THE POTTERS ART. 



also been the means of bringing to the knowledge of modern times 

 its early history. 



The antiquity of the art is also attested by the frequent 

 allusions to it in poetic writings of remote date. These allusions, 

 in many cases, incidentally disclose the processes of the art, and 

 prove their almost exact identity with those of the present age. 



4. Every one is familiar with the frequent metaphors and com- 

 parisons taken from the processes and productions of the potter 

 in the Hebrew Scriptures. 



' ' The Lord said to Jeremiah arise and go down to the potter's house. 

 Then I went down and behold he wrought a work on the wheels. And the 

 vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter ; so he 

 made it again another vessel, and the Lord said, house of Israel, cannot 

 I do with you as this potter ? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand 

 so are ye in mine." Jer. xviii. 1 6. 



"I will break this people and this city as one breaketh a potter's vessel." 

 Jer. xix. 11. 



The antiquity of the process of kneading the dough with the 

 feet is proved by many allusions to it in the ancient writers. 



<; I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come : from the 

 rising of the sun shall he call upon my name, and he shall come upon 

 princes as upon mortar, and as tlie potter treadeth clay" Isaiah, xli. 25. 



In ancient Greek and Latin authors allusions are frequent. 



Homer, describing the shield of Achilles, compares a dance by 

 figures forming a ring upon it, as having as much precision and 

 rapidity as the wheel of a potter put in motion by his hands. 

 Iliad, xviii., 599600. 



For the more common sorts of ware, the potter still imparts, in 

 many cases, the motion to the wheel with his hands. 



The wheel, however, is more generally moved by the feet, and 

 often by an assistant, or even by steam or other moving power, 

 when many of them are required to be kept in motion. 



In Plautus we have 



" Vorsutior es quam rota figularis." 3 EPID. ii. 35. 

 " Thou turnest more rapidly than a potter's wheel." 



* ' Amphora caspit 



Institui : currente rotd cur urceus exit ?" HOR. Art. Poet. 21. 



"A large vase was designed: why, as the wheel revolves, turns out a 

 little pitcher ? " 



" Testa alta paretur 



Quce tenui muro spatiosum colligat orbem : 

 Debetur magnus patinse, subitusque Prometheus. 

 Argillam,atque rotam, citius properate : sed ex hoc 

 Tempore jam, Csesar, figuli tua castra sequantur." 



JUVENAL, Sat. iv. 131. 

 116 



