word crockery4 ,the name is commonly supposed to be derived from ,faenza2 but it may well be doubted whether upon any authority much to be relied upon1 since neither historians nor topographers seem to have considered the matter worthy of their attention or examination4 ,it might be useful to trace the origin of a name so frequently given by the ,romans to their settlements4 ,besides ,faenza there was a district in their colony of ,barcinum 7now ,barcelona71 and another in ,andalusia1 which is supposed to have been situated somewhere between ,alcala1 ,real1 and ,antequera4 ,the old word ,fayence1 from the ,latin #8fagus1' a beech tree1 has become almost obsolete in ,france4 ,in ,geneva1 however1 to the present day1 beechwood is still sold in the timber markets as #8de la fayence4'0 ,the fabrique of ,faenza has been a kind of refuge1 among amateurs1 for pieces destitute of sufficient outward sign to mark them as of other localities2 and every gaunt and early piece1 strong in blue and yellow colour1 has been set down as ,faentine4 ,we agree with ,,mm4 ,jacquemart and ,darcel in the belief that many works of ,caffaggiolo have been classed as of ,faenza4 ,we are1 however1 not convinced that the plaque in the htel ,cluny1 the piece bearing the most ancient date hitherto discovered 7if we except that at ,svres1 inscribed xxxxiiiiiiii41 and supposed to read #addh71 inscribed in early characters around the sacred monogram1 8,,nicolaus ,,de ,,ragnolis ,,ad ,,honorem ,,dei ,,et ,,sancti ,,michaelis ,,fecit ,,fieri ,,ano #adge0 is rightly attributed to ,caffaggiolo instead of to ,faenza4 ,another plaque in the ,svres collection is dated #adgg1 with the name and arms of ,,nicolavs ,,orsini4 ,we next arrive at the exquisite service1 of which seventeen pieces are preserved in the ,correr museum at ,venice1 one in the writer's 7from ,pourtals71 and one in the ,south ,kensington collection2 we give a woodcut of the mark1 with the date #adhb4 ,illustration ,the first published matter bearing upon the wares of ,faenza is the passage by ,garzoni in the ,piazza ,universale1 a publication of #adhe1 in which he speaks of the pottery of this place as excellent for its whiteness1 c4 che fa le majoliche cos bianche e polite1 a remark borne out by the quality of the service just referred to4 ,in the church of ,st4 ,petronio at ,bologna is a pavement of tiles covering the ground of the chapel of ,st4 ,sebastian1 and without doubt laid down at the expense of ,donato ,vaselli1 a canon of that ,basilica1 who about #adhg decorated that chapel at his own cost4 ,the date upon one of these tiles is #adhg1 and upon others are inscriptions1 in parts unfortunately imperfect from the injury or misplacement of some of the squares1 but which as put together by signor ,frati of that city1 would read ,,boloqniesvs ,,betini ,,fecit3 while upon other tiles occur3-- ----------------- 4 ,c 4 4 ,,elia ,,be ,f 4 4 4 ,,ticie ----------------- --------------- 4 ,,zetila ,,be 4 ,,favetcie --------------- ------------- ,,xabeta ,,be ,,faventcie ------------- and again upon another a small label inscribed ,,petrvs ,,andre ,,defave4 ,whatever doubt may attach to the ,faentine origin of the plaque in the htel ,cluny1 dated #adge1 there can be none in respect to the pavement of ,san ,petronio3 the fact of the name ,petrus ,andre-de-,fave occurring1 independent of the others1 upon a piccolo cartello seems to us an indisputable proof to that effect4 ,it is painted with great skill1 in a style of colouring and with ornaments which we are accustomed to attribute to ,faenza2 trophies1 animals1 heads1 the arms of ,bologna and her motto1 the keys of ,st4 ,peter1 and various devices are represented2 among them the silver case of lancets on a green field1 and the wounded vein1 imprese of the ,manfredi family of ,faenza4 ,referring the reader to the full explanation given in the introduction to the large catalogue of ,maiolica1 we can give here only a few brief remarks upon the wares attributed to ,faenza under the following heads3-- ,a4 ,the produce of the ,casa ,pirota4 ,b4 ,by ,baldasara ,manara4 ,c4 ,pieces by the painter of the ,correr service1 and of his botega4 ,d4 ,by other artists presumably of ,faenza4 ,e4 ,wares of the last century and modern4 ,a4 ,one of the most important if not the leading establishment at ,faenza was known under the name of the ,casa ,pirota1 and probably existed from an early period1 but when and by whom founded1 and the name of its maestro1 we have yet to learn4 ,a house on the north side of the principal street 7where a pottery was working some few years since1 at which we have seen well-executed reproductions of the old wares7 was stated by the proprietors to be on the site of that ancient botega1 but whether there is sufficient foundation for this statement we are unable to say4 ,the greater part or nearly all the pieces known to us as being marked with the crossed circle1 signed with the name of the house1 