Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Inlay and Mosaic

303

the art in high estimation, saying that it was pгactised Ьу " those persons ,vl10 possessed more pat.icnce tЬan skill iп design," and I совfcss to а furtive concuгrence iп Vasa1·i's opinion. Не criticizes it а little illogically, however, when he goes on to say that the "WOI'k soon becomes dark, and is al,vays in dangeг of pe1·isl1ing f1·om tЬе \vorms and Ьу fiгe," for in tl1ese respects it is по more perishaЫe thaп any great paintiпg on canvas ог panel. Vasari always is а little extreme, as we kno,v. The earliest Italiaiнvorkeгs took а solid Ыосk of woocl, chiselled out а sunken desigп, and then filled in t]1e dc­ pression with otlie1· woods. The on]y спешу to sucl1 wOI'k was dampness, ,vhicl1 migl1t looseп t]1c glue, ог cause the sшall tbln Ьits to swell or \\�arp. The glнe \vas applied a]ways \\ 1 hen tЬе sшfaces ,ve1·e peгfectly clean, ancl the ,vholc \Vas pressed, beiпg scгr,vecl dowп on heated metal plates, that all might dry cvenly. In 1478 theгe ,vere tl1irty-four workshops of intaгsia makers in Florence. Tl1c peгsonal blstOI'y of scveгal of the Italian woгkers in inlay is still availaЫe, апd, as it makes а craft seem mпcl1 more vita] when the пашеs of tl1e craftsmen are kno,vn to us, it ,vill Ье interesting to glance at а few names of prominent aгtists in this branch of work. Bernaгdo Agnolo and his family are among them; and Domenico and Giovanпi Tasso ,vere wood-carvers who worked vvitl1 Michclangelo. Amoпg the "Novelli," there is а quaint tale called "The Fat Ebony Сагпr," wl1icl1 is intcresting to геаd in this connection.