272 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



[may 31, 



century, or even earlier, up to the present day, crystal balls have 

 been manufactured without the requisition of more skill than 

 that necessary in turning out a common semi-circular piece of 

 agate for a bracelet or other ornament. 



The crystal cups, vases, pitchers, and other similar objects of 

 the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries now in tlie Louvre, the 

 Dresden Green Vaults, and the Schatzkammer of Vienna, are in- 

 finitely superior to any such simple work as tiiese spheres of 

 crystal. ]\Iany of them are to-day faithfully re]>roduced in 

 Vionnn, a number having found a ready sale in the United States 



Methods of working rock-crystal, agate, etc., in Germany, I'rance. and United States. 



<]uring recent yeai's. Two line examples of this class were in ti)e 

 Morgan collection. They are crystal dishes, measuring from 4 

 to G inches across, beautifully engraved in intaglio, and mounted 

 in silver and gems, and are as rich as the originals in the Vienna 

 collection. 



Many small crystal objects of foreign manufacture, such as 

 spectacles and small balls of 1-^ inches diameter, can Ije purchased 

 in New York, notwithstanding duty, chcajier than they can be 

 cut here, unless a large order is given. There are regular fjuota- 

 tions bv which balls can ])e ordered from the Oberstem factories. 



