variety of ends of fancy-coloured tubes, cut sectionally, at right
angles with the filigree cone, to form small lozenges or tablets; and
these, when placed side by side, and massed together by transparent Glass,
have the appearance of an innumerable series of flowers or rosettes,
for ornamental vases,
tazzas,
&c. (
See PLATE 6, fig. 2.)
Mosaic Glass, as manufactured by the Romans and
Venetians, was produced by threads or small canes of variously coloured
opaque or transparent Glass, of uniform lengths, ranged sectionally
together in large masses, or in small quantities, so that the ends shall
form grounds, on which are patterns of flowers, arabesques, or any Mosaic
designs; and these being cut transversely, obtusely, or at right angles,
form slabs of any required number and thickness, the same pattern being
repeated at every cutting.
Smetz Glass is produced
by fused lumps of coloured Glass, rolled one colour into another, so as
to imitate cornelian and other stones.
Vitro
di trino is fine lace-work, with intersecting lines of white enamel
or transparent Glass, forming a series of diamond-shaped sections; the
centre of each has an air-bubble of uniform size, executed almost with the
precision of engine lathe-turning. The frosted Glass will be described
in a subsequent part of this work. The Bohemians followed the Venetians,
and imitated most of these curious proceeds of the Glass furnace.
Glass was first used by the Italians for the
purpose of making cameos and intaglios, by impressing it while warm into a
mould of tripoli; the Glass being sometimes backed with plaster of Paris.
Foreigners visiting Italy are thus supplied with copies of antique gems
for the formation of cabinet collections. They seldom exceed, however,
an inch