Italy, which of late has been trying to revive the art of making ancient glass, made quite a display at the Exposition. Although I admired several of the productions shown in such profusion, I must say that the impression left upon the mind is one of disappointment. I have seen in the other sections, French, Austrian, and English, much superior wares than even those of the well-known Venice and Murano Company. The colors shown by the Italians, with a few exceptions, are so dull and wanting in the brilliancy of other nations, that the difference becomes painfully apparent on comparison. The wares are blown very badly, and indicate the work of artisans who are not skilled in their art. These defects are especially to be seen in pieces above ordinary sizes. The English and French show much superior goods in that line, and the colors surpass them altogether. I am aware that the aim of the Italians is to reproduce a blending of colors to show soft peculiar tints, but I must confess that they are yet far from success, and a good clear color will always be superior to a dull, undecided, obscured shade. The beauty of glass is its brilliancy, and no attempt should be made to deprive it of this one particular and inherent quality.

In regard to taste, I must also say that I have failed to see any great display of it. I cannot see good taste in lusters or chandeliers loaded down with a multitude of glass leaves and flowers of all colors and shapes, thrown together in close promiscuity, without regard to the harmony of colors. Nor can I appreciate mirrors with glass frames loaded down with the same materials.

Although it must be acknowledged that Italian art in mosaics is to be admired, and is superior to anything seen elsewhere, yet the impression left of the Italian section is one that leads me to believe that the ancient Venetian skill has departed from its former center. The Italian mosaics, however, were many of them wonderful productions, both in coloration and execution, and I did not think that so many and such beautiful things could be made out of this art. I must also commend the fancy glass jewelry of this section, as showing with what ingenuity and perfection this material has been treated. The aventurine jewelry and mosaics are really wonderful. This aventurine or imitation gold stone presents many difficulties in its manufacture, but

from the large blocks that were shown, it would seem that they have been thoroughly mastered in Italy.

The Venice and Murano Company had the largest variety on exhibition, and represented probably the best productions of the country. It was established in 1866 by English gentlemen, who, as lovers of ancient art, wish to revive and restore it to its primitive greatness.

It would be impossible to describe the objects exhibited without drawings, and a mere description does not convey to the mind any idea of the goods. I will simply describe the styles, without pretending to give the names of the objects they are intended to represent:

A large bowl of white glass, 16 inches in diameter, decorated in gold with different subjects. This decoration is done by covering the glass with gold and scratching out the outlines of the subjects represented.

Another large bowl in pale yellow, decorated in outline painting. The colors in these and other articles of the same kind look rough and as if they had not been half burnt in.

A pair of tall vases of a pale brown glass, blown with longitudinal ribs of opal, put on very straight; the contrast of colors is good. Said to have been sold several times; one pair has also been purchased by the National Lottery.

A vase and bowl of the same colored glasses, but the ribs put on horizontally.

A large variety of marbleized glass vases.

Imitation of precious stones in glass of different colors, presumed to have been made by using sections of different colored glass put side by side.

Small vases showing on the outside irregular threads of colored glass, looking somewhat like crackled ware.

Vases of glass mottled with gold; others with spiral threads of opal.

Decanters in dark marbled glass, running from dark to light marble; a pretty effect.

Blue glass round toilet caskets, with lace pattern in enamel white; execution irregular.

A variety of small vases, with metallic flakes and spun thread; some of white glass with ruby threads; others of colored glasses with threads of different colors.

A vase, opal inner coating, covered over with ruby, making a very pretty color.

A number of articles with filigree work; generally well done.

Vases in millefiori, showing the patterns in sections at the sides.

A vase of white glass, with yellow metallic flakes, having an opal filigree spirally wound around it; rather pretty.

A bowl of white glass, with opal filigree bottom, painted in white enamel; rather inferior.

A large vase of white glass with cover, stem representing a dragon, made of white glass, with inside ruby threads; inferior work. Foot and body of white glass, with opal cross and twisted threads; very pretty and well done.

A candelabrum of white glass, foot tipped with light ruby, stem blown with twisted ruby and vertical straight threads, decorated with swans

Fig. 25. — Venice & Murano Company.

A heavy cross of ruby glass, branches in bronze, with, ruby oil-cups.

Lamps in the Arabian style.

A cup with two handles, on a foot of white glass, the whole surrounded on the outside with a reticular net work of the same glass in the form of entwined ribbons, completely detached from the body of the cup, but united to it at foot and top.

Of the mosaic work I cannot undertake to give a description, but its excellence cannot be too highly praised. The articles made by this house are in ordinary white glass — no flint is used. They employ about 210 workmen, including 65 children. The work, as may be imagined, is all done by hand, and the glass is baked in muffle furnaces. The articles are principally reproductions of ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antique glasses in many colors, carved out of blocks; articles imitating Christian glass, with gilding between two layers of glass and mosaics in colored glass, of which they claim to have more than 9,000 shades. The finest work of this firm is the filigree, which seems to be faultless.

Salviati & Co., Venice. This house exhibits a great many articles in the same style as the Venice and Murano Company.

Quite a variety of jugs, pots, vases, of marbleized, mottled, and metalized glass.

Articles of different colored filigree.

Ruby-colored vases of a very handsome purplish ruby, with opal threads and border.

The filigree work of this house is finely done and the prices very low.

A flat bowl, 17 inches, of mottled spirals of different colors.

Another bowl, 28 inches, in mottled pink, yellow, and blue, the stem in bluish aventurine, the border in waved scalloped border, in imitation of a shell.

A set of blue bowls in very pretty color, painted in gold enamel.

A vase, 24 inches high, in white glass, with blue and opal waves; badly blown, but pretty in colors.

A pair of vases, blue outside with opal inside; a very pretty color combination.

Vases in gold, mottled, with white-glass handles made of two swans with red bills; the handles poorly executed, the vase pretty.

A variety of mirrors with silvered and engraved glass frames, with top pieces of the same.

In this house, as in the preceding, I saw several samples of beautiful ruby; in fact, such ruby as could not be seen elsewhere.

A vase of green glass, with gold flakes.

Goblets gilded in the bowl up to a certain height, and spiral ruby filigree with opalescent horizontal threads; a handsome combination.

The same gilding as in the preceding house could also be seen in a variety of articles, the designs being shown by denuded outlines.