116. TABLE TOP, IN SILVER, AFTER THE ANTIQUE. PRODUCED BY THE ELECTROTYPE PROCESS. BY MESSRS. ELKINGTON. EXECUTED ARTICLES EXHIBITED BY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, H. R. H. THE PRINCE ALBERT, AND H. R. H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, IN THE FOUR SECTIONS OF THE EXHIBITION. MAIN AVENUE, EAST. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. 96 Portrait of Her Majesty on Sèvres china, size of life, half length, by A. Ducluzeau, after a portrait by F. Winterhalter. Painted in 1846. 97 Portrait of H.R.H. Prince Albert, on Sèvres china, size of life, half length, painted by A. Bezanget, after a portrait by F. Winterhalter. These portraits are exhibited jointly by Her Majesty and H.R.H. Prince Albert. The Great Diamond of Runjeet Singh, called "Koh-iNoor," or Mountain of Light. Jewel-case in the cinque-cento style, designed by L. Gruner, Esq., and executed at the manufactory of Mr. Henry Elkington, at Birmingham. The material is bronze, gilt and silvered by electro-type process; upon this case are portraits, on china, of Her Majesty, H.R.H. Prince Albert, and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, copied from miniatures by R. Thorburn, Esq., A.R.A. The small medallions, representing profiles of their R.H.'s the Princes and Princesses, were modelled from life by Leonard Wyon, Esq. CLASS 23.-CENTRAL SOUTH GALLERY. 1 Table of gold and silver electro-plate manufactured by Messrs. Elkington. The top of the table is an electrotype reproduction of a plate of fine workmanship, obtained and copied for Mr. H. Elkington under the direction of the Chevalier de Schlick. The eight subjects in bas-relief represent Minerva, Astrologia, Geometrica, Arithmetica, Musica, Rhetorica. The centre figure represents Temperance surrounded by the four elements. At the bottom of this plate is an inscription pointing to the artist. The table is designed by George Stanton, a young artist in the employ of Mr. H. Elkington, and a student in the Birmingham School of Design. CLASS 30.-FINE ART COURT. 353 A cradle, carved in Turkey boxwood by W. G. Rogers, and designed by his son, symbolising the union of the Royal House of England with that of Saxe Coburg and Gotha. One end exhibits in the centre the armorial bearings of Her Majesty the Queen, surrounded by masses of foliage, natural flowers and birds; on the rocker, beneath, is seen the head of "Nox," represented as a beautiful sleeping female, crowned with a garland of poppies, supported upon bats' wings, and surrounded by the seven planets. The other end, or the back of the head of the cradle, is devoted to the arms of H.R.H. Prince Albert; the shield occupies the centre, and round it, among the arabesque foliage, the six crests of the Prince are scattered, with the motto "Treu und fest." Below, on the rocker, is discovered a head of "Somnus" with closed eyes, and over the chin a wimple, which, on each side, terminates in poppies. angels are introduced; and above, the royal crown is In the interior of the head of the cradle, guardian found embedded in foliage. The friezes, forming the most important part of the sides of the body of the cradle, are composed of roses, poppies, conventional foliage, butterflies, and birds, while beneath them rise a variety of pinks, studied from nature. The edges and the insides of the rockers are enriched with the insignia of royalty and emblems of repose. CLASS 24.-CENTRAL NORTH GALLERY, I. 27. 20 A pair of richly cut crystal glass candelabra, 8 feet high, carrying 15 lights each. The shaft composed of prisms upwards of 3 feet in length. Designed and manufactured by F. and C. Osler, of Birmingham, and 44 Oxford Street, London. CLASS 19.-CENTRAL NORTH GALLERY, I. 30. 156 Axminster carpet, designed by L. Gruner, Esq., and manufactured at Glasgow, for Mr. Dowbiggen. 379 A Berlin wool carpet executed by one hundred and fifty ladies of Great Britain. The dimensions of this carpet are thirty feet in length, and twenty in breadth. The carpet has been produced in the following manner:The pattern, originally designed and painted by the artist, has been subdivided into detached squares, which have been worked by different ladies, and on their completion the squares have been reunited, so as to complete the design. In the pattern, which consists partly of geometrical, and partly of floral forms, heraldic emblems are also introduced. The initials of the executants are ornamentally arranged, so as to form the external border. The whole design is connected by wreaths or bands of leaves and foliage, the centre group representing the store from whence they have been distributed. The carpet has been produced under the management of a Committee. The design by Mr. J. W. Papworth; the patterns were painted and the work executed under the superintendence of Mr. W. B. Simpson. CLASS 19.