56 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Fkbruary, 



The first of these conversaziones was held at the apartments of the Institute 

 (12, Hayniarki-ti, on Friilay la»t at four o'clock, as hart been announced in 

 the printed circulars of the Committee and the recently pu1)lished number of 

 the Arclucological Journal. 



On opening the proceedings. Sir R Westmacott observed that, before en- 

 tering into an examination of the objects submitted to them, he thought it 

 right to state, that it was far from the intention of tlie committee of tlie In- 

 stitute, in holding these meetines, to interfere in any degree witli tlic pro- 

 ceedings of the Society of Antiquaries. He conceived that there was a mark- 

 ed distinction in the p'lovince of the two societies. It was competent to tlie 

 Society of Antiquaries to undertake far more important objects ;— its range 

 of research was wider, its resources were more ample. 'I'lie Institute was 

 necessarily subsidiary— designed to act in a pioneer capacity, and to supply 

 by its extended correspondence those materials not otherwise accessible, on 

 which the more important labours of the Society of Antiquaries must ulti- 

 mately be based. The constitution of the Institute was so framed as to em- 

 brace' all classes interested in tlie study of Archaeology,— not those only 

 whose support was valuable from their position and influence, but also those 

 precluded by their limited means from joining the Society of Antiquaries, 

 and deriving' full benefit from its valuable publications. By tliisinore com- 

 prehensive enrolment, the Institute hoped to secure the co-operation of those 

 who were the official conservators of our great ecclesiastical edifices, and 

 those also whose professional education involved the study of Arclia;ology ; 

 and of the national sympathy thus created the Society of Antiquaries would, 

 he felt sure, reap the benefit'. He confidently antiiipated that, by the annual 

 meeting, a very great stimulus would be given to the study of Arcba:ology, 

 and that in each'successive visit a new and interesting locality would be ex- 

 plored and illustrated, and many precious objects, which lie concealed in 

 private collections, would lie brought to light. By the smaller meetings, 

 such as the committee held this day, they hoped to give the opportunity for 

 much friendly intercourse and valuable discussion. He rejoiced to see, on 

 the present occasion, such a variety of interesting objects and communica- 

 tions as those laid before them,— a most gratifying assurance of the manner 

 in wliicli these meetings would be supported by the members of the Institute ; 

 and be could only regret that the limited space of their apartments did not 

 allow them to accommodate, on the present occasion, a larger assembly. 



Sir Richard then called the attention of the meeting to some beautiful Ita- 

 lian sculptures in ivory, which bad passed into his possession from the col- 

 lection of Flaxman. He observed, that they probably represented, in a series 

 of groups, the incidents of some legend or media;val romance. They appear 

 to have been executed in the earlier part of the fourteenth century, and afiord 

 a remarkable example of a peculiar style of design, considered by foreign 

 antiquaries to be Venetian, and of which several specimens may be seen in 

 the Musee Charles X. at the Louvre, and several private cabinets at Paris and 

 other parts of the continent. He also submitted for inspection a head 

 sculptured in stone, of the 13th century, from Hereford Cathedral, remark- 

 aide for the fine character of the features and general expression. 



The Marquess of Northampton exhibited a bronze Etrusc.in vase, of un- 

 usual form, found at Bomazza, and a mirror ornamented on tlie reverse with 

 an engraved group of the Judgment of Paris, and a number of lieads formed 

 of vitreous pastes, discovered near Rome, much resembling the beads found 

 in British barrows. . 



Several interesting primeval weapons of flint and bronze, discovered in 

 Glamorganshire, belonging to the museum of the Royal Institution of South 

 Wales, were communicated for exhibition, by permission, through .Mr. G. G. 

 Francis, local secretary to the Institute. A valuable illustration of these re- 

 mains was contributed by Mr. J. Winter Jones, consisting of an unique as- 

 semblage of lance and arrow heads of silex. discovered in Canada, which, as 

 Mr. Birch remarked, closely resemble in form and adaptation the weapons of 

 the primeval tribes of Great Britain and Northern Europe. 



