Our Illustrations

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 9, 2 September 1905, Page 23

Our Illustrations

BRIC-A-BRAC. One of the most fascinating, if useless, pastimes of the man of means is the collection of bric-a-brac. We give this wreck some beautiful pictures of a number of much-sought-after articles. including specimens of Bristol porcelain. Italian majblica, lustre ware. etc. Although several attempts at making porcrlain at Bristol are recorded as early as 1753. the ventures do not appear to have been very successful, and it was not until 17<>S that Richard ('hampion definitely started to manufacture porcelain. In 1770 the Plymouth China Factory, belonging to William Cookworthy (the discoverer of the true china clay or kaolin), was mo\cd to Bristol, and three

years after wa«» >old to < ’tampion, lMU*row<*d >ullieicnt im»n.?y tu enable hint to acqiiin* the patent right" from the owner. He carried on his manufmturo then* until 17S1. and also op**iieu a London warehouse in Salisbury Uuurt, Fleet Street, which remained “pen until 1782, Ju an advertisement in the “Bristol Journal*' of Xovcniber 2Sth. 1772. we .ire told that the Bristol porcelain was "wholly free from the imperfections in wearing which the English cliiiia. usually has. and il> composition <*qiial in fineness to the lui'J Indian, and will wear as well. I’lie enamelled ware which is rendered marly as cheap as the English blue and while comes wry near, and in some piec.'s. equal* Hie Dresden, which this work more particularly imitates.” Under Champion’s direction the same objects w<*r«‘ still produced: some of the iitH* hexagonal \a*cs have open-work n?cks. and are enamelled with large blue or grt'en trees and tropical birds. The height of the vases with tb * cover about sixteen inches, and in some instances the handles are replaced by sprays of leaves and flowers. The sauceboats are ornamented with embossed uncol<»mv‘d garlands of flowers, and in some cases have the word "Bristol underneath in relief letters. A decoration which is very characleristi<t of Bristol porcelain consists of green laurnl festoons. Mention must also be made of the oval or round plaques which belong lo the be>t period of the Bristol factory — from 1774 to 1775. 4 hey are delicately mod.'llcd in white biscuit porcelain, and decorated with eoats of arms or medallion portraits surrounded by floral wreaths in high relief. All the articles on page 4. except the cut glass arc Bristol porcelain. Majolica is said by some authorities to take "its name from Majorca, in ih« Balearic Islands, and as the secret of a fine enamelled earthenware was known to the Arabians as early as the thirteenth century, it is possible that the mime is derived from this source, and that (he manufacturi' of majolica was introduced into Italy by workmen from Majorca, which until 1238 was an Arabian possession. During the great majolica period it was the fashion for lovers to present their betrothed with small pieces of. the ware called “amatorii.” I’hese generally consisted of plates, dishes and vases bearing the portrait and < lirist ian name of the beloved one. the background being filled in with flowers, while the border of the plate is piinted with grotesque designs. Tin* d( sign is generally painted in blues with a yellow lustre. The pieces of majolica most eommonlv met with were meant for domestic use, and include salt-cellars, ewers, drug-pots, bowls, candelabra. sauce-boats. inkstands and pilgrims' bottles. Some of the plates and dishes have two holes pierced in the back, and were evident ly intended to be bung up on a wall for decorative purposes. Ilie most important towns the inajolici industry were Gubbio, Urbino. Pesaro. Faimza. Derula. Siesa, (’astel Durante, ( afl’aggiolo and l-’orli Of these Faenza was probably the first to manufacture the ware: the pottciv made here was chiefly in the form of plales, with broad rims ami deep-sunk centres, though, of course, oilier pieci's arc tb Im met with. A figure or coat-of arms iu d<ep red or orange usnallv occupies tho

centre uf the plate, while the borders are decorated with aratiesques in various shades of blue, sometimes heightened with touches of white and golden brown. The colon! • found >n Pv>aro ware arc maiiganeM*. green, yellow, black ami cobalt blue, with a beautiful lustre which lias a changing effect in colour. The majolica of Siena is often decorated with grote*<pH’s or .scroll-work in blue and white on a yellow orange or black ground. The ma jolica produced at t allaggiolo usually has a decoration of green and purple or orange and Indian red on a cobalt blue ground, with a purely white glaze, and is very similar to that made at b’orli. I rhino majolica, as a rule, has delicate arabesques, grotesque figure- and floral scrolls in orange, green and blue on a white ground; the finest pieces are not lustred. Lustre ware is stoneware or crockery having surface ornamentation in metallic colours. The various kinds arc gold bistre, silver lustre platinum lustre. and copper lustre. VISIT TO TAUPO TOTARA TIMBER CO ’S MILL AT MOKAI. (By the “Graphic’*” Special Photographer.’) The -eii leiiieiti or tow nship of Mokai Is at present very little known to the outside world, ami this is to be little vvt ndcred al. seeing that less than three years ago there was no such place in existence, and even now letters, unless legibly addressed, are apt to go astray, ami find their way To Mokau. .Mokai is situated about seventeen miles from Taupo, and seventeen from Putaruru, on the Rotorua-Auckland lint*, with which [dace it is connected by a private rail, ami lies on the northwest of a va>t lotara bush, many thousand acres in extent. The Taupo Totara Timber Company has acquired this I’arge tract of country, Aind has e-lablished a sawmill on an extensive seale, with all the most appiovel ami up-to-date la bour-sa vinig appliances, mostly of American design. Hence the origin of Mokai. I took the 4»pp<jrl unit y of visiting this interesting 4p<it in couHpany /with Mr ’Murdoch \h la an, 1 he contractor for the new railway, who very kindly piloted me through. We left i’utaruru about 10.30 a.m. one bright frosty morning, the train consisting of an engine, three truck-, mid an Old Wellington horse (ram car, labelled “Cuba-street.” I cannot say that the country we passed through would evoke mmh admiration from a pictorial point of view; being for the most part pumice land. w»lh stunted fern ami titree. Only once was the monotony broken by about half a mile or so of bush, ami here we had to bid farewell to old “Cuba-street,” and gel on to an open trmk. drawn by another engine, ■.which look us round the side of hills ‘with many a shurp bend, till at length we reached the Waikato River, over which we crossed on the largest single span wooden bridge in the colony. Here we disembarked, and as it w as grow ing very cohl. I remarked llrat 1 would be glad to get near the lire- ‘’Devil a lire you’Jl get this night,” rejoined my

companion, and alas, thi> o.ily proved too true! 1 leaned myself over a *T*ei fv.l. n” oil Move, which w »-» cook-, ing our evening repast, and by seven o dock, 1 felt fairly comr♦naoie. On retiring fur th.* a bed was made up for me on the lloor, with plenty of sacks and rugs, but nothing would keep me warm. Verily, (.(plain Edwin w •*>.*» too severe on ns. The next morning all the country was white with a heavy frost. We were up* at six o’clock, and after a hearty breakfast, made for the train. We all got on the engine for warmth, and I was given a -rat -alongside the boiler, whereat I inwardly rejoiced. Our course was very tortuous, as we wound round the hills. e\e. rising higher ’and higher, till at length we reached the rail-head, where two gangs of men were working hard, one pulling oil* the old wooden rails, and the other following them inp with the iron rails. A short walk -ami we reached the old engine “Climax,” which has drawn many and many a load of Limber from the bush, ♦and after a short ride of about throe miles, we arrived at Mokai, just in time for dinner. With that utter disregard for the feelings of mankind in general -and photographers in particular, which I have so often noticed, the weather showed sign- of a change, and before two hours had p.»>-cd. the sky. so blue ever since leaving Auckland, became overcast, and for the few days of my stay in the bush tin* weather was anything but photographic. Air Eorsdick. the manager of the mill, proved an admirable host, and made me very comfortable. He also showed me over the mill, and explained the various pieces of machinery. Ono morning he took me up a tram line for about three miles into the bush, where the timber was being felled. Four stalwart men were in the act of felling a line totara. A “scarf.” or wedge shaped cut. is made in the tree on the side on which it is to fall, after which a cross-cut saw is put in behind, and when it has cut sufficiently deep iron wedges are driven in till the tree overbalances, and falls with a thundering roar. It is a line sight to witness. The trunk is then cut into suitable length- where it lies. The undergrowth is cleared away, and a strong wire rope (see photograph No. 3), attached to each log in turn, is connected with a powerful hauling engine situated at the tram nrils. A portable electric communication is established between the engine and the workmen in the bush. All being ready, a pressure on the button gives the signal. The engine whistles in return and commences hauling. To get over the ditliculty of guiding the log round the various bends in the track, an ingenious system of blocks has been devised, and by this means the log is kept in its proper course. On leaching a corner the electric bell signals “Stop!” The rope is then detached from the block and attached to one higher up. A press on the button sets the engine starting again- and so on till the tram-line is reached. And now another labour-saving appliance comes into use. Instead of oiii ploying the old and laborious method of jacking the logs on to the trucks, a. pair of gigantic hooks (photograph No. 4), suspended from aloft, is lowered, and the points are driven into either side of the log, which is then hoisted by the engine, previously referred to, and lowered on to the trucks placed to receive them. llev, presto! What was once

the work of hours now becomes a question of mi mites! When three logs are lowered on to their respective trucks, and tirmlx secured and coupled together, a workman takes his position on the hiiulrrmost one. the engine sets them in motion, and away they go by gravitation right dow it to the mill, three miles away, in a space of six or seven minutes. By a clever contrivance a single movement of a lever applies a brake to eight of the wheels simultaneously, thus enabling tin* workman to regulate the speed to a nicety. Arrived at the mill, the logs are discharged by means of jacks, and broken down (that is, cut longitudinally through the centre by an upright saw), and thence conveyed into the mill. And here another contrivance, new to this country, and known at the mill as the “nigger,” rolls the log into any desired position on the travelling bench, on which it is cut up into various sizes. The empty trucks are in the mean-

time dra n up ngain into the bush by hui>i-s, and the same process is repealed over at d ove r again. Nearly all the avai'abk' timber is either totra or ma* tai, by far the greater proportion being totara. To show the eoulidenee the company lias in this undertaking, in addition tn the expense of making the railway already referred to, a township his been laid out. rows of workmen’s cottages have been elected, a butcher’s simp and large general store are in full swing, 2 football ground has been provided w here matches are played weekly in the season. the building of a social hall is in contemjilatioii, so that the comfort and entertainment of the community has not been overlooked by the company, which has been enterprising enough to start this impor aqt industry. At the present time the output at the mill is about 20,000 feet per day. and when the company has all its machinery erected this quantity will be doubled.