102 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



vase. An e(iually l)eaatifnl object, bat by far dititereiit character, is the crystal 

 Navecilla, a crystal ship on wheels, with elaborate Gothic mcrnnts of silver gilt from 

 the Cathedral of Toledo. It is about 15 inches in length, the body of the vessel 

 made of rock crystal, above which is a considerable superstructure of silver gilt in 

 which the ribs of the ship are indicated. At the prow and stern the bulwarks are 

 formed of a band of eh'gant tracery surmouuted by a cresting of leaves. The iigure- 

 head is a wyveru in full relief, and the keel is formed of a band of boldly modeled 

 leaf- work. All the lines of the construction are very graceful, and the composition 

 is i)leasing as well as unusual. It is said to have been the projierty of Dona .luana 

 la Loca, and jnobably became the property of the Cathedral as a votive otl'ering. 

 Another ship, of which the body is formed of a large turbo shell, is shown from 

 Saragossa, but this, though very quaint, and of perhaps a somewhat earlier date, 

 can not be compared for beauty with the ciystal ship of Toledo." 



The painted enamels can not be better described than by the pen of Mr. Read: 

 " It is somewhat surprising to find among the ecclesiastical objects from the 

 various cathedrals so few painted enamels that are worthy of note. A good trip- 

 tych belonging to the Cathedral of Saragossa would seem to be from the hand of 

 Nardon Peuicaud or of his school. The central subject is of the Adoration of the 

 Magi, painted in the usual m^iuer, the faces somewhat round, and here and there 

 the small raised jewels or rosettes backed with foil. The Conde de Valencia has 

 also a triptych by the same artist, who seems to have been popular in Spain, to judge 

 by the comparative frequency of his works. Three other enamels in the collection 

 shown by the Conde de Valencia de Don Juan are, however, of far greater interest 

 and beauty. The first of these is of North Italian work of the fifteenth century, a 

 circular pectorial medallion, with a hinged front displaying both inside and out 

 scenes from the Passion paiuted in the exciuisite style characteristic of this period 

 and country, and of which we have a few good examples in the British Museum. 

 The back of this charming pendant is formed of a plate of pearl shell engraved with 

 the Crucifixion, and evei-y part seems in perfect preservation. The two other 

 enamels are of Limoges, the more iuiportant being a brilliant triptych, unsigned, 

 but doubtless by Leonard Limousin, the second ar. equally brilliant but small plaque 

 paiuted by Pierre Reymond in 1537, with the Good Shepherd giving crooks to the 

 shepherds, and the exhortation to the shepherds is inscribed in two panels at the 

 top. The triptych represents the Last Supper, and has the arms of Lorraine beneath 

 quarterly and an iuescutcheon of pretence of Lorraine, while on the wings are the 

 arms of Lorraine (on a Ijeud three alerions) and those of France, as well as a motto, 

 which would point to the piece having been made for a personage of distinction. 

 The Conde de Valencia also exhibits a large and interesting series of the small 

 champleve enamel plaques from horse trappings, most of which have devices of an 

 armorial character, both Moorish a.id Christian. These little ornaments Avere used 

 in all European countries in mediieval times, and a large number, such as are to be 

 found here, could scarcely fail to produce some iuterestiug results, if time were given 

 to their study 



" The absence of any large number of Limoges or Italian enamels is not so surpris- 

 ing as the entire want of Flemish plate of the period of Charles V or earlier. There 

 are no doubt some ]»ieces which, on examination, would prove to be of Flemish 

 manufacture, but there is certainly nothing like a disjtlay of such objects, and it 

 seems scarcely credible that great (juantities of church plate and objects of domestic 

 use were not brought from Flanders, a country where art of this kind had attained 

 to such perfection." 



Mr. Read also describes two famous historical Arab standards, which I will give 

 in his words : 



"The Monastery of Las Huelgas at Burgos has sent one of its greatest treasures 

 in the standard of the Almohade Sultan, captured by Alfonso VIII at the famous 

 battle of Las Navas in 1212, a wonderful specimen of .\ral) silk w caving, still pre- 



