THE GREAT EXHIBITION. (From the "Illustrated London News, "May 24)

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 570, 1 October 1851, Page 3

THE GREAT EXHIBITION. (From the " Illustrated London News, " May 24)

Titr journals which xepoit tbe proceedings nt tie Ciyst.il Palace have, perhaps, a difficult tafiV to convey to the most distant parts of the world a full, true, and particular account of the wonders of art sad industry exhibited within ; but they have no difficulty in leportin<r its success. The Exhibition continues to grow in favour. Upon that point tlicie can be no mistake. As i'i> popularity increases the views of its founders and of the more enlightened portions of the public, as to its future usefulness, extend. Day by day the circle widens. The money pours in at the late of £20,000 per week ; so that the Executive Committee, instead of being in any difficulty for the ways and means of making themselves straight with the woild, will shoitly be in possession of a very handsome surplus. We notice with pleasuie, among the first developments of plans which have suggested themselves — that a series of lectures within ihe building have been announced. Professor Cowper v. ill lecture on the section of machinery; — Professor Anal< d will treat of minerals and raw pioduce; and Air. O'Br en, who has taken charge of the philosophical instruments, will lecture on that department. Arrangements will doubtless be made at a more advanced period of the season to enable the wotking-menof the provinces not only to see these wonders of human ingenuity but to hear the lectures of those competent teachers on the application of the arts to the sei vice of humanity. Furthermorp, we expect that colleges and schools will be enabled to give their students a similar advantage. In fact, the manifold use* of the Exhibition in a national point of view are beginning to be discovered, so that the more the subject is considered, the gi eater and moie be» mficent appear the purposes to which it may be directed. Nationally and internationally, it is equally interesting. What the ultimate result may be, we will not presume even to hint ; but the present results must bo allowed to he in the highest degree gtatifymg both to the clearsighted eneigy and perseveiance in u good object of those who founded the Exhibition, and to ihe national character. In resuming our account of the several sections, the fiist notice it. due to tbe productions of our French neighbours. 'J he French department is at length beginning to make a display worthy of a nation who assumes, not without leuson, to set an example of (asto in all manufactures susceptible of artistic treatment. A great deal still lemwns to be done. The galleries aie only half furnished, and the liainmor and saw are btill at woi I m the bays leading from the grand avenue ; but enough has bepn ananged to attract and met the attention of crowds who had begun to fear that France had retiied from the contest. The fact is, tli.it the French, who have been accus- j tomed to te.icU all the cities ofEuiope how to get up ej.lnbitio.nf> of imlustiy, accepted out- invitation without : being prepaietl eitliw for punctuality 01 powurs of displ,jy. They expected to fi'ul a convenient, oven a mag- ; nificenf buildn";, filled w.t'i solid and uselul ai tides of connneic", iin<-> in tthnv i , , itioiig calico, plenty of polished nPdiJp's lock 1 ?, -, and bolts; but as regarded ihe omameuliMon of the palace, that task they fully believed mis icoiral for them ; and many of the Paiisian mnnufactui era calculated that, as the Exhibition could have neither beauty nor interest without the beautiful contiibuUons from the workshops of Pans, if they wet c not icaiiy for Cnglaud, why England must wait ioi them. f ihe icbult has been.fjhe exact opposite

