The early Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and Primitive Grecian metal work has been noticed under the historic sketch of the art of these nations in the former volume.

We read in the Bible of the great magnificence of Solomon's Temple, especially in the extreme richness and wealth of the gold, silver, and brazen vessels, utensils, and architectural decorations, in which the precious metals were used in the solid or plated manner on capitals, pillars, doors, seats, thrones, and on the decorations of the Ark; but no remains of all this magnificence have survived the wrecks of time or the greed and spoliation of the conquerors of Jerusalem.

The sculptured decorations of the Arch of Titus at Rome afford us the only tangible testimony as to the kind or shapes of the tables, vessels, and seven-branched candlesticks which were carried off by the Romans after the sacking of Jerusalem, A.D. 73. The workmanship and design of these objects were probably a mixture of Egyptian and Assyrian forms, passing through the hands of the probable Phoenician artificers.

Some of the earliest goldsmiths' work that possesses a real artistic value consists of personal ornaments, such as wreaths, earrings, brooches, and diadems of Etruscan workmanship. Much of this work was made very thin, in plates or scales joined together, and was generally designed for funeral uses. Articles of personal adornment were very rich and beautifully made, having the usual character of Greek design (Figs- 128, 129).

The Etruscans

The Etruscans were greatly skilled in the making of all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze vessels, jewellery, cups, goblets, and articles of domestic use (Fig. 130). A remarkable bronze of a monster or chim*˜ra was found at Arezzo, in Italy, in 1534, which no doubt was a representation of an Etruscan deity (Fig. 131). The art of the Etruscans was strongly imbued with a decided Oriental character of mysteriousness.

We have noticed before the gold and other metal work of primitive Greece that was found by Dr. Schliemann at Mycenae and on the site of ancient Troy. Most of this work was in beaten and inlaid metals, but in later periods the arts of soldering grains and plates of gold, and fine wire drawing for delicate filigree work were well known. Minute grains of gold that had the appearance of frosted work were in reality soldered to the plate-Statues were made in gold, but more often were plated. Chryselephantine statues were common in the best days of Greek art, as those of Athene and Jupiter by Phidias, and the statue of Bacchus in his temple at Athens.

Croesus

Croesus made offerings of gold and silver vessels to the shrine of Delphi, and both he and Darius had images of their wives made in gold by Greek artists. Very few examples of Greek goldsmiths' art have come down to us, for owing to the valuable nature of the material, nearly all such work has been, in the course of time, pillaged and melted down by the barbarians or conquerors, and it is only in a few isolated cases such valuables have been preserved by being buried or hidden purposely in the earth, and in late years have been brought to light. We are, therefore, indebted to the ancient historians for most of our knowledge concerning the gold-smithery of Greece and Rome.

Some very valuable finds have been brought to light. such as that of the Hildesheim treasures (Fig. 132), and the articles of bronze found at Herculaneum and Pompeii give a good idea of the richness and beauty of the metal work of ancient Greece and Rome. The wine crater (Fig. 132) is exceptionally beautiful in its delicate lines of arabesque tracery.

There are some valuable examples in silver of the period of the late Roman Empire in the British Museum, which are the treasures of another "find." They consist of a bridal casket 22 by 17 inches, and 11 inches in height; another round bridal casket; dishes on a low stand (Scutell*˜)-, oblong-shaped dishes or trays {lances); horse trappings and ornaments (Phaler*˜); seated figures representing Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch; various vases and vessels for holding perfumes and unguents. This treasure was discovered in the vaults of a house in Rome in 1793, where it was supposed to have been hidden from the barbarians who invaded and captured Rome in the sixth century. The bridal caskets have the portraits of the bride and bridegroom in hammered or repouss*š work, and mythological marine subjects. The style and execution is in the usual coarse manner that characterized the work of the period of early Christian Art, with some of the antique traditions still asserting their influence in the style of the design.

Fig. 128. Gold Brooch and Earrings set with Garnets; Etruscan. (J).

Fig. 129. Head of Bacchus, part of Necklace; Etruscan Jewellery. (J).

Fig. 130. Etruscan Bronze Vessel.

Fig. 131. Bronze Chim*˜ra at Florence.

Fig. 132. Wine Crater in Silver; from the Hildesheim Treasures. Antique Roman.

Tripods, candelabra, vases, bowls, caskets, spoons, besides articles of personal adornment made in the precious metals, have been found in the buried cities of Hercu-laneum and Pompeii, and in other places in Italy, France, and Germany, of antique Roman design. (See Fig; 417 in the previous volume of this work).

The names of a few Greek and Roman goldsmiths occur in the writings of Pausanias, Pliny, and Martial, one of the earliest of which is named Mentor, who probably lived in a subsequent near period to Phidias. Acragras and Mys were the names of two others of a little later time. Stratonicus and Tauriscus are two others who lived in the third century B.C. Antipater is mentioned as the name of a goldsmith by Pliny.

Pytheas was a famous worker in gold and silver, who engraved figure compositions, and Posidanius of Ephesus excelled in hunting and racing subjects. Praxiteles was a silversmith who executed animal representations from the life, and "Alexander the coppersmith" is mentioned in St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy.