Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Je,velry and P1·ecious Stones

87

cutteгs \Vere no lопgег allowed to join the society. The French work was ratl1er соагsе сошра1·сd with the classic examples. The celebrated Poгtland Vase is а glass cameo, of enor­ mous proportions, and а work of the fiгst century, in Ыuе and white. There is а quaint legend connected \vith the famoнs stone carneo kno\vn as the Vase of St. Martin, \Vhich is as follows: "'hen St. :Мaгtin visit�d the Maгtyr's Field at Agaune, he prayed fог sоше time, and tl1en stuck his knife iпto the ground, and ,vas excusaЬly astonishcd at sceing Ыооd flo\v fшth. Rccogпizing at once that l1e ,vas in the presence of the miгaculous (\vhich was almost sccond nature to medireval saiпts), he hegan sedulously to collect thc precious ftuid in а couple of гeceptacles with which he had had the foresight to pгovide Ьimself. The t,vo vases, however, \Vere soon filled, and yet the шystical ruby sp1·ing continued. At his \vit's eвds, Ьс p1·ayed again for guidancc, and prcsently an angel de­ scended, with а vase of finc cameo workmaпship, in \Yhich tl1e remaiпdeг of the sacгed fluid was p1·eseгved. This vase is an опух, beautifully cut, with fine figures, and is over eight inchcs high, moнnted at foot and collar ,vith Byzantine gold and jewelled work. The subjcct appears to Ье an cpisode during the Siege of Тгоу, - а ,vhimsical selection of design for an angel. Some apparently medireval cameos are in reality aпtiques recut with Christian characters. А Herculcs could easily Ье turned into а David, while Perseus and Medusa could Ье transforшed quickly into а David and