Germany followed this fashion, and of her artists, Thomas Ruker made a throne embellished with an infinite number of statuettes, which, in 1577, was deemed worthy of presentation by the city of Augsburg, to Rodolph II., who had been elected emperor in the preceding year. This throne suffered some mutilations, for one of the little figures which entered into the composition now forms a part of the collection of M. Spitzer. Another German, Gottfried Leigeber, of Nuremberg, who died at Berlin, in 1683, also made statues of iron, which figure in the museum of that town at the present day. His special business was that of an armourer, and he made marvellous sword-hilts which have preserved for him an unrivalled reputation.

In conclusion we give a list of artists in iron, continued down to our own time.

1332. Thomas le Fieuvillier, cutler. 1388. Jehan Tonquin, ironmonger. 1398. Philippe de Peronne, locksmith. 1400. Thomas d'Orgeret, cutler.

1404. Jehan Geinnon, cutler.

1407. Thomas d'Orgeret, do.

1412. Jehan des Godeaux, locksmith, of Lille.

1416. Jehan de Chaalons, do.

1464. Andrieu du Vergier, do.

1536. Guillaume du Moussay, cutler to Francis I.

1570. Thomas Rucker, of Augsburg.

1580. Mathurin Jousse, author of the Theatre of Art.

1674. Hyacinthe d'Ascoli, a monk.

1675. Gottfried Leigeber, of Nuremberg. XVIIIth Century sequel. Pfannistiel.

- Fagot.

- Gamain, master of Louis XVI.

- Ambroise.

This list, hastily compiled, is, one feels, extremely incomplete, and is especially silent as to the eminent artists of the sixteenth century. This gap can, however, be filled in part by the list of the engravings made from this epoch for the use of the locksmiths, and which list we borrow from the work of M. Destailleur, the fortunate possessor of a unique collection in this style of drawing.

Jacques Androuet, says Du Cerccau, is the first to give us signs (enseignes), knockers, ratissoires used to announce oneself in interiors by scratching at the door, of master-keys, window-fasteners, bolts, and even the handles of drawers.

Antoine Jacquart, of Poitiers, who lived at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Pompeus, from 1612 to 1614, also engraved escutcheons of locks, keys, etc.

Pierre Guillebaud engraved, about 1618, whether alone or in conjunction with Jehan Bare, arabesques, escutcheons of keys, and lock-plates.

Didier Torner supplies the models from 1622 to 1625.

Jehan Gilbert, of Rouergue, appears from 1627 to 1629.

Mathurin Jousse, master-locksmith of la Fleche, was the first to publish a complete treatise in which he applies himself not only to the present but also to the history of the past. This valuable work was published in 1627.

Guillaume Planchart and Nicolas le Picard engraved from 1628 to 1643.

Michel de Soissons, 1632. Jean Foudrin le Picard, in 1633.

Homer Mourel, 1636.

Andre le Provencal, 1646-48.

Michel le Rochellois, 1649.

Simon Gomier, 1649.

Etienne Doyar, 1649.

N. Jardin, 1649.

P. Lionnais.

Mathurin le Breton.

The list of the eighteenth century will be given later by M. Destailleur; but the examples are numerous, and the dates less indispensable than in the earlier epochs.

The East

THE East, may, as regards age and workmanship, rival Europe in the art of bending iron to the caprices of imagination. In China, iron was the first metal specially consecrated to reward men of letters and poets, and perfume-burners, or "ting," of dates anterior to the tenth century of our era are still to be met with. These vessels are evidently cast, as is shown by the porous texture of their sides, and their general weight and thickness. The process was perpetuated, doubtless, for wo have seen a figure of the god of war in cast iron, coloured by painting.

Nor did the Japanese remain inferior to their neighbours of the continent of Asia. There may be seen in the Cernuschi collection a teapot of cast iron, in imitation of the dodecahodric crystallization which is one of the natural forms of specular iron. Not far from this primitive work one sees a cast-iron plaque, upon which, seated on a cloud, is Cheou-lao the god of longevity; his robes are damascened with ornaments in silver, his head, encrusted with the same metal, is finely chased, the right hand holds the peach of longevity in gold : an inscription in relief standing out from the ground shows the skill displayed in the casting, and the delicacy of the grain of the metal. This piece is, as it were, a prefatory work, and an introduction to those exquisite productions in incrusted iron which the Japanese are so skilful in making in the shapes of small vases, medicine boxes, and above all in the multitude of those ornaments so sought after immediately they appeared in Europe.

In fine, to enable our readers to thoroughly realise the perfection to which the art of iron-working has been brought in the East, we need only refer to what we have said of the arms, real marvels ornamented with a delicacy not surpassed by either gold work or jewels.