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Came-o-incrus-ta′tion.

During the last century the Bohemian glass-makers excited surprise by producing bas-relief casts of busts and medals inclosed within a coating of white flint-glass, and an extension of this art was subsequently patented in England. The process consists in making the article to be incrusted of less fusible materials than those of which the glass by which it is incrusted is composed. A mixture of China clay and silicate of potash is found to answer this requirement. The bust or bas-relief is made of this material in a plaster mold, and after being slightly baked is gradually cooled. A mass of transparent glass is blown hollow, with one end open, and the clay cameo, heated to redness, is placed within it. The mass is pressed or welded to make the two substances adhere, and the glass-blower draws out the air from within, thus causing the glass to collapse and to firmly unite with the cameo. When the glass is cut and polished to any desired form, the effect produced is striking and beautiful; for the clay cameo or bust has the appearance of unburnished silver isolated in the midst of the solid, transparent glass. Small articles are incrusted in a more expeditious manner, especially upon glass goblets or similar hollow vessels. The hot cameo is placed upon the hot vessel, a small piece of semi-liquid glass is dropped upon it, and this both fixes the cameo in its place and forms a glassy layer to inclose it.

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