or executed by the same hands as such pieces1 are of a marked character of decoration2 the wide borders are generally ornamented with grotesques1 reserved in white and shaded with a brownish yellow2 or reserved in a paler greyish tone heightened with white1 on a dark blue ground4 ,a berettino and sopra azzuro are the terms applied to this mode of decoration1 and among examples of the former and perhaps earlier of the styles1 are works of the highest quality of enamelled pottery and of admirable decoration and artistic painting4 ,the woodcut is from a good plate of about #aebj2 at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #agcd3 and we give also a copy of the mark on the reverse4 ,illustration ,illustration ,the work of at least three painters is discernible upon the wares of this establishment4 ,first and foremost are those charming pieces of the greatest technical excellence by the painter of the shallow bowl at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #ced1 which is marked at the back with the crossed circle1 having a pellet in one of the quarters1 and has for subject1 ,mutius ,scvola4 ,by him are other pieces similarly shaped and decorated with borders of grotesques reserved in white1 shaded in brownish yellow on the blue ground1 and central subjects painted in a similar tone4 ,illustration ,we next have the author of the fine plateau1 no4 #gaeh1 and of the better examples of those abundant pieces having central subjects painted in a greenish yellow tone on the berettino1 or coats of arms emblazoned1 and wide borders covered with grotesques in a lighter tone heightened with white on the dark blue ground4 ,this artist also ventured into bolder subjects upon plaques of considerable size1 two of which1 one representing the ,adoration of the ,magi1 are in the ,british museum2 over a portico which forms a background to the composition1 the crossed circle and pellet1 mark of the fabrique1 and the date #aebg are inscribed1 while on the reverse is a yellow roundel between the letters ,b4 ,b4 ,f4 ,f4 and the same date4 ,rather earlier1 is the plate 7in the woodcut p4 #afh7 which although by some attributed to ,caffaggiolo1 is probably of ,faenza4 ,the richly decorated back leads to this conclusion4 ,not to be confounded with these masters1 the last of whom by way of distinction is known among amateurs as the 8green man10 are works by a more able artist who painted in colours of the richest tone with admirable disposition and vigorous design1 and who also signed with the same initials4 ,the finely treated subject of the ,gathering of the ,manna1 on the plate no4 #gfhj1 is by this hand1 whose works are neither ornamented at the back1 nor signed with the mark of the fabrique4 ,illustration ,b4 ,the first notice we have of ,baldasara ,manara occurs in ,zani's 8,enciclopedia ,metodica10 in which work1 under the name of ,mannara1 he refers to the signature of the artist upon a sotto coppa with the accompanying mark4 ,this tazza1 now in the possession of the writer1 is perhaps the most important signed example known1 and represents the triumph of ,time2 it is one of a service decorated with orange scale-work on the yellow ground of the reverse1 and of which other pieces still exist4 ,c4 ,wanting the inscribed name of the locality at which they were painted1 we are quite prepared to acquiesce in the maturely considered opinion of signor ,lazari1 that the beautiful service1 #ag pieces of which are in the ,museo ,correr at ,venice1 and other works painted by the same admirable early artist were produced at ,faenza4 ,they perfectly agree with the qualities lauded by ,garzoni at the approximate period of their production1 one of them being dated #adhb2 and no wares of that period could in their qualities of enamel be more worthy of the expression bianche polite than the pieces of this service4 ,we have no clue to the name of the painter4 ,that they were the production of a botega distinct from the ,casa ,pirota seems assured1 from their dissimilarity in technical quality and style of ornamentation to the wares of that productive house1 and the absence of its distinctive mark2 but there is great similarity in their glaze and other details to the pieces painted by another excellent hand who signs with the letters ,f4 ,r4 ,illustration ,d4 ,a multitude of homeless casuals have been attributed to the workshops of ,faenza1 from technical characteristics and manner of decoration1 while as many more of somewhat different complexion have been promiscuously charged upon ,urbino4 ,our ignorance of the exact localities of their production from want of evidence leads to this doubtful generalization1 and until the discovery of signed specimens by the same hands1 or documental record1 we must still in numerous cases rest content with our assumption4 ,illustration ,many early pieces1 modelled in high relief and in the round1 are probably of this origin4 ,the very fine tazza1 represented in