10 
EXPOSITION AT VIENNA. 
yet need to know more of pottery as an art to secure a fair 
appreciation of novelties and to stimulate progress. A great 
obstruction to progress is the servile following of others, the 
eonstant reproduction of old forms and old designs—imita- 
tions rather tban novelties. 
The high development and perfection of the ceramic art in 
Europe is due in a great degree to the establishment of por- 
celain works under government protection and favor, and the 
rivalries between them. Each establishment became a school 
of art, producing models for imitation, launching out into 
unknown fields, experimenting and perfecting without regard 
to the demands of trade,—being raised above them and inde 
pendent of them. They became leaders of public taste, and 
their influenee was strengthened by the patronage of royalty 
and court circles. 
The Exhibition in 1851 revealed to’Great Britain its mani 
fest inferiority in artistic manufactures; and it did not take 
Ions to ascertain that the cause was the neglect of art educa- 
tion amongst the people, while the Continental artisans were 
taught with the greatest care, and familiarized from their 
youth with the choicest prodnctions of ancient and modern 
art. It was conceded that the art schools and museums of 
France exercised a great intluence upon the manutactures of 
the country. England saw that to compete with such a rival 
great etforts must be made, and that the people must be edu- 
catecl. The government took the matter in hand; it was 
stuclied and reported upon by government commissions, 
money was freely appropriated, museums were founded, and 
a Department of Science and Art established as a branch of 
the government. 
The favorable intluence. of these efforts was apparent in 
Paris in 1867 ; it was still more evident in the London Ex 
hibition in 1871, and was abundantly shown at Vienna. 
Great Britain, from a position of mediocrity in 1851, has 
risen to a commanding position in the potter’s art, standing 
•to-day in the front rank, not only as regards excellence 
of materials and manufacture, but in artistic skill. 
All this is full of teaching to the educators of the United 
States. Ceramic industry, as we shall preseutly see, is