ece of wood according to his own sweet
will, evolving from it intricate works of art in wood. Perhaps the most
remarkable examples of the wood-worker's skill are those tiny miniatures
of which there is such a splendid collection in the British Museum,
notably the almost microscopic reliquaries. The Japanese and Chinese
have shown remarkable skill in carvings, and especially in the way they
have set off china plates and bowls intended as ornamental objects; a
truly magnificent example of such work is shown in Fig. 57.

Old Gilt.

The highly decorative work known as old gilt, very fashionable in the
early Victorian drawing-room, has quite recently been hunted up, and
many pieces have been restored to positions of honour. The gilt,
so-called, was in reality eighteen-carat gold overlaid upon soft brass
by a process not now practised. Delightfully decorative trinket stands,
card trays, and little baskets were made in this way; and as they were
afterwards coated over with a transparent varnish, they have preserved
their colour; indeed, when found black with age, after carefully washing
in soap and water, they frequently come out bright and untarnished. Then
if brushed over with white of egg or some transparent white varnish they
will keep their colour for many years to come. These decorative
ornaments, often perforated as well as embossed, were frequently
enriched with imitation jewels. Those shown in Fig. 61 are typical of
the style of ornament referred to. Sometimes scent satchets and jewelled
caskets are found fitted with quaint reels for sewing silk and curious
needle holders. The more elaborate pieces are often ornamented with
floral sprays made of porcelain; some of the baskets filled with coral
and seaweed have curiously made little birds and butterflies, many of
them being genuine Chelsea. Others are the framework for holding Bow
figures or painted plaques. This Victorian gilt is at present not
over-scarce, and as it is not as yet much in demand collectors have an
exceptional opportunity of securing interesting specimens at moderate
cost.

Old Ivories.

Much might be written about old ivories. Ivory has been a much-valued
material for ornamental decoration from quite early times. In almost
every home there are curios and pieces of furniture in which ivory
has either been overlaid or inserted as panels. At one time it was much
used for overlays, and in very thin plates made up into all kinds of
decorative mode