120 
SECOND EGYPTIAN ROOM. 
[UPPER 
Slade Collection only three specimens, a tumbler with a convex base, 
from Selzen (No. 319), and two cups found in Kent. Those from 
the General Collection (Case 52, 53) are more numerous. In the 
East, glass making was still continued, probably in the neighbourhood 
of Damascus. There are in the collection some very fine specimens, 
all decorated with enamel and gilding (Case 44, 45). Two lamps from 
mosques, made, according to the inscriptions, for Seifeddin Takuzde- 
mur, Viceroy of Egypt, a.d. 1341, and Governor of Damascus in 1343, 
who died at Cairo in 1345. A third lamp was made for the Emir 
Skeykhoo, who died in 1356. There are likewise two fine bottles. 
To a later period belong some Persian specimens (Nos. 341-3), and a 
few Chinese ; two of the latter bear the name of the Emperor Keen- 
lung, 1736-95. 
The oldest known specimens of Venetian glass are of the fifteenth 
century. The earlier examples seem to have the forms of silver plate, 
and are frequently massive, and richly gilt and enamelled. One of the 
largest examples in the collection is a covered standing cup, with gilt 
ribs (No. 362). Two of the earliest, and also most elaborate speci- 
mens, are a green goblet with portraits (No. 361), and a blue cup 
with a triumph of Venus (No. 363). The shallow ribbed bowls, or 
dishes, are very handsome, and have frequently coats of arms in the 
centre ; on one of them (No. 371) are the arms of the Doge Lorenzo 
Loredano, 1501-21, another (No. 372) has those of Leo X., 1513- 
21 ; a third (No. 374), those of Fabrizio Caretto, Grand Master of 
the Order of St. John, 1 513-25. 
The vases of blown glass are frequently very elegant, especially 
those in uncoloured glass ; the stems are very often decorated with 
knots, wings, and fantastic additions in blue glass. Vases were also 
made entirely or partially of coloured glass, generally blue, purple, or 
green; sometimes a milky opalescent colour was produced, due, it is 
said, to arsenic ; also an opaque white, derived probably from tin, which 
is further diversified with splashes of other colours. Another kind 
of variegated glass, which was called calcedonio, exhibits the streaky 
hues of the onyx, and was occasionally sprinkled with avanturine spots. 
Great use was also made by the Venetians of rods of glass enclosing 
threads of opaque white glass (laticinio), arranged in various patterns. 
Thus was produced the elegant lace glass (Vetro di trina) in which 
Venice was unrivalled. Another variety (a reticelli) is ornamented 
with a network of opaque white lines, enclosing at the intersections 
bubbles of air. A goblet of this kind (No. 682) has in the foot a half 
sequin of Francesco Molino, Doge of Venice in L647, marking the 
period at which it was made. The opaque white decoration is some- 
times applied in parallel lines, sometimes in a wavy pattern, and 
exhibits endless variety. 
The Venetians were great makers of beads, with which, for many 
centuries, they supplied the world. These were very often formed 
from sections of rods, with mosaic designs. Such sections were also 
sometimes worked up into vases (as by the ancient Romans), thence 
termed millefiori. Of these there are good examples in the collection. 