the woodcut1 is a good example4 ,they differ from parallel pieces ascribed to ,caffaggiolo in a certain rigidity of modelling1 the use of a shading and outline of a darker or more indigo-like blue1 and a free application of yellow and orange pigments2 a more gothic sentiment also prevails from the influence of the ,german school1 and we find subjects copied or derived from the works of ,drer1 ,martin ,schn1 c41 more frequently upon the higher class of ,faentine wares than on those of painters working at the more southern centres of the art4 ,the contemporary pieces of ,caffaggiolo are more ,italian in sentiment1 the blue pigment of greater brilliancy1 a purple also used1 and a thicker glaze of great richness and more tendre effect4 ,from an early period ,faenza seems to have produced a large number of electuary pots and pharmacy bottles2 a pair are in the htel ,cluny1 one bearing the name ,,faenza1 the other #aejj4 ,many of these vases are decorated in the style known as a quartiere1 being divided into compartments1 painted in bright yellow1 c41 on dark blue1 with foliated and other ornament1 and usually having a medallion with profile head or subject on one side1 under which the name of the drug in gothic lettering is inscribed on a ribbon4 ,a curious example is in the ,british museum2 a large flask-shaped bottle of dark blue ground with yellow leafage and with twisted handles1 upon the medallion of which is represented a bear clasping a column1 with the inscription 8et sarrimo boni amici10 allusive1 in all probability1 to the reconciliation of the rival houses of ,orsini and ,colonna in #aeag4 ,we would here refer to the frequent occurrence on these vases1 as occasionally upon other pieces1 of pharmaceutical and ecclesiastical signs1 letters1 c4 surmounted by the archiepiscopal cross and other emblems which we believe have reference to the uses of monastic and private pharmacies for which the services were made1 and not to be confounded1 as has been too frequently the case1 with the marks of boteghe or of the painters of the piece4 ,these emblems have no other value to us than the clue which they might afford to patient investigation of the locality and brotherhood of the conventual establishment to which they may have belonged1 and among the archives of which may be recorded the date and the fabrique by which they were furnished4 ,but what are of far greater interest are those admirable early pieces1 painted by ceramic artists of the first rank1 who1 beyond a rare monogram or date1 have left no record of their place or name2 and whose highly-prized works1 for their authors are several1 are jealously guarded in our public and private museums4 ,some of these1 with reasonable probability1 are believed to have been executed at ,faenza4 ,several examples are preserved1 of an early character1 perhaps the work of one hand1 who marked them on the back with a large ,m crossed by a paraphe4 ,they are usually plateaux with raised centre1 on which is a portrait head1 or shallow dishes with flat border4 ,variations of the letter ,f are found on pieces1 some of which are fairly ascribable to this fabrique1 but we need not point out the fact that many other localities of the manufacture can claim the same for their initial letter1 and that the characteristics and technical qualities of the pieces themselves are a necessary test4 ,later in the sixteenth century1 when subject painting covering the whole surface of the piece was in general fashion 7istoriata71 the unsigned works produced at ,faenza are difficult to distinguish from those of other fabriques4 ,some examples exist in collections1 as one in the ,louvre with the subject of a cavalry skirmish and inscribed #aefa in ,faenca1 but we have no knowledge of their painters1 and even the occurrence of the name of that city is but rarely met with4 ,her wares are usually richly ornamented on the back with imbrication1 as was the manner of ,manara1 or with concentric lines of blue1 yellow1 orange4 ,e4 ,of the pottery produced at ,faenza during the seventeenth and the last century we have but little record4 ,some pharmacy vases are mentioned by ,m4 ,jacquemart signed 8,andrea ,pantales ,pingit1 #afaf10 but the signature does not appear to be accompanied by the name of that city4 ,in #afci ,francesco ,vicchij was the proprietor of the most important fabrique4 ,a modern establishment professes to occupy the premises of the ancient ,casa ,pirota1 where we have seen fairly good reproductions of the ordinary sopra azzuro plates of the old botega1 but these are but weak imitations1 and the glory of ,faentine ceramic art must be looked for in museums4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,forl1 ,,ferrara1 ,,etc4 ,the first notice we have of the pottery of ,,forl is merely indirect1 occurring in a document referred to by ,passeri and dated as early as #acif1 a passage in which speaks of ,john ,pedrinus 8formerly of the potteries of ,forl