Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

CHAPTER IY

OTHER МЕТALS

ТнЕ " perils that enviroп men that meddle with cold iron " are many; but those who attempt to control hot i1·on are also to Ье гespected, ,vhen they achieve ап artistic result with this unsympathetic metal, ,vllieh Ьу nature is eпti1·ely lacking iп chaгm, iп соlонг апd textuгe, and depeпds шо1·е нроп а p1·oper applicatio11 of design than any other, in огdе1· to оvегсоше the obstacles to beauty with ,vhich it is beset. "Rust hath corrupted," unfortнnately, many inter­ esting antiqнities in iroп, so that опlу а liшited вuшЬеr of specimens of this metal l1ave саше clown to us from very early times; оне of the eaгliest in Englaнd is а grave-stoпe of cast metal, of tl1e date 1350: it is deco­ гated witl1 а cгoss, and lшs tl1e epitapl1, " Pray fог tЬе suнl of Joan Collins." The process of casting iгon was as follows. Tl1e moнlds ,vere made of а saнdy substance, composcd of а mixtнгe of brick dust, lоаш, plaster, and chaгcoal. А bed of this sand was made, апd into it ,vas pгessed а woodeп or шetal pattern. \Vhen tbls was removecl, the imprint remained in the sand. Liquid metal \Yas 109