ing the Inst fow days I have boon invit-jew tivo very different exhibits, both hich will be on view in the Paris Exbition during the next few months. 'The Goldsmitls' and Silversmiths' Company have sent over a magnificent assortquent of jewels, silver ware, and rare glass one necklace composed of forty-six pearls is valued at £90,000. They have taken nearly twenty years to collect and of course are matchless in size and quality. I was told that never has such a necklace been jseon before. They are making a speciality of pearls. One case contained many exquisite specimens. Eight—which are to go towards another necklace—are valued at £3,500, and others are nearly as valuable of the diamonds the most. wonderful specimen is valued at £2,400, but eight, all of different shades, appealed to me almost more. They ranged from pure white to Diack, absinthe and pink being the most valuable tints. They once formed part of Lord Straffurd's collection. Among the silver on view, there will be an exact copy of the famous Augsbers Cup, now at South Kensington Museum. Ithas, like the original, been worked up out of a flat piece of silver. Another reproduction is a replica of the Ardagh Cup or Bowl supposed to date back to the 10th century. A silver gilt toilet service consisting of 35 pieces, will I am sure, excite great admiration, likewise a set of six dessert dishes in the form of shells which were very charming to look at, full of wonders. Neptune, surrounded by sirens and dolphins, titans and nereids and other Awellers in the deep—what relation they bear to fruit Tdon't know, but Tadmived them all the same.
The company claim that next in point of interest to their collection of pearls is their glass exhibit. It is something entirely new and they have called it verre sur verre. The proce s of its manufneture is a secret and has taken many years to perfect the name implies, itis a process of enamelling glass upon wins. The result is very good, a piece embellished with fish and seaweed pleased me most; one could see the Tittle creatures making their way amo ly the weeds, this result being obtained through the enamelled parts having ditfevent levels, The average price of each piece exhibited is £25, so it. is far too oustly ever to become general in use.
The Royal School of Art Needlework send some beautiful samples of their wor Te appears that an Elizabethan house been erected in a portion of the exhibition grounds, und in it they have provided the draperies for a bed "and dressing-regin. There are two pairs of window curtains, two bed spreads, valiances, and other accessories. The material chosen is hed hand woven linen—the des Ench curtain has two trees as its central s heme, round the stems of which creepers are twined, honeysuckle, convotvulus, wild rose, and cleurtis being used alternately. The trees are Inden with fruit and blossom and round the tranky wild flowers, dattodils, violets, pansies, ete, grow in profusion," The effect sounds somewhat crude, and that was the iden it rather gave me, though the workmanship was so exijuisite, but I understand that it was the style of the period—varly Tuds and that of course had to be considered. The whole work has been executed in two months and has given occupation to mote than fifty students, so it is to be hoped that it may find " purchaser.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.