and now an inhabitant of ,pesaro20 thus proving that such a manufactory did exist at the former town previous to that date2 but it does not inform us whether it was more than a furnace for the production of ordinary wares4 ,piccolpasso refers to the painted majolica of ,forl1 and there can be no doubt from the examples we still possess that at the time he wrote1 in the middle of the sixteenth century1 it was well known as one of the important fabriques of northern ,italy4 ,our next evidence is more direct1 and consists of a series of examples in the ,south ,kensington museum1 the careful comparison of which has led to the conclusion that the wares produced at the botega of ,maestro ,jeronimo 787 at the latter end of the fifteenth and early part of the sixteenth century were of a very high order4 ,that numbered #gdaj is the finest piece with which the writer is acquainted1 part of an historical service made for ,matthias ,corvinus1 king of ,hungary1 whose arms are emblazoned on the rim4 ,it has hitherto been a question as to which of the early manufactories the production of this service could be attributed1 but we think that there can be no hesitation1 after a comparison with other pieces1 in classifying it as a production of ,forl4 ,the pretty plate no4 #ahjc 7engraved7 approaches nearer to the manner of the finer wares of ,forl than to any other fabrique with which we can connect it1 and the pavement of tiles no4 #cj1 on which occurs the date #aeac1 is remarkable1 as shown in the next engraving1 for the portrait heads introduced1 one of which is that of the celebrated ,melozzo2 the other may perhaps be that of the artist who executed the work1 and who is unquestionably the same as the painter of the ,m iero plate2 from an inscription of doubtful reading it may be understood that he signs this work as 8,petrus10 while the letter ,r1 the initial of his patronymic1 occurs with ,p at the side of what may be intended for his portrait4 ,illustration ,mr4 ,barker had a plate1 from the ,delsette collection1 subject the story of ,alexander and ,roxana1 on which is inscribed 8,leochadius ,solobrinus picsit forolivia mece #aeee20 and in the museum at ,bologna is a basin on which is painted a representation of the supper at which ,mary ,magdalene washes ,jesus' feet2 on the back it is signed by the same artist1 with the date #aefd4 ,this is the latest signed and dated piece of the fabrique with which we are acquainted4 ,illustration ,potteries are said to have been established at ,,bologna and ,,imola1 and pieces have been ascribed to them4 ,a plate is in a ,french collection1 well painted and of about the year #aejj1 which has the name of ,,ravenna on the reverse4 ,passing to the northern duchies of ,italy we find that ,alfonso ,i41 duke of ,ferrara1 found means1 notwithstanding his troubled and warlike rule1 to establish a fabrique of ,maiolica at his castle in ,,ferrara4 ,although the precise period of the introduction of the art is unknown1 as early as #adcf the name of 8,maestro ,benedetto bocalaro in ,castello0 is recorded2 in #adgb one ,enrico1 and in #adhi ,gio4 da ,modena1 are named2 while in a memoriale of expenses in #addc occurs the first mention of painted and glazed wares4 ,a curious document in the archives of ,mantua1 dated #adid1 tells us that ,isabella 7d',este71 wife of the marquis of ,mantua 7,gonzaga71 had sent a plate which had been broken into three pieces to be repaired at ,ferrara by the ,maestri working at the castle2 this was done1 and the mended plate returned at the desire of the duchess of ,ferrara with another as a present4 ,from #aejf to #aebb the artistic works seem to have been discontinued1 probably on account of the wars in which the duke was engaged3 and from #aecd to #aeei1 during the reign of ,ercole ,,ii41 the work does not seem to have been encouraged4 ,pietro-,paolo ,stanghi of ,faenza is the only artist recorded1 having made the ornaments to a stove in the castle2 but ,alfonso ,,ii4 took more interest in the manufacture1 and ,vasari speaks of the fine productions of his furnaces4 ,nearly half a century then passed away before we hear of fresh experiments in the production of porcelain directed by ,m4 ,camillo1 of ,urbino1 assisted by his brother ,battista1 and which seem to have resulted in success4 ,when injured by the accidental explosion of a cannon1 which ultimately caused his death and that of three gentlemen in #aefg1 he kept the secret1 refusing to divulge it4 ,this event is mentioned by ,bernardo ,canigiani1 the ambassador of the ,florentine court1 who speaks of ,camillo da ,urbino as a maker of vases1 painter1 and chemist1 and the true modern discoverer of porcelain1 8,ritrovatore moderno alla porcellana40 ,it would seem1 however1 that his brother1 ,battista1 must have known something of the process1 which he may have been able to perfect by experiments1 for it appears that between #aefh and #aefi the work was continued1 as on the #agth ,december of the latter year an entry is made of an unusual allowance of wine for a workman engaged in preparing the ingredients 8per far porcellani40 ,the cruet or vase1 here engraved1 is of about this period2 it is at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #eje4 ,illustration ,it is greatly to be regretted that we have at present no clue by which we can1 even with probability1 attribute any of the examples of maiolica in our collections to the earlier works of the ,faentine artists produced under ,alfonso ,i4 at ,ferrara2 the more so as both under his reign and under that of ,alfonso ,,ii4 the fabrique was conducted1 not with a view to profit or commercial enterprise1 but simply from princely magnificence and a love of art4 ,the produce was for their own use1 and for presents among friends1 but not for sale2 we may therefore conclude that it was of highly artistic and great technical excellence4 ,this was exceptional among the potteries of that period in ,italy1 most of which were commercial undertakings1 more or less patronized and encouraged by the ruling families of their several localities4 ,some ,ferrarese pieces have doubtless been preserved1 and are probably now classed among those of ,faenza with which they must have a great affinity4 ,it is not till #aegi1 when the art was in decline and when the ,urbino style of ornamentation prevailed1 that1 on the occasion of the marriage of ,alfonso ,,ii41 it is believed that a credenza was made1 the pieces of which are to be recognized by bearing the device of a burning pyre with the motto 8,ardet ternum40 ,the pieces of this service have a distinctive character of their own1 and although their connection with ,ferrara may be merely one of ownership and not of origin1 we think it well to class them under that head because we have no other standard to which we can attach all that is known of the history of that princely botega1 and because these pieces have1 in default of positive evidence to the contrary1 been accepted as ,ferrarese4 ,they are remarkable for the purity of the white enamel ground2 the grotesques are by another hand than those on pieces universally believed to be of the later period of ,urbino or of ,pesaro1 but they are not easily distinguished without examination of the specimens side by side4 ,two pieces are in the ,louvre1 two others are at ,south ,kensington4 ,alfonso ,,ii4 died in #aeig1 after which the dukedom was absorbed into the ,states of the ,church4 ,the ,este removed to ,modena1 to which place the contents of the palace at ,ferrara were carried1 including the old maiolica1 some of which is mentioned in inventories of the seventeenth century4 ,a few pieces which escaped destruction during the ,french invasion of ,italy were gathered from neglected corners of the palace1 and placed in the public gallery of ,modena in #ahei4 ,although the antique pottery of ,,modena is referred to by ,pliny and by ,livy1 we have no exact record or marked example of wares produced there during the period of the renaissance4 ,modenese artists in terra-cotta worked at ,ferrara1 and ,cristoforo da ,modena was boccalaro to the duke of that territory in the sixteenth century4 ,piccolpasso names ,modena as a place where maiolica was produced1 but whether of a superior or of a more ordinary kind we are not informed4 ,in the last century ,geminiano ,cozzi1 of that city1 was the leading maker of porcelain at ,venice about #agfe1 but the monopoly granted to the fabrique of ,sassuolo impeded the manufacture of enamelled wares elsewhere in the duchy4 ,at ,,sassuolo1 a town prettily situated ten miles to the south of ,modena1 an establishment for the manufacture of enamelled earthenware was introduced by ,gio4 ,andrea ,ferrari in #agda4 ,it would seem that he obtained from the duke ,francesco ,,iii4 the right of making ordinary white and painted maiolica1 as the stanniferous enamelled wares were then universally denominated1 to the exclusion of all rivals in the duchy and all importation from other parts1 except during the fair held at ,reggio4 ,the work commenced in #agdb1 and in a few years he was joined by ,gio4 ,maria ,dallari4 ,their rights were from time to time renewed1 and in #agef confirmed to the extent of granting the monopoly to the family for three generations2 the materials were not to be charged with import duty1 and the advantages secured to the fabrique were further extended in #agfa by even excluding the foreign wares from the fair at ,reggio2 the manufacturers on their part being bound to supply the duchy with an abundance of good wares at moderate prices4 ,these wares produced were various1 among others finer pieces painted in the ,japanese style and with flowers and gilding2 groups of figures were also made1 and a large export business carried on4 ,from a document in the ,archivio della camera di commercio1 it would appear that the art was introduced at ,,mantua about #adej1 and that its workers had their