76 
16. Worcester. 
17. Bristol. 
18. Early French, St. Cloud. 
19. Sevres. 
20. Menecy. 
21. Chantilly. 
22. Dresden. 
23. Other German. 
Oriental. 
24. Saucer of the Sicuen-te period, date 1426 to 1435. 
25. Oriental, Chinese. 
26. Japan. 
Sculptures in Alabaster. 
CASE p p. 
Numerous tombs, effigies, and incised slabs of alabaster are to be 
found in most parts of England, more particularly in the Midland 
Counties; from this it would seem that an extensive and valuable 
branch of native industrial art, though now almost forgotten, once 
flourished in this kingdom. In most of our Cathedral churches 
ecclesiastical memorials are to be found sculptured in this fine 
material. Besides the productions of large dimensions, there exist 
various elaborate works of minor proportion, such as tablets or 
panels representing groups of small figures in high relief, and for 
the most part showing traces of rich colouring and gilding. They 
appear to have originally formed portions of tabernacle work, such 
as enriched the reredos of an altar or the shrine of a saint. 
1. An alabaster tablet, found near Salisbury ; representing the head 
of St. John the Baptist in a charger, St. Peter, and St. 
Thomas of Canterbury. (See woodcut.) Deposited hy Mrs . 
Su ton , of La verst oc k . 
The head of St. John is represented with long hair and beard, 
the eyes closed in death, and apparently placed upon a circular 
object or disk. Above is a small naked figure, with the hands 
clasped, surrounded by an aureola of pointed-oval form, and sup¬ 
ported by two angels, now much broken and defaced, who appear to 
bear towards heaven this representation of a disembodied spirit. 
Beneath is the upper part of a figure, with upraised hands, pro¬ 
bably Christ, rising from the sepulchre. On the dexter side of the 
tablet appears St. Peter, with a key and book; on the other side is 
a mitred figure vested in a cope, holding an archiepiscopal cross- 
staff and a book. This probably represents St. Thomas, of Canter¬ 
bury. The date of this curious tablet is the 15th century. Ala¬ 
baster tablets, similar in dimensions, and in the general features of 
