448 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



the set of ornaments had, it was stated, been 20 years 

 collecting the pieces inserted therein. Of the carving of 

 the coral into flowers and foliage, it need only be said that 

 it was as delicate as it was bold and deep, and sustained 

 the reputation of the Italians for skill in glyptics. 



Guiseppe Martucci, of Naples, also showed at the 

 Dublin International Exhibition in 1865 an arabesque 

 coral handle for a parasol, eight inches long, carved in 

 relief out of a single piece, with fruit, animals, leaves, etc., 

 valued at j2. 



The International Maritime Exhibition held in 1871 

 at Naples, the head-quarters of the coral dredging and 

 working operations, afforded an admirable opportunity for 

 displaying some of the finest specimens of natural and 

 artistic productions. On that occasion the leading coral 

 workers and jewellers sent magnificent examples. Mr. 

 Phillips, being a commissioner, was placed hors concours. 

 Casalta and Morabito exhibited coral sets valued at from 

 9000 to 16,000 Italian lire or francs ; but their best work was 

 a walking-stick, with a carved handle of coral weighing 100 

 grammes, and a fine string of pale white coral. Some of 

 the carving and workmanship shown by Michele Piscione 

 and others were very fine. Ascioni Brothers had a magni- 

 ficent collection of works in pink and white coral, and 

 especially the carved hilt of a dagger. 



At the Paris Exhibition of 1878, in the Italian section, 

 magnificent carvings in pink coral were shown by Luigi 

 Casalta, Giacinto Melillo, Nicolo Piscione, Guiseppe 

 Giojuzzi, and Rocco Morabito, of Naples. 



The value of ordinary red coral fluctuates much at the 

 seat of the fisheries. In 1867 it was only worth 30^. the 

 pound, and occasionally it is worth 2 the pound. The 

 variation in price arises in some degree from the different 



