1820.] Scientific Intelligence. 229 



V. Completion of the great Metallic Vase at Mr. Thomason's 

 Manufactory, Birmingham. 



The public are indebted to the late Sir William Hamilton for 

 the beautiful collection of antique vases which enrich the man- 

 sions of the nobihty and wealthy ; for having less pleasure in the 

 possession of these treasures than in gratifying the good taste of 

 his countrymen in making them public, he distributed them with 

 a most liberal hand to those who felt their beauty and appre- 

 ciated their importance ; hence lie presented to the late Earl of 

 Warwick the chef-d'ouvre of Grecian sculpture by the chisel of 

 Lysippus. 



Our ingenious countryman, Mr. Thomason, of Birmingham, 

 conceived the idea of making a fac simile of this great vase 

 entirely of metal. He accordingly commenced this great under- 

 taking in the 54th year of the reign of King George III. and has 

 lately completed it. Xwo hundred and eleven medals of different 

 subjects, including one of King George IV. all made at the 

 manufactory, were sealed up in an antique urn, and deposited in 

 the centre of the pedestal upon which the vase was raised by the 

 efforts of about 50 of the workmen in celebration of his present 

 Majesty's accession to the throne. 



The character and history of the Wai-wick vase are so gene- 

 rally known that we shall confine ourselves to the description of 

 the metallic one. 



In 1814 the late Earl of Warwick, who liberally patronized the 

 fine arts, permitted Mr. Thomason and his artists to hare free 

 access to the original vase to model it in wax, ■ which occupied 

 several months. From these models casts were made in lead to 

 serve as patterns to form the whole, which whole is made in two 

 distinct metals, the field being of one metal, and the handles, 

 vines, masks, panther skins, and leaves, composed of another ; 

 this original thought gave Mr. Thomason the opportunity of 

 adopting two novel modes of oxidati'on, thereby producing the 

 most beautiful effect of light and shade, the oxidating of the 

 field being accomplished by a combination of the sulphates and 

 nitrates urged on by powerful heat, which has produced the 

 desired appearance of the rouge antique marble. The masks, 

 handles, and parts, in relief, are oxidated by the acetates, and 

 resemble the verd antique bronze. The harmony of these two 

 colours is at once grand and imposing. 



This vase, which is 21 feet in diameter, and weighs several tons, 

 from its being made of imperishable materials, will not only 

 record and perpetuate the fame of our country, but hand down 

 the name of Mr. Thomason to remote posterity. It affords also 

 a true pledge that a rapid improvement of taste has taken root 

 in the great manufacturing town of Birmingham, and that we 

 need not apprehend being surpassed in fine and classical work- 

 manship by our competitors abroad. 



