_Raphael China._

"Raffaello himself is said in his youth to have painted, or at least to
have given designs for painting, in enamel on glazed earthenware. Such
works are commonly known by the name of Raphael china, two interesting
specimens of which, from the collection of R.H. Solly, Esq., are now
before you. From some casual flaws in the back of these plates, it may
be seen that the body of them is red earthenware in one, and grayish
brown in the other, and of rather a coarse quality. Mr. Windus also has
sent a plate, doubtless of Italian manufacture, bearing the date of
1533, thirteen years after the death of Raffaello. He has also sent a
singular specimen of a somewhat similar ware, but with the figures in
high relief, and far inferior to the former as a work of art.

"Mr. Brockedon informs me that, in his journey among the alps last year,
he saw some beautiful specimens of Raphael china, in the possession of
the hostess of an inn at the village of Rauris, in Carinthia. They
consisted of three dishes; the subjects painted on them are, Pan and
Apollo, Jupiter and Semele, and on the largest, Apollo surrounded by
wreaths of nymphs and satyrs, and on the rim are entwined Cupids: this
latter dish is about twenty inches in diameter, and bears an
inscription, in Italian, purporting that it was made at Rome, in 1542,
in the manufactory of Guido di Merlingho Vassaro, a native of Urbino.
The date is twenty-two years after the death of Raphael; but, as the
manufacturer was a fellow-townsman of that celebrated artist, the
inscription, taken in connexion with the anecdote of Vasari already
mentioned, is interesting, as throwing light on the association of the
name of Raffaello with this species of ware."

_Delft or Dutch._