Room No. IV. 



Bristol or Local Collection. 



The principal acquisition to the contents of the local 

 department is a rare vase of Champion's Bristol Porcelain, 

 hexagonal in form, the panels decorated with trees in 

 green, blue and red, with exotic birds. The two handles 

 are in green scrolls and flowers, the border and the neck 

 finely gilt in a rich arabesque of exquisite design, and 

 the angles have a running line of foliage in gold. This 

 piece is undoubtedly one of Champion's masterpieces in 

 hard paste, which he turned out at his Castle Green 

 works, Bristol, from 1770 to 1781. The height is twelve 

 inches. Another excellent example has been presented 

 in a fruit-bowl of the same ware, beautifully decorated 

 and scalloped. A unique donation was that of an iron 

 key, said to be of Italian workmanship of the 15th 

 Century, which was handed to Mr. Henry Riseley at 

 Auckland by a colonial, who had it from a friend, who 

 went up into " bushland " some years before, and stated 

 that when a boy he had come across the key amongst 

 the remains of old Bristol Castle. 



With regard to the architectural branch, two or 

 three fireplaces have been secured, including one 

 especially fine example of 17th century stone carving 

 from the Fine Arts Academy, which originally came 

 from Lewin's Mead : also portions of a decorated ceiling, 

 with the Royal monogram, etc., have been removed from 

 premises at 26, Castle Green, the site of Bristol Castle, 

 dated 1640. 



The Committee have been fortunate in obtaining 

 the entire carved wooden panelling from a Jacobean 

 room in old St. Michael's Rectory, Bristol, as well as the 

 stone chimney-piece and iron fire-grate, the whole 



