Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-08-03
About the Crystal Palace.
MOSAIC CENTRE TABLES.

MoSAto SLNAhh AhbLES.
The works in Mosaic are among the finest
specimens Of art in the Italian department and
attract, as they Justly merit, the attention Of
the visitors. The designs are all worked on
black marble, and the whole forms the top Of
circular table. Working in Mosaic is one Of
the Oldest arts. and was known in the days of
ancient Greece and Rome History tells us
that the walls and pavements OF their temples
were ornamented with Mosaic and that the
effect was beautiful beyond conception. At
present we believe Rome and Florence fur.
nish the best description OF this beautiful
work, and their artists are superior to those of
any other part Of Europe. Working in Mosaic
is exceedingly tedious, and. besides ski and
artistic taste in combination requires no ord
nary degree of patience IN the workman. Some
idea may be formed Of the value of these Ia
bes, when state that there is one among
those on exhibition which is worth over three
thousand dollars. ...
As our readers may have some desire to know
the process by which this exqusit work is
performed we have taken the trouble to inform
ourselves upon the subject. The figures flow
ers. or general design represented on the table
are informed of stones of different colors. with
which Italy appears to have been provided
with an abundant supply. These are GU, into
"slices," if we may use the term, of different
sizes, and afterwards fashioned into the re.
qu,red shape. Each slice is about the six
teenth of an inch in thickness, and some Of
,b ,lo, .lo. -
jects are nearly as visible through them as
glass. We noticed this quality particularly in
stone of light purple color, which was us,
ed to represent grapes and which was remarka-
bly, clear, and so like the natural fruit that it
would easily deceive the unnitiated. The black
marble, which forms the design on which the
ground is woi ked, is also not more than the
sixteenth of an inch thick, but it is cemented
on thicker piece after the inlaying is perfec-
ted. The process OF inlayng, as we have in
,imated is the most tedious, and at the same
time the most skillful part Of the work. The
design which may consist of flowers animals,
or landscapes is first sketched out on the thin
circular piece of marble, and afterwards cut
completely through it. Then the parti colored
stones are selected for the leaves, flowers, dc.
and cut after a pattern which is placed before
the artist. In one table there often more
than thousand different pieces Of stone re
qured, and all of these must be in aid with
the utmost precision and accuracy. Mosaic is
the perfection of patch work but it is different
from all other kinds Of patchwork. because it
requires more neatness, judgment and skill.
On one of these tables is the representation Of
patriot, and on the centre OF another a mag
nifcent bunch Of Of flowers of various kinds
The plnmage of the bird is admirably execu
ted, and is only Inferior to painting. while the
various colors OF the flowers are so closely i'm
itated. that they might, at short distance, be
mistaken for the real thing.
There are seven pieces of Mosaic work from
Florence. and five from Rome. in the Italian
department. besides specimens of the various
stones employed in the work. All these are
placed in the west gallery, and may be found
i'll class 81. The table from Florence are from
the mandatory of G.. Binanchni. who. we
understand, is member of the Society OF Fine
Arts in several of the principal cities of Europe
and who took the gold prize medals a. the late
industrial exhibition in London. We recon.
mend these beautiful specimens of Italian art
to the attention and study Of our own artists
IN the hope that they will be the means Of i'm.
proving their taste and exciting their emula.
tion.
vELvETs.
In the manufacturers of velvet Italy is in.
ferior to no other nation in the world. Genoa
is particularly celebrated for the superior
quality of her yevets, and, we believe has
more extensive manufactures than any other
Italian city. The purple velvets which formed
the imperial robes oil the Italian soyereigns
many centuries were manufactured here. and
at one time they were worn all over Europe e.
The specimens which We have seen on exhi
bition are unsurpassed by anything of the
kind yet displayed in the other departments
The pile is very close and thick, but exceed
ingly fine and smooth to the touch. One piec'