statutes which were altered and amended from time to time2 but we are quite unable to judge of the character of the wares produced4 ,they were presumably of an inferior quality1 for we have already seen that ,isabella ,d',este in #adid procured maiolica for her own use from ,ferrara1 ,urbino1 c41 which would argue that the pottery of ,mantua was inferior4 ,in the second half of that century ,schivenoglia mentions a bottega di ,maioli1 conducted by one ,zonan ,antonio ,majolaro1 and remains of a furnace with fragments of wares were discovered in #ahfd on the riva al ,lago inferiore1 from whence a small plate was procured1 painted with a female bust1 arabesques1 c4 ,campori suggests that the impresa adopted by ,francesco ,gonzaga after the battle of ,taro1 namely a crucible in a fire and containing ingots of gold1 may be a distinguishing mark of the ,mantuan faence even of a later period4 ,our knowledge of the production of ,maiolica1 or rather of artistic enamelled pottery1 in ,,venice may be said to begin with the year #aedj4 ,previous to that date there can be little doubt that the ,venetian ovens produced enamelled wares of greater or less merit1 but we have no sufficient record of their character4 ,m4 ,jacquemart believes that works existed at ,venice as early as the second half of the fifteenth century1 arguing that if the qualities of the ,venetian pottery were of so high an order at that period as to induce the inventor of the celebrated bianco di ,ferrara to order vases for his own pharmacy1 it must have been developed and perfected from an earlier date4 ,but signor ,lazari considered that the examples of glazed tiles existent in the sacristy of the church of ,sta4 ,elena at ,venice1 having the arms of the ,giustiniani family and dating about #adej-hj2 as also those in the ,lando chapel of ,s4 ,sebastiano1 having a monogram and the date #aeaj1 and other examples anterior to about #aede1 were importations from ,faenza or from ,castel ,durante2 an opinion shared by the writer after a careful examination of those pavements4 ,the woodcut1 however1 p4 #ahb represents a very fine dish which we may reasonably ascribe to ,venice2 of about the year #aedj3 now at ,kensington1 no4 #ddch4 ,sir ,william ,drake quotes a petition1 dated #affd1 from the guild of the 8,boccaleri0 of ,venice1 in which reference is made to previous decrees in their favour issued in the years #adee1 #adgb1 and #aeah1 prohibiting the importation of foreign earthenware2 and a decree of the senate in #affe prohibiting the importation or sale in ,venice of any sort of foreign earthenware by any person ,illustration not being a member of the guild1 but upon the condition that that body should keep the city well supplied with 8latesini10 and that shops should be kept open for its sale4 ,from the general tenor of this petition we may reasonably infer that at the period of its presentation the potter's art in ,venice was reduced to the production of very ordinary wares4 ,it is curious also1 and perhaps confirmatory of the inferiority of ,venetian artistic pottery1 that an exception in the decree against importation should be made in favour of the maiolica of ,valencia1 which we know also to have been imported into ,genoa4 ,this ware1 which had once been excellent1 had greatly deteriorated in #affd4 ,the culminating period of the excellence of ,venetian pottery in respect to painting and design was probably the middle of the sixteenth century4 ,the earliest dated example is a deep circular dish in the writer's collection1 the centre of which is occupied by the figure of a mermaid floating on the sea1 a horn in her right hand1 and regarding herself in a mirror which she holds in her left2 the wide border is covered with intricate and very elegant arabesque sprays of foliage with fruits and flowers1 among which are birds4 ,the whole is painted in dull pale blue on a grey enamel and heightened with white1 and on the reverse is the inscription 8#aedj ,,adi #af ,,del ,,mexe ,,deotvbre40 ,in the ,brunswick museum there is a large dish1 having the subject of ,moses and ,aaron entreating ,pharaoh1 with a rich border of medallions figurative of the months1 c41 and the inscription 8#aefh4 ,zener ,domenigo da ,venecia ,feci in la botega al ponte sito del ,andar a ,san ,paolo40 ,pieces are in various collections having for mark a ,c-formed fish hook1 with loop at one extremity and barbed point at the other4 ,the only name which occurs in connexion with these examples is that of one ,dionigi ,marini1 who signs a plate having this mark twice repeated1 and the date #afcf4 ,in #agec the ,bertolini obtained a decree of the senate permitting them to open a shop in ,venice for the sale of their maiolica1 free for ten years of all import and export duties4 ,notwithstanding1 the manufactory had ceased before the expiration of the term of the decree in #agfc1 when it was annulled4 ,the leading characteristic of the enamelled pottery produced