, 1872-11-07
VENETIAN GLASS.
Revival OF an Ancient Ar.

Some Of those flashing, glowing, sparkling
creations OF cut-glass remind ne that paper
On Venice would Be imperfect without an allu-
sion to her enamel mosalcB and modern cut-g1ass
factories at Mufano.
The first fugitiyes who fed to the islands Of
the seagirt city, and who made salt from it's la
gunes, brought the "art OF glass" with them
An art which could be carried On the tips OF
fingers" and which depended on fancy, dexter
ity, and little sand, could be easily transport
ed much more easily, alas! than the delicate
fabric which they rear can bear moving. In 1850
there are records Of the skill Of the Venetians in
this delicate art.
In 1891 the factories and furnaces increasedso
rapidly that they we're banished to Mulano, Cd
island and suburb Of the city The republican
aristocrats dearly loved the achievements Of the
glass-blowers, and gave them peculiar priv
cially day and night, but treated them with favor
SO long as they staid at home. A MuraneseWho
taught his art to foreigners, however, was terri
bly, punished. Il he escap:d with it to foreign
lands, ho was followed and put to death. The
daughters Of the foremen we're permitted to
wed with the patrician SONS OF Venice, and the
Muraneso were allowed to follow first after the
dogo when be went ont to wed the Adriatic.
In tEe eleventh and twalfth centuries, the
Byzantine artists taught the secret Of enamel to
Venice. The mosaic work became than as ia
nous as the blown glass: But this industry de-
cayed with al else Venetian through the seVen-
tccnth and eighteenth centuries.
About 1886. it began to revive, and to the well-
known artistic lawyer, DR.. salviati, who may
does Vonice owe the restoration Of one OF her
ancient glories. Pictures are copied by these
skilful workers in this inperishable material, to
the utmost perfection. The Queen Of England
Chapel ct Windsor, which they have filed with
exquisite success, and for the mausoleum st
Frog:noro. They ara now repairing the splendid
mosaics Of Marks, some Of which are almost in
ruins. The next undertaking is to be the
'Apocalypse," ," which was the grand work OF the
mosaicsts Of the fifteenth century, from car
toons OF Titan, Tintoretto, and Paul Veronese-
For this work the Venetian Goyemment psys
them 90, 600 francs annually far the mere labor,
and gives them fourteen years to do the work.
OF those figures which are finished, the perfec-
ton is such that the finest i1dge, looking up
ward, cannot detect the modern from the ancient
The establishment boasts at this moment an
artist by the name OF Podio, Who is remarkable
lG,nbus, and William OF Wyfehsm are snrpass-
ingly fne; and even the martyred President OF
oil; own time, Abraham Lincoln, has been Por-
trsJed, in all his singular aspect and ansnln1ty,
by this great copyist.
revival Of blown glass, and now every Well-fnr-
nished dinner table can boas: some proof Of his
cultivated skill. The authorities in antique glass
maintain that salviati can to-day give you al the
woadcrs, aud all the beauties, OF the once lost
s:art OF glass; Of the sixteenth century. He
can give You, ct his famous .hop in the corner OF
the squMe Of ST. Marks chandeliers, which bear
flowers IN natural tints, growing from their pen
dant branches; goblets Of ruby and opa1, vase ts
Of earphire and turquoise, fnger-boWIs WITH
roots q water-plants trailing through their aea-
erden raves; dessert plates With Opaque mother
6of.pe:rl centres, fringed with transparent ruf-
les Of rose-co1or; nlg-shaped vases, ice-frosted
h;go4s, mirrors framed IN mllror, nhg5ee % ae-
Tith jewelled serpents climbing to tho brim.
These workers in glass tave given word to
the language. Why is fasco . q ynonym for fail-
u1el Because esaayng to 81 1ake h, goPles, @ Inc Inc
Tho again in The glowing furnace, he petulantly
savs - .Gasco," and makes, not a goblet, but
TASK