°t" their expectation*. The in it of May presorted a ong Sfiiet of beautiful, cumbim j d v ith useful manufactures, and would have been just as pu-ccsful if n tenv pomry cuitain had been diawn over the space assigned to France, yet now tlmt the French manufactures are coming out in great force, presenting each day some now at faction, we receive it with sll tlip satisfaction of an unexpected discovery — we feel thai we have hit upon a new vein of plenum c, when we thought ourselves already overflowin»ly rich. i On turning towards the French department, after j passing the exquisite carvings in white and red wood I exhibited by Switzerland, our attention is awred by a cnbe containing the treasures of the Queen of Sp.it n's jewellery- They amply justify the reputation that Parisian artists in piccious atones have so long enjoyed. The leading objects are a puit of diamonds and pearls, arranged with gieen enamel into a. lepresentation of acorns and oak-leaves. The coronal for a head ornament seems to us more beautiful, more a work of true ait, than anything in the gorgeous display in the British jewellery. Next to these stand the crowns, sceptic, state swoid, and other royal insignia belonging to the gentlemen who manufactured the coronation jewels for the Emperor of Hayfi. What triumph of art manufacture the Fiench may next unpack it is impossible to guess ; but at present thp crowning glory of the French collection is the case of Froment-Meurice. Among a crowd of exquisitely beautiful articles is a toilette table (presented to the Duchess of Parma) of buhl, silver, and enamel, suppoited by silver figures, with a looking-glass surrounded by a frame of enamels of the arms of the two families. Every part of this extraordinary piece of furniture is a marvel of carving, engraving, and sculpture. With the toiMte table arerostly sacramental vessels,jewel boxes, flowers in precious stone 0 , hunting swords, and such a seiies of exquisite and fantastic designs woiked out in pieciouE) metals as we never icmomber to have seen collected together as the propeify of one person befoie. The times of Benvenuto Cellini seem lerived in this display. On a future occasion we shall give illustrations and detailed descriptions. French jeweller]' is all stamped with a mark which denotes to those initiated the exact value of the gold employed. There is a first-class, second-class, and third-class stamp, which the manufacturers are obliged to obtain before offering their wares for sale. The advantage to the manufacturers of first-class articles is great. They are secure against the competition of those who could imitate their latest productions in an inferior kind of gold. We have no such regulation. Pure gold, which is seldom used for ordinary jewellery, bears the Hall-mark; but in what is commonly called "jewellers' gold" there is between one maker and another a difference of value, without any perceptible difference in appearance, equal to at least fifty per cent. No douht the French regulatiou is a great piotection and encouragement to the manufacturer of good articles in tasteful shapes ; but our manufacturers of cheap jewellery at Birmingham and elsewhere carry on their opeiations on so large and so rapid a scale, that it would be impossible to introduce such a lestriction without seriously impeding their trade. The imitation jewellery displayed by the French in the South Buy is very tasteful ; The imitations of pearls and precious stones are very clever. la the metal woikmanship of false jewellery since the introduction of electiotype we probably excel them; and, altogether this depai tment is better known to us thiough the shops of Regent-street and of our principal wateiing places, than the first-class work, like the Queen of Spain's diamonds, which have excited so much attention ever since they were unpacked. In the centre of the room, the sides of winch aye principally occupied by jewellery, a good deal of plate is sot out. Plate is not oo much used in France as in England, and with few exceptions the workmanship is infeiior; but there are several articles which art of a higher order has been employed to embellish. We would note a small silver ornament for perfume, chased elaborately with grotesques, and surmounted by a figure, which stands opposite the imitation diamonds on the east side of the room. On the table in the centre is a large tea urn, in oxydized silver, with very handsome tea services around it; and close to it a perfect gem, in the shape of a Turkish coffee pot, in oxydized silver inlaid with gold , surrounded by a cluster of tiny China cups, in stands of the same metal, on a salver elaborately engraved. It is just the thing for a buhl table in a beauty's boudoir. The French manufactories in all these work 9 have great advantage in the demand which exists among the wealthy classes who are their customers for original designs, whether in ptate or in bronze. A class of artists in Pans devote themselves to supplying these designs ; and a class of manufacturers make a reputation by continually publishing new designs. In England, until very lately (with the exception of the period when Itundell and Bridge employed Flaxman), we are content with repeating stereotyped