at ,venice in the sixteenth century is a close buff-coloured body1 covered by an even glaze of grey colour1 produced by the ad mixture of a small portion of zaffre1 and known as 8smaltino40 ,upon this the design was outlined and shaded in blue1 of a rather low tone1 the high lights being touched in with white4 ,engraved ,illustration is a large dish1 very elegantly ornamented1 probably made about #aedj4 ,the reverse of the dishes generally have a belt of foliated sprays round the rim1 and radiating flutings or alternating thin and thicker lines round the 8cavetto40 ,it is worthy of remark that some of the ,paduan wares are similarly ornamented1 and we may thence infer some connexion between the establishments or an attempt at imitation2 the fact that a cross was adopted as a mark at both places is also noteworthy4 ,illustration ,the ,venetian wares of the last century which1 without positive proof1 are generally believed to have been produced by the ,bertolini have also distinctive qualities4 ,they are remarkable for their thinness and lightness2 baked at a high temperature1 they are almost as sonorous as metal2 the ornamentation round the rim is frequently executed in rilievo1 and they have been mistaken for enamelled copper with repouss flowers1 c4 ,the colours used were generally blue and brown1 with yellow occasionally1 on a pale blue or dull white ground4 ,illustration ,we must refer to the large catalogue of the collection of ,maiolica at ,south ,kensington1 for notices of the less important establishments at ,,treviso1 ,,bassano1 ,,padua1 ,,verona1 and some other towns3 as also at ,,milan1 ,,turin1 and ,,naples4 ,in the last city1 at the royal fabrique of ,capo di ,monte established in #agcf1 several varieties of fine ware were made1 from a beautiful artificial porcelain to a faence of high quality1 of which1 however1 little seems to have been produced4 ,in every large collection pieces will be found for which it is not easy to assign any place as the fabrique at which they were produced4 ,the very interesting piece 7in the woodcut p4 #ahe7 at ,south ,kensington1 no4 #befb1 is an example3 it is of early date1 and a certain oriental character about the design would suggest the influence of ,moorish potters4 ,another such example is the dish1 no4 #beic1 of the fifteenth century and probably of ,tuscan origin2 we give also a woodcut of this4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,index4 ,alhambra1 tiles and vase1 #ad1 #ge 8 vase1 copy1 #gg ,altar pieces1 ascribed to ,giorgio1 #aad ,amatorii pieces1 #fd ,anatolian wares1 #ga ,andreoli1 maestro ,giorgio1 #bi1 #cf1 #db1 #aad 8 his use of the ruby tint1 #aah 8 distinctions of his works1 #aah1 #aai 8 first dated piece1 #abj 8 8 and signed1 #aba 8 characteristics1 #abb ,arabic inscriptions1 #af ,babylonian pottery1 #e ,bacini1 at ,pesaro1 c41 #aj1 #ah1 #bb ,barbatina1 explained1 #abi ,bartolomeo1 #aeb ,bassano1 #ahf ,beads1 maiolica1 #fd ,benedetto1 maestro1 #agg ,betrothal dishes1 #cj ,boccoleri1 of ,venice1 their petition1 #aha ,bologna1 #agf ,borgo san ,sepolero1 #aed ,botega1 the meaning1 #a ,cachan ware1 #ff ,csare da ,faenza1 #aea ,caffaggiolo1 #bg 8 under the ,medici1 #dc 8 usual subjects1 #fb 8 potteries1 #hh 8 characteristics1 #hi 8 examples at ,south ,kensington1 #ib 8 name variously spelt1 #id ,calata-,girone potteries1 #he ,camillo da ,urbino1 #agg ,campani1 ,ferdinando1 #aed ,capo di monte1 #ahf ,castel ,durante1 #cg1 #abg1 #abh 8 earliest signed piece1 #acj1 #acb 8 general decoration1 #acj ,cencio1 maestro1 #abd ,chigi1 cardinal1 at ,san ,quirico1 #aed ,chinese porcelain1 imitations1 #df ,ciarla1 #aeb ,coffins1 made of ware1 #e ,damascus plate1 #ac 8 ware1 #fh 8 the name should be revived1 #fi 8 lamp1 #fi 8 two varieties1 #fi ,diruta1 madreperla1 #cj 8 potteries1 #aed ,discs1 on walls at ,bologna1 c41 #aj ,discs1 at ,pisa1 #ah ,duccio1 ,agostino1 #bh ,egyptians1 anciently used glaze1 #c 8 turquoise blue1 #e ,elizabethan 8,damascus0 ware1 #fi ,enamelled wares1 #ab ,english reproductions1 #ej1 #gd ,enrico da ,modena1 #agg ,f4 ,r4 monogram1 #agj ,fabriano1 potteries1 #aeg 8 mark and date1 #aeg1 #aeh ,fabrique1 the meaning1 #a ,faenza1 examples #bc1 c41 #dj 8 origin of name1 #fa1 #afc 8 potteries1 #afc 8 earliest dates1 #afd 8 five divisions1 #aff 8 early characteristics1 #aga 8 late examples1 #agc ,fayence1 how made1 #c ,ferrara potteries1 #cd1 #agg 8 examples1 #agi ,florentine porcelain1 #dg ,fontana1 ,camillo1 #cg1 #adg 8 ,flaminio1 #adh 8 ,francesco1 #abg 8 ,orazio1 #dc1 #aci1 #adf 8 originally ,pelliparii1 #abg1 #acg 8 ,guido1 #adb 8 ,gironimo1 #adg ,forgeries1 #di1 #abf ,forl1 #age ,fornarina1 #de ,francesco ,durantino1 #aej ,franco1 ,battista1 #dc1 #aej ,french reproductions1 #ej1 #gd ,furnaces1 as explained by ,piccolpasso1 #ef ,gabriele1 #aeb ,german1 early enamel glazing1 #ba ,giannantonio1 #aeb ,giorgio4 ,see ,andreoli4 ,giovanni da ,modena1 #agg ,glaze1 vitreous1 invented in the ,east1 #a1 #b 