The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-07
HISTORY OF CANOES.
Shells, Eggs and Stones uaed Before
Onyx Waa Known.

shells, Eggs arc StoneS Cdoo 11ror~
Onyx Waa Known.
Scientific American: An interesting
lecture was recently delivered by
Cyril Davenport at the Royal institu-
ton, London, dealing with he beauti-
full handicraft dating from Ptolenaic
times-cameos. Mr.. Davenport main
tanned that a f1rst-rate intaglio on hard
stone was the finest work OF art which
could be wrought by the hand of man.
I~ntaglios, however, he explained. were
normally intended for the purpose of
making impressions. being therefore
only a means to an end. whereas a
cameo was complete in itself. He de-
Scribed the processes necessary to the
production of a cameo. including the
mysteries of the bow drill. cutting dia-
mond point, and modern ~gem-cutter's
lathe. A short account was also given
Of the early history of canoes On
shells, Eggs and soft stones before the
discovery of onyx as the material spe-
cially adapted for ca~meo-cutting. The
| Graeco-Roman, and especially the Au-
GUSTAV. period was rich in canoes, and
almost every great Roman wished to
have his portrait cut in onyx. One Of
these. an exquisite portrait of the en-
peror himself, which formerly belonged
to the StrozZi collection, Is perhaps the
finest existing cameo. Sue portrait
canoes were practically indestructible.
except by accident. The large canoes
the Triumph of Bacchus' at the vati-
can. the Agate de There" at Paris,
and the "Gemma Augesten' at Vienna
were described in detail, and much
curious was given about
the signatures on canoes When these
signatures were In relief they We're UNI
doubtedly genuine, but when in intaglo
they might be forgeries. and many such
| CiDnnflraS yyara hnnyVn tn hnVa haAn
forged during the renaissance.
Regarding the glass plates. the finest
instances Of glass canoes are to be
found upon the Portland vase and the
Auldjo vase. both in London. and on
the Vase des Vendanges at Naples.
The remarkable change from the
classical and NEUROLOGICAL designs Of
the Graeco-Roman times to the Chris
tan themes of the fourth century, when
Constantine the Great became Chris
tian. Is ~curiously Illustrated in canoes.
Hercules was christened David" Per-
seus and the Gorgon became David
II Goliath" and Venuses and Ledas
were turned into Virgin Marys;.'' and
the great Agate de There" at Paris
was only saved from destruction by
being called the Triumph Of Joseph in
Egypt Then at the renaissance they
all went back again. and classical art
recovered it's lost position. The re-
"iiiS \ "cIS Wei y
skilled w~ork1nen. but In spite of their
general high level they had not sue
ceeded In making any very important
cameo, although the "Hymeneal Pro-
cession of Eros and Psyche realized a
high price. They We're, however, emf
nently successful in the setting Of gems.
Pope Plus II. and Lorenzo de Medici
bestowed high n earned patronage
in the matter Of engraved gems. Two
very charming pendants with cameo
portraits OF Queen Elizabeth repre-
sented English work. and fine recent
work has also been executed by Ed
ward Burch. Marchant. Wray and
Brett. In Great Britain. however. the
art was virtually lost, and Bernardo
Ptstrucei, chief engraver to the mint,
who designed the beautiful group Of st.
George and the dragon on the Eng
fish sovereign coin. was really the last
great cameo designer. In France fine
work has been lone in late years by
Adolph David, Henri Francois, Georges
Lemaire and others.