80 ACCOUNTS, ETC. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The most attractive portions of the bequest are the cups of 

 gold, rock-ciystalj or other hard stone, and the personal 

 ornaments. The former are twenty-one in number, and 

 while all are of very high quality, one piece at least can 

 scarcely be surpassed for the beauty of its work or the 

 perfect state of preservation in which in which it has come 

 down. This is an antique vase of chalcedony, cut in cameo 

 with vine branches and grapes, and mounted in gold in the 

 richest style of the Italian Renaissance. This vase, with 

 four others in the collection, was formerly the property of 

 the Duke of Devonshire. Of the rest, one is of bloodstone, 

 richly mounted as an ewer, another of lapis lazuli, the third 

 of jasper, and the fourth of a curious variety of agate 

 mounted with great taste. A different kind of interest is 

 attached to one of the rock-crystal vases which bears the 

 name ''■ Akbar " in Arabic characters, and it may be fairly be 

 assumed that it was once in the possession of the great 

 Sultan of that name. 



Another object which is in some respects of a similar 

 character is a gold shrine or reliquary containing a thorn 

 from the Crown of Thorns, a highly ornamental example of 

 late Gothic work from Spain, made probably about 1560. 



The jewels and personal ornaments number fifty-three, 

 including several small jewelled ornaments which might or 

 might not have been M'orn on the person. The most im- 

 portant, both as a work of art and from its historical interest, 

 is the Lyte jewel ; a gold locket, enamelled and set with 

 diamonds, containing a miniature portrait of King James I. 

 by Nicholas Hilliard. This beautiful object was given by 

 James I. to Thomas Lyte, who had made for the King a 

 royal pedigree, reaching as far back as Brut. The jewel was 

 eventually sold after passing by will through various hands, 

 and came into the possession of the Duke of Hamilton ; after 

 the sale of the Hamilton Palace collection, Baron Ferdinand 

 Rothschild secured it. 



Another beautifully enamelled locket contains a miniature 

 portrait of Sir Bevil Grenville, signed by David de Grange, 

 the locket itself being French work; while a third jewel of 

 Italian work, a badge for a hat, is said to have been the 

 property of Don John of Austria. The greater part are of 

 German workmanship, and they give a good idea of the 

 luxury of the merchant princes of Southern Germany in the 

 sixteenth century. 



The silver plate comprises about sixty examples of silver 

 vases and cups, nearly all domestic, and principally of the 

 latter half of the sixteenth century, and of German origin. 

 The greater part were no doubt intended rather as decora- 

 tions for the dining-room than for actual daity use. The 

 earliest in date is probably a vase and cover of chalcedony 

 in silver-gilt mounts, of late Gothic work, doubtless German, 

 of about 1480. Somewhat later are two silver covers from 