-SOUTH GALLERY, P. 15 to 17. Axminster carpet, designed by L. Gruner, Esq., and manufactured by Messrs. Blackmore Brothers, at Wilton, for Messrs. Watson, Bell, & Co. ON THE "BAHAMAS" COUNTER. Specimens of Abyssinian saddlery. Two mules' saddles complete. Two brass ornaments suspended on the necks of mules. One large coloured wicker basket. A small one. Two horse saddles, one with bridle, the other without; brass ornaments for the face and neck of the horse. Two Abyssinian sheepskins, as worn by the natives over their clothes. Each of these is the skin of one sheep, the wool carefully dressed and extremely white. The baskets are good specimens of plaiting, and very flexible. The sandles of a very primitive construction, much resembling the old Moresco pattern, still retained in many districts in the South of Spain; and contrasting singularly with the elaborate and ornamental character of the headgear, neck ornaments, &c., exhibited with them. ON THE "SOUTH AUSTRALIAN" SIDE. Abyssinian shield of buffalo hide, with silver ornaments, and strip of lion's mane suspended from the boss. Diameter about 2 feet and a half. Two Abyssinian silver coronets of superior design. One of these, to which a sort of metallic fringe is attached, displays a strong resemblance to the sort of diadem figured in Bruce's Travels. The forms of these coronets are by no means deficient in elegance and simplicity. Two Abyssinian silver-gilt bracelets, apparently of some antiquity, and very much chased. Two fine cotton cloths worn by Abyssinians of distinction. Two Abyssinian double-edged sabres, the handles being made of rhinoceros' horn. The peculiar curve of the blade adapts the inside edge for the purpose of forage and grain-cutting. Two Abyssinian lances. HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT. 15 Group in marble, "Theseus and Amazons," executed at Rome by Joseph Engel, Esq., from Hungary, pupil of the Royal Academy. CLASS 3. 170 Three samples of grain grown on the royal farms at Windsor, consisting of wheat, oats, and beans, one bushel of each. CLASS 4. 139 Wool, the production of Cashmere goats kept by His Royal Highness at Windsor. It is imported with a portion of strong white hairs, which it is requisite to have picked out by hand prior to attempting to manufacture the finer portions. These strong hairs are afterwards useful in making coarse woollen cloth. Examples of these kinds of manufacture from this wool are exhibited in the Central Avenue. CLASS 27. 140 A block of Parret coal from West Wemyss colliery, Kirkaldy, Fifeshire, partly polished. 141 Garden seat, designed by L. Gruner, Esq., and executed in Fifeshire by Thomas Williams Waun, of Parrot or cannel coal, from the estate of Rear-Admiral Wemyss. CLASS 30. 350 Two slabs for tables, designed by L. Gruner, Esq., in the cinque-cento style, executed by Mr. Thomas WoodFlorentine mosaic. ruff at Bakewell, in Derbyshire stones, in imitation of the 351 Candelabrum in the cinque-cento style, designed by L. Gruner, Esq., modelled by Ant. Trentanove, and executed in scagliola in imitation of giallo antico, by L. Romoli. HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT, ON BEHALF OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES. 98 Shield presented by His Majesty the King of Prussia to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in commemoration of the baptism of the infant Prince, for whom His Majesty acted as sponsor. The pictorial embellishments of the shield, the general plan for which was given by the king himself, were designed by Doctor Peter Von Cornelius, and the architectural ornaments by Counsellor Stüler. The execution of the remaining portions the goldsmiths' work, enamel, &c., were performed by M. G. Hossauer; the modelling by M. A. Fischer; the chasing by M. H. Mertens; and the lapidary work by M. Calandrelli. In the centre of the shield is a head of Our Saviour. The middle compartment, surrounded by a double line of ornamental work, is divided by a cross into four smaller compartments, which contain emblematic representations of the two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, with their Old Testament types, the opening of the fountain in the rock by Moses, and the fall of manna. At the extremities of the arms of the cross are represented the Evangelists, noting down what they have seen and heard in the Gospels, which are to communicate to all futurity the plan of man's salvation, and prove inexhaustible sources of divine revela tion and doctrine. On the extreme points of the arabesques that rise above the Evangelists, are represented the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and of Christian Righteousness. Around the entire centre stand in a circle the twelve Apostles. Peter is seen under Faith represented in the arabesque; on the right and left of him are Philip and Andrew; under Hope is James; on either side are Bartholomew and Simon; John is placed beneath the figure of Charity; on either side are James the younger and Thomas; under Righteousness is Paul; on the right and left are Matthew and Judas Thaddeus, going forth into the world to teach and to baptize, and to propagate the kingdom of the Redeemer. The relievo, which runs round the edge of the shield, represents the betrayal, the redeeming atonement of Christ, and his resurrection. Another portion represents Our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem; a third portion the descent of the Holy Ghost, the preaching of the gospel, and the formation of the church. The fourth and principal compartment contains an allegorical representation of the birth of the Prince of Wales, and of the visit of the King of Prussia, accompanied by Baron Humboldt, General von Natzmer, and the Count von Stolberg, and welcomed by H.R.H. Prince Albert and the Duke of Wellington; a Knight of St. George being represented on the beach standing upon a dragon. The shield has been denominated the Buckler of Faith. The inscription on the shield runs thus :— FRIDERICUS GULIELMUS REX BORUSSORUM ZOLLVEREIN, OCTAGON ROOM, No. 836. |