Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-11-18
SOMETHING ABOUT GLASS.
Origin OF Glass Engraying and Of the
Glass Cameo.

Origin OF Glass Engraying and Of the
Glass Cameo.
Mr.. Joseph 3. Hughes, United State:
Consul at Birmingham, England, hsl
transmitted the following to the State de
paltment at Washington:
That glass making dates back to the an
Gent f yptians IS pretty conclusive, f on
the fact that glass makers at work are rep
resented on the ton b. of BsDi Hasssn, 2OOC
B. c., and tbs engraved kead Of Queen
Ybatasop, wife of TEontines III 1900 B.
c., now in ths British museum, further
corrobora,es and also shows that the art
was by no mems in is infancy at these
ptriCd'.
Articlts of glass discovered in Egyptian
mummy case sshow that they well under
stood thu composition, the coloring with
metallic oxides, the making and engraving
Of it. That through friendly and warlike
intercourse glass making was learned from
them by the Poe licians, Sidonians, As
syiilns aud later by the Romans, who
carried the manufacture to q very high
stats OPP nfection, is clear and well borne
cut by many existing examples. These
trsnscendent masters of art, the Creek,
acquainted with the Egyptians at very
early date (6rst G. eco-Thetan war, 1925
3. G., gre ;O-Egyptisn war, 460-465
B. c. J, and so well qualified to bsautify
it, do not seem to have taken up glass
making; at least few if any specimens of
glass have been discovered amocg their
ruins. Certainly they have bIea rubbed
of III sir glass, "a they were of their statu-
airy and other works of art, by the raids
msds upon them By the Yomans and 9TH
ers from time to time, but we found no
mention of contemporary writers of thsir
having made glass.
The origin Of the Etruscan is somewhat
uncertain, they are said by some II have
been an early Greek colony, with an innste
love Of art, and true artistic skill derived
from their origin, and this theory is sub
S.antia.ed in some measure by the SINH
larity of forms employed. and by their
pottery acd art works being decorated
with subject taken from incidents in real
snd fabulous Gree al history. Ths Etrus-
cans, Ike the Greeks, did not make glass
themselves, but through conquest by tie
Romans, who wsrs superior in aIm.,
defeated them, sos B. o. but
who were much inferior to them 10 all
matters Of art. They found in the Roman
glass suitable medium for conveying
their ideas of beauty, 50 that With art de-
iiVed from the Greeks, and spplisd
10 glass by TIE E:ruscans, and with e ass
derived from the Egyp ians
and reflected by the Romans, were pro-
ducsd those grand specimens CT which,
perhaps, the celebrated Portland vase is
tire finest yet discovered.
TIE early meaning of the word cAueo
WAS Simply an onyx having diff rent lay
ers of stOne), bu; the ls'er designation of
a cameo is an snag'yIb on q precious
stone. Al susgly ph IS whe1 tle figure is
raised in relic an intsglio wtel tie fg-
ure il followed.
The engraving of stones, gsmI etc, is
very ancient practice. We re ID IN EN I3os
NNYIII, oh verse, tbat Moses I'm 149l
B c. was 60 nmarded t. take two Cnyx
stones and grave on them the nam g oS the
children of Israel" and in tie same chap
Ter. 18th virse, with tie work Of al en-.
graver in stone, like the ergrlyings Of
signet, shalt thou engTaye the two stones
with the Damss Cf the children of Israeli
also that J,z bel sealed the order for Ma
tOkh'S death wsS the Kings seal lat
Kings MI, ;, date, 800 +. G The art
IL sad to have orig 'nS:ei with the Egypt
ans, Bh) cut the HARDEST stones, az thsiT
'scarbel' testify, and pa sed at q very
early period, mo. CT 'e3s indue3'l7, to the
Greeks ard EtruscanS, By whom it was
cauied to state of perfection. We ticd
that Treo 'o;uI Of Slmo5 engraved the
ring of Polycrit:s 522 B. @, and that
Pv'w)telts engraved zeal rings ard pc
doc d PORTRAIT # Altxsn6e- the Great
3ID c.; shO that Tryphon eng aysd the
celebrated Clmso in the ccl;ecuOl OF the
Duke of Marlborough. representing the
of Clp'd an Psyche" sb)ut 3 0
Z. G this latter da.e seems II have bstn
the dou shiny period of the glyph c art.
PyrgOtels worked in relief, and from his
time the art msy have risen gradually t.
I If t deg e. of perfection of which We 700
-tss srch r.cl specimens. Tee epgrav NJ
pew ols 70 liz time was mt st proba ly
tntsglio
As 10 the case Of the coins of the period,
which point to the excellence Of engravers'
art in the p-Odu ing of mods, they were
o ten sigoed with the worthy Tits name.
Taus the names Of Dose brides, ApOllonidss,
Ey.r1e,us, of Syracuse, Cim)D, etc, Ie-
mind Us of the most perfect works. The
artist made use of the IN he, the maXium,
the diamond point, and diamond pow6e7
1t 5 not surprising that the Eenetisn'
who revived glass making about the thir-
I zen h CsLt1ry, even in their most flour
Ishirg Ii ne did 10, initiate the cameo, for
Trey lacked the manipula i've skill OF de-
c ration.
Ancient glass that hes happily come
down TO our time reveal the ravSgss made
upon it by time, producing that yondes'
cence and dec yed appearance due to a
g,eat eItent 20 u want If chemical kno wi
edge il propOrt;o ing the material IF
which it IS composed Now that these diff
dculties in the manufacture have teen
overc Ime, By which it hss been made to
assume mo,e definite chemical compound,
it has been much prolonEe1, and 1t has
been enabled to withstand the actioa OF
solvents and even the corro iYe action CT
81 ds.
a Duel by Moonlight.
Paris Lite.