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
