Excerpt from Antique Gems: Their Origin, Uses, and Value as Interpreters of Ancient History; And as Illustrative of Ancient Art; With Hints to Gem Collectors Probably at no period in England has art in its various rela tions been so intelligently illustrated and so fully investi gated as during the last ten years. The numerous exhibitions of works of art, both in this country and on the Continent, have doubtless partly contributed to this result; and with increased development of taste there has sprung up at the same time an earnest desire to investigate the principles of ancient art in its various productions, and to trace the dif ferent phases through which it has passed before it attained its highest degree of excellence. Every department of art, both ancient and mediaeval, has found its expositor or histo rian; and the amateur or student who desires to make him self acquainted with the painting, sculpture, or pottery of ancient or mediaeval times, can at once be referred to able treatises which will furnish him with the fullest information on those and kindred subjects. But there is one department. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.