NOTE ON THE EXHIBITION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2569, 1 July 1882, Page 3

NOTE ON THE EXHIBITION.

By a I/adt. [Written especially for the Gxobb.J (Continued.) When talking to a friend lately, I was surprised to hear her soy that she did not enjoy the Exhibition. There was really nothing worth seeing. I cannot understand such a speech; there is not only amusement to bo found, but one may gain a great deal of vuluable knowledge. An Exhibition, even such as ours, leaves its trace behind it, by giving people a love for the artistic Bad beautiful. It has a refining effeot, and raises and cultivates our tastes. The eye is gratified by fine pictures, pretty china, and the ear by good music. In these notes it mmt be understood that it will be impossible for me to mention nearly all the exhibits worthy of note, but I will take, as it were, a bird's-eye view of the whole. I left off near the tea room, but we will retrace our steps, and and pay a visit to tho American court, near the corner where St. Jacob's oil is largely advertised. It it a German remedy, and has, I believe, mads some wonderful cures in rheumatism and sciatica. There are also a variety of American chairs, very comfortable and cosy, but I believe they aro all sold; also, a sowing machine, called the " Household," whioa appears to be a good serviceable machine, and a variety of Yankee notions, that our Amerioan Cousins have such a faculty for inventing. Opposite the tea room, a little higher up, there are two courts filled with Bohemian glass and china, dinner, tea, and dessert sets, very handsome patterns ; and the exhibitor, a goci-looking foreigner, with a courteous manner, wearing a well-fitting pair of gloves, came forward, and on my mentioning the mystic word the Press, showed me over his courts, This is one branch of the Austrian oourt. There are a great variety of flower vases in Bohemian glass—blue, orimson, and pink; and some very handsome cut and «ragraved glass decanters, tumblers, and wine glasses ; but the two gems are a plaque, with el portrait of Bembrandfc painted by Professor Z*sohe, and a four o'olook tea set, valued at £2O. There are also smaller plates, inlaid with gold. They are £8 eaoh. The reason they are that price is that there is at laest £3 worth of gold on thera, and they hsva to be burst in a furnaso. No doubt many are broken in the procens. While standing near this court I heard the old dame, who had been weighed, hold forth to her husband on the prioe of three plates. She said, "Why P., if you bought one of these plates I should be that frightened, that no hands but mine should dust it." I don't know whether they did buy one ; but I caino across her several times in the course of my wanderings, as will bo seen. Nearly opposite this court there are some printing machicee. An interesting exhibit to those who dabble in literature. There is the pioture of a steam compositor at work. No b»d language from his lips when the M. 8. in difficult to deoipher, but on he goes—puff, puff, puff; but, sad to say, acciuents will happen, and in another picture he is seen bijwa to atoms.

