The five great monarchies of the ancient eastern world; or, The history, geography, and antiquites of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, and Persia . some cases the coloursare not blended, but sharplydefined by lines, as in acurious spouted cup figuredby Mr. Layard, and in seve-ral fragmentary specimens/Painted patterns are notuncommon upon the glazedpottery, though u23on theunglazed they are scarcelyever found. The most usualcolours are blue, yellow, andwhite ; brown, purple, andlilac have been met withoccasionally. These coloursare thought to be derived chiefly from metallicoxides, over whic
The five great monarchies of the ancient eastern world; or, The history, geography, and antiquites of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, and Persia . some cases the coloursare not blended, but sharplydefined by lines, as in acurious spouted cup figuredby Mr. Layard, and in seve-ral fragmentary specimens/Painted patterns are notuncommon upon the glazedpottery, though u23on theunglazed they are scarcelyever found. The most usualcolours are blue, yellow, andwhite ; brown, purple, andlilac have been met withoccasionally. These coloursare thought to be derived chiefly from metallicoxides, over which was laid as a glazing a vitreoussilicated substance.^ On the whole porcelain of thisfine kind is rare in the Assyrian remains, and mustbe regarded as a material that was precious and usedby few. Assyrian glass is among the most beautiful of theobjects which have been exhumed. M. Botta com-pared it to certain fabrics of Venice and Bohemia,*into which a number of different colours are artificiallyintroduced. But a careful analysis has shewn thatthe lovely prismatic hues which delight us in theAssyrian specimens, varying under different lights. Amphora, witli twisted arms (Nimrud). * See Layards Monuments, 1stSeries, Plate 85. * Birch, Ancient Pottery, vol. i. p. 130. Monument de Ninive, vol. 173. Chap. VI. GLASS-WAEE. 483 with all the delicacy and brilliancy of the opal, are due,not to art, but to the wonder-working hand of time,which as it destroys the fabric, compassionately invests •^r^ uij—
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