Mr. Dilke exhibited a portrait on glass of late iioman times, purchased at 

 Strawberry Hill, representing a female bust, and that of a boy wearing the 

 bulla. This portrait is remarkable, not only from a variety of details of 

 classical costume, rarely to be met with, but also as an example of ancient 

 design, showing a great knowledge of form and chiaroscuro. The bend-dress 

 of the female resembles that of the Empress Julia Momoea, and the portrait 

 is probably not later than the time of Gordianus .\fricanus. The mode in 

 which the work is executed is also curious :it is apparently formed by scraping 

 ■way parts of a black pigment, so as to show a gold ground below, the sur- 

 face of the picture being protected by a glass plate cemented over it. .\nother 

 beautiful portrait of the same kind was exliibited by Mr. Burgon ; and other 

 eiamples of this species of glass have been noticed by Buonarotti, in his 

 TrorK on ancient glass. 



.Mr. Talbot exhibited a warrant for the payment of 55 sols totirnois to 

 Riitandore, trumpeter of the Comte d'Angouleme, for bringing the " good 

 and joyful news of the death of Talbot and the defeat of the English before 

 Caslillon," in the year 1453. Mr. Talbot also exhibited some Roman silver 

 Imperial coins from Vespasian to Severus, found near the Giants' Causeway 

 in Ireland, and a Chinese porcelain phial said to have been found in a tomb 

 at Thebes.— Mr. Bircii stated that all these phials were probably very much 

 lalcr than tlieir alleged date ; first, from their being inscribed with a i barac- 

 ler not earlier than the first century B. c. ; secondly, from the fact that in 

 the Chinese annals the first mention of porcelain does not occur till the 

 seventh century a. d., and then it is spoken of as a rarity ; thirdly, that the 

 merchants were in the habit at the present day of bringing these vases to 

 Cairo on the return of the caravans from Mecca. 



Mr. C. ViUicrs Bavlv exhibited a slab of wood, probably part of a coffer, 

 oriiau'iented, and wit'h 'groups in relief and pounced work, supposed to repre- 

 sent a subject from some romance ; the costume of the figures was Italian, 

 of the latter part of the fifteenth century. 



Mr. Poynter exhibited some stamped leathern hangings of beautiful de- 

 sign, from' Bradwell House, Bucks ; they presented a good example of the 

 decorations which supi>lied the place of hangings of Arras, towards the close 

 of the seventeenth century. , „, . . . ... , 



Two drawings, on a verv large scale, of early Christian, inscnbed and 

 senlpturcd crosses at Nevin and Carew, in Pembrokeshire, were exhibited by 

 Mr Westwood. Mr. Westwood stated, that these were the two finest speci- 

 mens of this class of monument that he had been able to discover, and that 

 their date was prohablv the eleventh century.— The representation of a re- 

 markable sculptured monument, at Auldbar, near Brechin, was exhibited at 

 the same time, and several features of resemblance in design were noticed. 

 This curious early Christian memorial had been communicated to the Insti- 

 tute bv Mr. Chalmers, of Auldbar. 



Several communications were read to the meeting, among which was a 

 letter from Sir Philip Egerton, stating some singular facts connected with 

 the Roman occupation of Cheshire, as detailed by Mr. Hostage, of North- 

 wich. Letters were also read from the Rev. Hugh Jones, D. J., and the 

 Rev.H. Longueville Jones, announcing their intention of commencing exca- 

 vations'on the site of Segontium, near Caernarvon, where it was anticipated 

 that intere'tins discoveries would be made. Dr. Jones stated that the walls 

 of Caernarvon Castle had recently been repaired in a most satisfactory man- 

 ner, hut that some portions of the town walls, the property of .Mr. .\iheton 

 Smith and Lord Newborough, were in a very decayed state. 



DECORATIVE ART SOCIETY. 