The next court on the right is another branch of the Austrian Court, where there is a display of very beautiful china, vases, Parian marble statuary, glass, flower crosses and bouquets, all made of porcelain. The exhibitor of this court ha* been vary ill with fever, but is better, but still looks very delicate; he is extremely courteous and obliging. The old dame was very muoh interested, and I laarn't her name was Popkins. She ouddenly exclaimed, " Goodness gracious, P., wherever do they get rases from this time of year." Her husband, good easy man, explained thoy were china flowers. Bhe then had a long convocation with the exhibitor, and bought a good deal, and I hfard her say, as aha left, " Well P., I must Bay these ' furriners' aro very polite, but that pore chap looks ill. I'd jiafc like to aak him to put his legs under our table, and I'd cook him a dinner with my own hands that would do him pood. I wasn't a cook ten years for ' nothin'." The next oourt I came to was the Italian, and there sre some ohoioe exhibits to bo seen there -cameoa uxquiEitively on!;, lava from Mount Vesuvius of different colors, made inio bracelets, brooches, and rings; Moßaies, both Roman and Florentine. I heard it said by several people that they thought theje Mosaics well painted. At first one feels inclined to laugh, but yet it is a natural mistake to make, especially here. Many of the country peop'e have few opportunities of learning much about the products and industries of other lands. They are all so busy making money, or trying to do bo, thit there is no time left for acquiring knowledge. Every one knows by this time that these Mosaics are inlaid in very small pieces, so small that the workers often go blind early, tho work is so trying to the eyes. One of the exhibitors, a genial kind of man, who talks uncommonly liko Williamson in "Struck Oil," is always ready to give any information. In his part of the court are some very beautiful Swiss carvings of our Saviour on the owsa Tho only thing ia that they are too rsE.Uatic ; it is painful to look at, thorn. There is 11 spirited group of St. Michael and tbe Dragon (a nice, pleasant animal to moot, that same- dragon). The other exhibitor is Italian. He bears his nationality in his t.ioe. Ho also is ve?y polite, and will oxplain anything you wish to know, without bothering you to buy. I agree with Mrs Popkins. I like furrincre, bui often wonder at their patience f.nd civility, when thoughtless people keop them answering questions and looking at everything, and after all never intending to buy anvthing. On the opposite side may b; aeon a Turk in full Turkioh costume full as far as tho. nether garments aceooiioerned). This is the Turkish oourt, wheio are to bo seen curved articles in c'.vo wood, a'lver ornaments, and the urs?,l wares seen in Eastern courts. There is a strong purfumo of otto of 11OS0S pervading it'. The r J.'utk is oivil and obliging, nud invariably addresses you as '- lady." Near here is Mr Duuaford's court, where there is a fine display of ohina of all kinds, Woroester predominating, and, to my •-jind, muoh prettier than either Tunisian, "Barbo'tine, or Silicon, which are all to bo seen there. Next thid there aro some handsome suites of furniture. They are made after the early English style, and do not look so oomfcrtable an our nineteenth century roomy eaay arm ohairs ; but no doubt I am commonplace in my ideas ; I ought " to strive to be early English ore it is too late." There is a lovely ebony writing table I covet and desire. This court is Viotorian. The next is a china and glass court, also Victorian. The exhibitor there is a pleasant genial man, with an aristocratic type of face; he is very polite, and is willing to show you all hie oourt. He has some of the finest Wedgewood ware in the Exhibition, and a variety of other kinds. The' glass shown at this coup l ; is particularly good ; the " bridal" sot a perfect gem ia its way ; and there cie some of the handsomest acts—decanters, wine-gin:***, <k.a.—l have fjasn, I am afraid ho has not done at well as wight be wished, He teli* \t that ,;.9ma

people go round his court, ask the price of eveything, have largo vases taken down, and end by buying nothing, and then go across to the Japanese oourt, and are to be seen spending their money lavishly. And now for the Japanese oourt—the cynosure of all ityes. The rage for something Japanese is on the increase, and I should think there was has hardly a home in Christohurch that has not something from Japan iu it. It oert&inly is a wonderful oourt, and there is so muoh variety, hardly a day passes but there is something new to be seen, and many of the articles are cheap. The case at the corner is a gorgeous display of Satiuma, Kiolo, Banko and many other kinds of Japanese ware. The Satsuma is muoh in request in England just now, as I read by a recent " Queen." The Banco ware is very curious, being moulded by the fingers into the shapes required. It is made of a soft plisble grejr clay, and the texture of the skin of the workers is plainly to be seen. At the back of this case are to be seen tho magic mirrors, that reflect the pattern on their back in some mysterious manner ; and there is also a portrait of the exhibitor in Japanese dress, with a huge umbrella. He is a nice little man, and has a quaint, dry way of talking, that is taking. I should think ho was rather tired of answering so many questions about Japan. There are some tinted photographs of Japanese scenery that are vary interesting. I met my friend Mrs Popkins at this oourt, and she seemed lost in admiration. I forgot to say what she is like. She is a stout party, with round, good-tem-pered face, black eyes, with a humorous twiDkle, and hair just turning grey. She is usually dressed in a dark brown dreßs and tarlatan shawl, and black bonnet with Bom9 large crimson flower*. She oarrieß a good sizsd bag and an umbrella of tho Gampist make. I heard her say—- " Now P, you ain't a going to buy a lot of things here, for you know well enough I want a now flreus—that badly."

His answer was—- " Well, Christy, I think the shop will stand both."

And the worthy man did buy some handsome vases, and carried them ofi in triumph, '••'ho waa muoh exercist d about the Austrian Band, and eaid in an audible tone—- " Why, P., what's thorn fellers wiih rad lejjs a going to do ?" " Those aro the Austrian Band, Christy," was his great answer. {To be continued,)