Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Jewelry апd P1·ecious Stones

83

,Yitl1 tЬе pyrites, ,vhen he ,vould рrоЬаЫу have made the fшther discove1·y that his \vorms and goats could have been spared. In the polishing of precioнs stones, he is quite sane iп Ыs directioпs. " Рrосшс а mа1·Ые slab, vегу smootЬ," l1e enjoiнs, " and act as нseful art points out to you." In otl1er wOI'ds, гuЬ it until it is smootl1 ! Ba1·tholoшew Anglicнs is as entertaining as Theophilus regaгding crystal. " Men trowe that it is of snow or ice made hard in шаnу уеащ" he observes complacently. " This stone set in the sun t,akcth fi1·e, insomuch if dгу tow Ье put theгeto, it setteth tl1c to,v on fiгe," апd again, qнoting Gregoгy on Ezekiel I., l1e adds, " water is of itself fleetiпg, but Ьу strength of cold it is turпed and шаdе stedfast crystal." Of sшall specimens of sculptured c1·ystal sоше little dark ршрlе beads caгved iпto the sеmЫапсе of hнman faces may Ье seen on the Tara brooch; while also on tl1e same brooch оссш little ршрlе daisies. The Cup of the Ptoleшies, а celebrated onyx cup in Paris, is over fifteen incЬes iп ciгcumference, and is а fine specimen of early lapidary's work. It ,vas pre­ sented in the nintJ1 centшy Ьу Charlcs thc Bald to St. Denis, and was al,vays used to contain tl1e consecrated wine when Queens of Fraпcc we1·e cro,vned. Ненrу II. once pawned it to а Jew wl1en he ,vas haгd up, and in 1804 it was stolen and the old gold and jewelled setting removed. It was fouпd agaiп in Holland, and was remounted \vithiп а centшy.