J 20 On the Mantifacture of Glass,' Porcelain, c§-c. 



style of the sculptures, to a Pliaraonic period, not much later 

 than the eighteenth dynasty ;" a fourth is in the museum at 

 Jersey ; another was purchased by Lord Prudhoe, at Coptos, 

 and is now in the museum at Alnwick Castle; two others are 

 in the possession of Mrs Bowen ; and another belongs to Mr 

 W. Hamilton. They are about two inches in height ; one side 

 presents a flower, and the other an inscription, containing, ac- 

 cording to the valuable authority of Mr Davis (in three out of 

 eight*), the following legend : — " The flower opens, and lo ! 

 another year." 



The quality of these bottles is very inferior, and they appear 

 to have been made before the manufacture of procelain had at- 

 tained the same degree of perfection in China as in after times ; 

 they were probably brought to Egypt through India, with which 

 country I believe the Egyptians to have traded at a very re- 

 mote period, and contained some precious ingredient, whose 

 value may be inferred from the size of the vase. It cannot be 

 supposed that the Egyptians, who manufactured porcelain of 

 far better quality, would have sought or imported these as ar- 

 ticles of value ; we can therefore only suppose, that they were 

 prized for their contents ; and after they were exhausted, the 

 valueless bottle was applied to the ordinary purpose of holding 

 the Kohl or Collyrium, used by women for staining their eye- 

 lids. 



It has been questioned, if the Egyptians understood the art 

 of enamelling upon gold or silver, though even in the absence 

 of farther evidence, we might infer it from an expression in 

 Pliny, t who says : " The Egyptians paint their silver vases, re- 

 presenting Anubis upon them, the silver being painted and not 

 engraved.'' Small gold figures are frequently found with orna- 

 mented wings, and bodies, whose feathers, faces, or other coloured 

 parts are composed of a vitrified composition, let into the metal ; 

 some again appear to have been really enamelled ; and it is pro- 

 bable that the early specimens of encaustum were made by tool- 

 ing the devices to a certain depth on bronze, and pouring a 



• I am happv to find that Mr Davis is preparing an account of these in- 

 teresting curiosities. 

 + Plin. xxxiii. 9. , 



