. Glass. in combination with a flux contain-ing lead, and indeed an analysis of the blue enamelproved it to be essentially of the same composition asthe glass of the lamps ; it contained, however, as muchas 24 per cent of alkali, and this excess would ensurea slightly greater fusibility. It will be observed thatthe thick blue enamel on this Saracenic glass has con-siderable translucency as seen by transmitted light, butthat the surface is always dull. In the British Museumis an admirably executed imitation of one of these mosquelamps, made as long ago as 1867 by M. Brocard ofParis. The blue, i
. Glass. in combination with a flux contain-ing lead, and indeed an analysis of the blue enamelproved it to be essentially of the same composition asthe glass of the lamps ; it contained, however, as muchas 24 per cent of alkali, and this excess would ensurea slightly greater fusibility. It will be observed thatthe thick blue enamel on this Saracenic glass has con-siderable translucency as seen by transmitted light, butthat the surface is always dull. In the British Museumis an admirably executed imitation of one of these mosquelamps, made as long ago as 1867 by M. Brocard ofParis. The blue, in this case cobalt, differs little in huefrom that on the old lamps that stand beside it. It is,however, somewhat cruder in effect, and the surface isquite glassy.^ I come now to the scheme of decoration of this ^ Note that the use of cobalt as an overglaze enamel on Chinese porcelain didnot come in until the seventeenth century, and that this enamel at first gave moretrouble than any PLATE XXII. FLASK. OF GLASS ENAMELLED GLASS OF SARACENS Saracenic glass. The important point to bear in mindis that the gold has for the most part disappeared fromthe surface. This gilding, however, played originally amost important part in the decoration. The fine linesof opaque red now so prominent were originally drawnwith a free hand upon a detailed pattern of gold, withthe object of accentuating the design. This gold brocad-ing, when it is preserved, is of great beauty, especiallythat found upon the older pieces. Examine carefully thetall-necked bottle in the Slade collection : the body iscovered with a fine arabesque of red lines, the patternbeing made up of long-necked birds among foliage, andthis appears poor in effect compared with the bands ofrich enamel on the shoulder and neck. The effect, how-ever, was very different at first when these dull red lineswere carried over a rich ground of gold, of which tracesonly now remain here and there. The gold, then, was applie
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