conventionalities. A short time since, one of our engineering firms wanted an original design made and executed in bronze, for a compass of an expensive kind. He was unable to find, in London, any artist and bronze-caster accustomed to work in unison. Pie went over to Paris, and obtained what he tequired in twenty-four hours. This comp»ss,supportedon two bronze dolphins, may be seen in the North-west Gallery, among the philosopbual instruments. The manufacturers of such articles ns the silver toilette table of the Duchess of Parma, have the use of the talent trained by the demand for Paris bionzes, of which a large collection is displayed. In other ornamental metal work the French exhibit a number of very n'ch lamps, chandeliers, grates, dogs for burning wood, and church ornaments. The lamps are chiefly on the carcel principle, where clockwork or a spring continually pumps up oil to a due level. The bulbous foini of the contiivance affords room for a good deal of ornament, of which the art manufacturers have skilfully availed themselves. We cannot conscientiously say anything in favour of a. larse case full of cutlery. The forms are not elegant. Of the cutting meiit there is no opportunity of judging. In poicekin the strength of the Fiench lies m the finest qualities. Prom the late Royal, now the National Manufactoiy at Sevre*, some splendid specimens of ornamental china, of great size, exquisitely painted, have been contributed, including pairs of very large vases of rich blue and pink, and other difficult colours, painted from designs of the first modern artists, and breakfast services fit for the Queen of the Fairies, more costly than if they had been manufactured in pure gold. One manufactuier of less costly China has ananged a stall like a small room, with stove chimney ornaments — a well executed statue in Parian of Pelissier, one of the great improvers of porcelain manufacture in Fiance, of whom it is recouLid that, wanting fuel to complete his expetiments, he burned up first all the trees of his garden, and then all hu> furniture. This Parian statue is three feet high, of veiy good colour, and came out of the oven well proportioned. While we can advantageously study the finest kinds of French poicelain, in the ware needed for every-day use at bieaKfast and dinner, we hare a great superioiity over them in quality and in, price. French cups are thick, heavy, and brittle. French plates will not stand fire. The luxuiy of a hot plate ia denied, hy an absurd tariff, to a country where cooking; has been raised to the rank of a science. AYe cannot praise a number of hideous green porcelain snakes and lizards in the Jewellery Room, On leaving metals and porcelain, we may tuin down avenues wheie glass cases on both sides form a sort of little street of shops full of costly shawls. It is extraordinary, that, with the power of designing and executing work oi such excellence, the French shawl manufacturers are constantly agitating for additional prohibitive or even excluding duties on all European and Indian shawls. It is not many years since it was gravely proposed by the French manufacturers, that every lady possessing an Indian shawl should be compelled to wear a Custom-house metal plate on it to show that the cuty had been duly paid. Beside several of the cases bang the original designs in water colours, even more beautiful than themselves. In the same manner we can successively pass robes, flounced and unflounced, in silk, in 6atin, in lace, in muslin, ananged in the most attractive manner. Facing the grand avenue are the choicest productions of the looms of Lyons, in curtains, and biocaded silks for furniture. Kxcept so far as an additional charm is gained by arrangement, the articles which may be clashed under the general term of "soft goods" will excite less attention than any other part of the French collection, because wo have been accustomed to see all these thing? sold in our shops. London is a laiger and better customer of Lyons than Pans. Seve.i<il of our pnncipal retailers aia actually parvneism Lyons mauufactones. Fiom this observation we must expect the Gobelins tapestry, to which a room has been devoted. The Gobehus tapeutiy, like the Sevres china manufactory, is earned on without legaid to piofit, at the expense of the fiommnent. By the hands, of cnjbjoidei ci's, especially educated for the puipose, and selected for their talent, tho woik& of great ancient and modem painters are copjed. At one period, Gobelins tapestry was never sold, but leserral a? piesenta by the French, sovereigns

! lo f.ivowitos and foreign potentates. At pie^em, it is ! sold under certain conditions. A set of tapestry, from designs by Paul Dehiroche, vreie lately in cjuise of execution for the Duchess of Sutherland. The cheapest piece of tapestry is valued at a thousaud pounds — a larger piece at three thousand pounds. There are aiso specimens of Aubusson carpets. Of course we do not pretend to have noticed onetwentieth part of the French collection, but wo have just said enougii to indicate the dinYient sources of interest open to the examination of different taotes. Prom time to time we shall mote minutely describe and illustiate several bits of special beauty and picturesipjeness.