A continuation of the paper " On Chromatic Decorations in England," 

 was read by "ilr. E. Cooper. He commenced by noticing the progressive 

 regard for coloured decorations exhibited during the Norman and Gothic 

 epochs • alluding to the simple and chaste effect produced by the polished 

 Purheck marble shaft at Elv, and the Temple Church, the rich grandeur 

 of the earlier stained gbus windows at York and elsewhere; with the at- 

 tendant painted decorations on ceilings and walls, and the pavements of 

 encaustic tiles. He attempted to elucidate the principles which predomi- 

 nate in the b-tler examples, by explaining the general application of the 

 three primary colours, and the more usual construction ot the designs. He 

 then noticed 'the stained glass windows at King's College, Cambridge, 

 where the whole of the subject and detail are designed with a teelmg of 

 Renaissance (it is supposed by Ciiulio Romano) ; he said from personal 

 observation, that nearly all the coloured glass is what is technica ly termed 

 poi-raetal, so that where it is not so, as probably in the finest colours, it is 

 enamelled glass ; and be observed that drawing and shading were placed 

 upon these, as is evident from the disappearance, in many cases leaving 

 the pot metal only. A discmsonance was alluded to, arising from the 

 colours of back-ground and foreground in pictorial subjects being of the 

 same intensity ; and a method of producing light and distance by removing 

 more or less from the thickness of the enamel was suggested as applicable 

 to windows, and a specimen was exhibited. Mr. Cooper then commented 

 on the agreeable elfect of stained glass windows when the walls are of a 

 simple or uniform colour, but urged careful consideration when the walls 

 are decorated with pictures. He observed that the altar piece at Kiug s 

 Colle<re is entirely neutralized in effect by the ovei whelming coloured rays 

 of li'-bt enterin" in everv direction upon it ; the earlier examples of Oothic 

 windows were said to 'allow the transmission of a greater proportion of 

 pure li-'ht. He maintained that the ancient coloured glass had no supe- 

 riority over that now produceable, and that the prevaleut opinion of in- 

 ferior'itv had arisen from the greater use of painted, instead „( pot-metal or 

 emimelied ■'lass. Afier some remarks on encaustic tiles (specimens from 

 ReiKliii- Abbev), ami the peculiarities of Gothic drawing, colouring, 

 au.l sculpture, Sir. (.'ooper described some examples of transition, or mix.d 

 Gothic and Italian character in the ceilings of the Chapel Royal, bt. James s, 

 and the chapel of Hi.hop West, in Ely Cathedral ; also the fine specirnens 

 of baronial decorations lately restored at Hampton Court. He then took 

 occasion to censure ibe manner in which some of the coloured decorations 

 in the spandrils below the windows of the aisles in W estminster Abbey 

 have been destro\ed or concealed by misplaced and absurd mythological 

 monumental tablets; and he noticed some fine and well known examples 

 of " hi"h tomb" " richly ornamented with marble, colour, and gilding. 

 The decorations of the Elizabethan period were noticed, and a specimen 

 of embossed, silvered and coloured leather hangings from the iManor House, 

 Billin.'sburst, was exhibited. The introdudion of Italian architecture, by 

 Charles, led to the consideration of the ceiling of the Banquetting House, 

 Whitehall, painted by Rubens, also of the works byTliornhill Verrio, 

 Lan-uerre, and Charles de la Fosse at Greenwich Hospital, M. Paul s, 

 Charsworth, and Montague House (late British Museum). At present, 

 he remarked, there appears to be a struggle for supremacy between the 

 Gothic and Italian styles ; and, in his critirisms on some recent decora- 

 tions, Mr. Cooper expressed an opinion that the imitations have l>een un- 

 successfully applied, instancing those in the Temple Church as partaking 

 too freely of yellow ochreous tints, the Royal Exchange as being too petite 

 and paltry for their purpose, the Conservative Club as presenting a be- 

 wildering profusion of trifling ornaments devoid of any important chaiactet 



