. Glass. ch occurs chiefly in medallions, the most importantflower is the Oriental lotus. This flower as it appearsrelieved on a blue ground in the later mosque lamps isidentical in drawing with the lotus that we see so fre-quently in Indian and Chinese art. It is often combinedwith what at first sight appears to be another flower,treated en rosette, with an involucre of six oval and sixtriangular petals, and an indication of a seed-vessel inthe centre; but this again may perhaps be only the samelotus-flower seen full-face. In some cases, as on certainmosque lamps, these flowers, broadly treat
. Glass. ch occurs chiefly in medallions, the most importantflower is the Oriental lotus. This flower as it appearsrelieved on a blue ground in the later mosque lamps isidentical in drawing with the lotus that we see so fre-quently in Indian and Chinese art. It is often combinedwith what at first sight appears to be another flower,treated en rosette, with an involucre of six oval and sixtriangular petals, and an indication of a seed-vessel inthe centre; but this again may perhaps be only the samelotus-flower seen full-face. In some cases, as on certainmosque lamps, these flowers, broadly treated, form thesole decoration; but more often the floral design passesinto the formal schematised patterns so characteristic ofArab art at this time. The medallions that interrupt the broad bands are anessential part of the decoration ; they are filled sometimes ^ I use this term for the writing with tali perpendicular strokes, although muchof it, I understand, should not strictly bear the name. PLATE XXII/. SARACENIC ENAMELLED GLASS ENAMELLED GLASS OF SARACENS with inscriptions, generally in this case in the nashki orrunning script, or more often with certain badges, which areof much interest in connection with the heraldry, if it canbe so called, of the day. These badges are derived fromthe most divergent sources: there is one simple designthat resembles the cartouche of an old Egyptian king—it has even been read as Lord of the Upper and LowerCountry (a good example may be found on a bottle atSouth Kensington). Another badge takes the form of astrange bird with long tail-feathers, undoubtedly derivedfrom the imperial phoenix of China; any hesitation as tothe origin of this design is removed on observing in thefield certain little curly clouds, an essentially Chinesemotive. A sword, a pair of polo-sticks, or still moreoften a cup, charged upon a fesse or band which dividesthe medallion, are badges of more local origin. Thesame may probably be said of the eagle variously dis-pl
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