8 upon tiles1 #i ,gombrn ware1 #fg ,grco-,roman pottery1 #h ,gubbio1 vases1 c41 #ch 8 wares1 #aaa 8 early date1 #aac ,guy1 from ,castel ,durante1 #aeb ,hispano-moresque vase1 #ae 8 pottery1 rare in ,spain1 #bj 8 a doubtful variety1 #ga 8 formerly undistinguished1 #ge 8 varieties1 #gf ,house of ,loretto1 dust collected to make cups1 c41 #afj ,imola1 #agf ,isabella d',este1 #agg ,ispahan tiles1 #fg ,italian pottery1 various names11 #fa ,ivia potteries1 #gi ,lanfranchi family1 #dj 8 wares1 #ajd ,lead-glazed wares1 #f ,lindus wares1 #fe1 #fi ,lombard potteries1 #cd ,loreto drug pots and vases1 #dc1 #add1 #ade 8 potteries1 #aei ,lustre1 applied in ,persia1 c41 #f 8 earliest trace in ,europe1 #ah 8 madreperla1 #cj ,lustre pigments1 the secret lost1 #abf 8 modern imitations1 #abf ,madreperla lustre1 #cj ,maestro1 the title1 #aad ,maiolica1 the term1 #bj1 #gh1 #aab 8 proper restriction1 #ba 8 vases or drug pots at ,loreto1 #dc 8 beads1 #fd ,majorca ware1 #gg ,malaga ware1 #gf ,manara 7,baldasara71 #afi ,mantua1 potteries1 #ahj ,mariana 7,gian71 #aeb ,mariani1 #aeb ,merlino1 ,guido1 #aea ,metallic lustre1 #ah ,metauro loam1 #abh ,mezza-maiolica1 #ba 8 outlines and designs1 #cj ,milan1 #ahf ,modena1 potteries1 #agi ,monte ,lupo pottery1 #ajj 8 inscription1 #aja ,moorish periods in ,spain1 #ad 8 in ,sicily1 #ag 8 art1 prohibited in ,spain1 #gf ,mosque lamp1 #fi ,nahinna ware1 #fg ,naples1 reproductions1 #ej 8 potteries1 #ahf ,natinz ware1 #fg ,nicola da ,urbino1 #ach 8 first signed piece1 #ach ,orazio 7,fontana7 examples1 #adf ,padua1 #ahf ,patanati1 their productions1 #aeb ,patanati1 ,vincenzio1 his childish attempts1 #aeb ,pelliparii1 afterwards ,fontana1 #abg ,persian wall tiles1 #g1 #fe 8 ware at ,pisa1 #ah 8 8 origin1 #fe 8 8 how to be divided1 #fg ,perugino1 portrait1 #ace ,pesaro1 ancient potteries1 #aj1 #bi1 #cb1 #ajc 8 madreperla1 #cj1 #ajc 8 renaissance potteries1 #ajc1 #ajf 8 8 inscriptions1 #ajf 8 8 earliest dated1 #ajh 8 modern1 #aaj ,piccolpasso1 his book1 #ea 8 his botega1 #aab ,picchi1 ,georgio1 #aeb ,pirota 7casa71 #aff ,pisa1 potteries1 #aja ,plumbeous glaze1 #h ,pottery1 or ,fayence1 how made1 #c 8 ,grco-,roman1 #h 8 best period of ,italian1 #db ,raffaelle1 his designs1 #db-de 8 ware1 so-called1 #fb ,ravenna1 potteries1 #cd ,rhodian wares1 #fi 8 characteristics1 #gj ,robbia1 ,luca della1 #bb1 #be1 #bg1 #hi 8 ,notice of his life1 by ,mr4 ,robinson1 #bd 8 ,andrea1 #bh 8 ,giovanni1 #bh 8 ,girolamo1 #bh ,roman potteries1 #de 8 in sixteenth century1 #afj 8 style of decoration1 #afa 8 biscuit porcelain1 #afb ,romano1 ,giulio1 #dh ,st4 ,sebastian1 rilievo1 ascribed to ,giorgio1 #abj ,saltzburg1 chimney piece1 #ba ,san ,quirico1 potteries1 #aed ,sassuolo1 potteries1 #ahj ,savino1 ,guido1 #ch ,scodelle1 #fc ,seggers1 as explained by ,piccolpasso1 #ed ,sgraffiati1 wares1 #hf 8 8 the method1 #hf ,sicilian lustred ware1 #hd ,siena1 potteries1 #if 8 marks1 #ii ,silvano1 ,francesco1 #aeb ,stanniferous1 enamel1 earliest date1 #bg ,strehla1 terra-cotta pulpit1 #ba ,teheran ware1 #fg ,terra-cotta discs1 on walls1 #i1 #aj 8 pulpit1 #ba ,tiles1 on walls1 c41 #aj1 #bb1 #gb 8 of the ,alhambra1 #ad 8 at ,leipsic1 #ba 8 in mosques1 #fe 8 of ,ispahan1 #fg 8 in the ,seraglio1 #gb 8 modern ,indian1 #gc 8 at ,cordova1 #ge 8 at ,siena1 #if 8 ,faenza1 #afe ,tondi1 of ,luca della ,robbia1 #bd ,tondino1 the form1 #fc ,treviso1 #ahf ,turin1 #ahf ,unknown fabriques1 examples1 #ahf ,urbino1 sketch of the ducal history1 #ce 8 vases1 c41 #ch 8 ware1 the name1 #fb 8 ancient wares1 #acf 8 decorations1 #aeb 8 no modern artistic pottery1 #aec ,valencia1 potteries1 #ad1 #gi1 #hb 8 emblem of the ,eagle1 #hj 8 ware1 brought to ,england in #adjj1 #hc ,vases1 different shapes as given by ,piccolpasso1 #eb ,venetian potteries1 #cd1 #cg1 #aha 8 earliest dated1 #ahc ,verona1 #ahf ,v4,i4,n41 monogram4 ,see ,cencio1 #abd ,vincenzio ,patanati1 #aeb ,viterbo1 example of ware1 #aeh ,vitreous1 or glass-glazed wares1 #d ,ware1 soft and hard1 #c ,xativa potteries1 #hj ,zanto1 ,francesco1 #adh 8 ,mr4 ,robinson's judgment on his works1 #adh 8 too severe1 #adi ,zonan1 ,antonio1 #aha ,,london3 ,,bradbury1 ,,agnew1 ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,whitefriars4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum ,,art ,,handbooks4 ,,edited ,,by ,,william ,,maskell4 #a4 ,,textile ,,fabrics4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,,daniel ,,rock1 ,d4,d4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 #b4 ,,ivories3 ,,ancient ,,and ,,medi,,val4 ,by ,,william ,,maskell4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 #c4 ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern ,,furniture ,,and ,,woodwork4 ,by ,,john ,,hungerford ,,pollen4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 #d4 ,,maiolica4 ,by ,c4 ,,drury ,e4 ,,fortnum1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 #e4 ,,musical ,,instruments4 ,by ,,carl ,,engel4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4