. Pottery and porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876 . )on the walls of mosques and palaces ARABIC TILES. 93 and tombs in Damascus, in Cairo, in Ispahan. As far back as thepalmy days of Babylon and Assyria, these enameled or glazed bricks ortiles were nscd to decorate the walls of their buildings; and that isabout all we know. These bricks remain; for, of all the works ofman, the brick is seemingly imperishable. It is also certain that upon some of these bricks or tiles is found aglaze or enamel made with the use of tin; so that what is now calledstanniferous e
. Pottery and porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876 . )on the walls of mosques and palaces ARABIC TILES. 93 and tombs in Damascus, in Cairo, in Ispahan. As far back as thepalmy days of Babylon and Assyria, these enameled or glazed bricks ortiles were nscd to decorate the walls of their buildings; and that isabout all we know. These bricks remain; for, of all the works ofman, the brick is seemingly imperishable. It is also certain that upon some of these bricks or tiles is found aglaze or enamel made with the use of tin; so that what is now calledstanniferous enamel was known at that early day, and long before itwas used in Italy by Ltica della RoUbia^ who at one time was sup-posed to have invented it. The example here given (Fig. 63) is a very beautiful plaque, madeup of many pieces, and is remarkable for the splendor of its color, ^;M^Al^.^^^^^^^vf¥SLU^t^^j^|. ^^^4^,^^;.^- ^^^^2^h -^•}-i:^^^l^J^^^i%^A\ -, ??. >^^^^ Fig. e&.—Persian Plaque. rather than for any perfectness of design. It is interesting, however,as showing the dresses of the cavaliers of the Persian court. In the walls of Damascus, of Jerusalem, and of Cairo, these tileswere imbedded for ornamental and decorative purposes, and from themthey have been gathered by those good people called collectors. InFig. G2 is an enfn-aving of one in Mr. Primes collection, which givessimply the lines, but wholly fails to give the magic and mystery ofcolor which endues it with beauty. This cannot be described, nor can 94 POTTERY AND FORCELAIN. it be pictured; the combinations of blues are too subtile for tlie paletteof the painter; they have been sublunated in the liery heats of thefurnace. A few of these tiles are in possession of Mr. Prime and of ; and a vcrv fine collection is now in the house of Mr. Leiffh-ton, of London, of which I have spoken. He has had them imbedd
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1878
