maining in country houses of South Wales. Again, in the two years 1817-1819, Latham and Pegg both painted at Nantgarw; and as the gentry of Glamorgan had subscribed capital to carry on the works, a larger proportion of the decorated ware would go to their houses. Young, who, as has already been said, succeeded Billingsley at Nantgarw in 1820, probably obtained Billingsley's recipe, or something very like it, after all the expense which he had incurred, and it is difficult to differentiate the productions of the years 1820-22 from those of Billingsley's own period.

At Swansea Bevington succeeded Dillwyn in 1817, and carried on the porcelain manufacture till 1824. He had a different recipe from either-a denser body of a peculiar dead-white hue. It was much less decorative, and sold in a cheaper market; much of it went to America.

C. W.

With regard to marks, the Nantgarw is NANT-GARW (impressed in the paste). Many attempts have been made at forgery, but they have not been very successful. The careful collector can soon acquire a knowledge of both body and marks which will protect him. For the careless, of course, the snare of the fowler is not spread in vain; but to the prudent and studious the mark-the real marksoon becomes familiar, especially when attention is paid to the translucency of the paste, which has very much the appearance of shaded glass with the hue of melting snow.

But, for those who value the pieces which were painted locally-and they are really the most valuable if well done and decorated by known men-the styles or mannerisms of the artists form the best protection. As a test, take a group of flowers from a plaque painted by Wm. Pegg and a plaque and small plate painted by John Latham.2 Observe the style of the former adhering more closely to nature;

I

and in the latter a conventional order of treatment, which is artistic and effective, but very different from Pegg's work. The contrast between them is a very good lesson indeed in the value to be placed on a knowledge of mannerism. It happens that neither of these plates was manufactured at Nantgarw or Swansea, but, in default of local pieces, they are chosen in order to show the style of these two men who most assuredly worked at Nantgarw. Pegg also spent some time in London, and he may have decorated Nantgarw plates there. At all events the decoration of the specimens is unmistakable. If collectors should meet with similar decoration on translucent and properly marked 'Nantgarw,' they will be sure of the decorator as a further proof of the genuineness of the example which they have acquired.

With regard to the Swansea men, a good specimen of their work is found in a plate belonging to Sir John Dillwyn Llewelyn, of Penllergare.3 He has a service which was painted by Thomas Baxter specially for Mr. W. Dillwyn, and which has been handed down as an heirloom. The plate reproduced is decorated with the single dahlias first introduced into England a few years previously. They were not then cultivated into our familiar show variety. Baxter's composition is that of the genre painter of the period, who liked to have some large object in the foreground with a diminished middle distance (in this instance views on the Penllergare estate) and dwarfed horizon. Baxter was a figure painter, and this accounts for his peculiar treatment of the cluster of flowers. Contrast this with a plate of best Swansea in my possession, painted by William Pollard, who, as Mr. Drane says, was remarkable for his highly idealized treatment of wild flowers. But with garden flowers he was not far behind. The The graceful arrangement of his bouquets, the delicate colouring and almost airy touch, give us a

realistic glimpse of nature, with an artistic rendering which is charming in its way. It must be remembered, however, that we cannot judge him by the highest standard of decorative art. Á realistic rendering of nature's beauties was what was studied most in Pollard's day. When the painter got that, combined with a touch like Pollard's, he achieved the best that a ceramic artist was then expected to accomplish.

The mannerism of Pollard is quite distinct from that of Baxter. Hence the comparison of these pieces will be a good lesson for the connoisseur in judging a question of quality or identity by the style of the decoration.

At Swansea for some time there was an artist named Matthew Colclough. He had painted both in Staffordshire and at Derby. Mr. Graham Vivian, of Clyne Castle, near Swansea, has a Swansea plate with a goshawk painted thereon by Colclough.5 It is a fine specimen of ceramic painting, exhibiting all the keen, concentrated attention of the bird of prey on the watch for a victim. I have seen another specimen of Colclough's work-an eagle capturing a snake—which is also a powerful example of the artist's skill in painting such birds. A little study of this artist's manner will assist collectors in selecting the true Swansea from the false, if such a painting should happen to be upon the porcelain inspected.

Another Swansea artist, named Henry Morris, was educated at Dillwyn's factory -the Cambrian '-and was noted there for his close imitation of Billingsley's style, under whom he studied. A plate reproduced here shows his characteristic treatment of objects. On using a magnifying glass it will be found that he used a very finely-pointed brush, so that the touch had almost the effect of a 'line' block. There can be no doubt of the artist, for the plate is signed by him; and it is of the best Swansea body and glaze.

No. 5, Plate II.

No. 6, Plate II.

With regard to Billingsley's style, it is evident that it changed considerably as he grew older. One of the most remarkable instances of such a change is that of Turner, who had three distinct mannerisms, namely, in youth, middle life, and old age. În Billingsley's case we have an authenticated specimen of his earliest Derby style in Cox's plaque, a detail of the decoration of which is reproduced." It came down in the Hancock family of Derby. This should be compared with the two Swansea cups which have belonged since they were made to the family of Mr. Graham Vivian, the painting of which is traditionally attributed to Billingsley. The decoration of these cups is evidently an evolution of that on the Derby plaque, and there are other reasons for the attribution. It is further confirmed by the plate reproduced on the same page, which is one of the best of Billingsley's Welsh works, and belongs to Mr. Richards of The Priory, Usk, in whose family it has been held since it was painted.

These specimens, by contrasting one artist with another, show the value of a knowledge of mannerism to the collector, when once he has thoroughly acquired the knowledge of a particular man's style.

In addition to the six artists already cited, there were seven whose productions have been identified as having decorated either Nantgarw or Swansea. Two of them painted their pieces in London, the others locally. In a short sketch like the present it is impossible to find room to illustrate all their separate modes.

Probably of the thousands of pieces which went to London in the white the majority were unmarked, and were decorated and sold as Sèvres. A confirmation of this idea is found in the experience of the Madeley factory. In The Gentleman's Magazine for October 1859, there is a notice of the obituary of Thos. Martin Randall. He had a small factory at Madeley, near Coalport,

7 No. 7, Plate III. 8 No. 8, Plate III.

No. 9, Plate III.