PROCEEDINGS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
of the
British Archaeological Association.
December 11.
Mr. Redmond Anthony, of Piltown, Ireland, forwarded through Mr. Smith impressions from four small cubes of white porcelain, in his possession, such as are occasionally dug up in Ireland. On the lower face of each cube, which measures about half an inch square, are impressed certain Chinese characters, and the cube serves as a kind of pedestal to a small figure of a lion or some other animal "seiant."' The whole measures, in height, about one inch and one tenth. Mr. Anthony observes that some persons have supposed these cubes to be of a period as early as the sixth century, but how or when they were imported into Ireland is a mystery. Mr. Birch stated that, in his opinion, they were used as seals by private persons in China, and from peculiarities in the characters, they can not be considered to be anterior to the sixteenth century. Communications have been made to the Royal Irish Academy, regarding these singular objects.
Mr. Wire, of Colchester, reported to the Committee that attempts had recently been made to steal monumental brasses from the church of Brightlingsea, in Essex, and also from that of Hadleigh, in Suffolk. Mr. Smith added that, according to report, one had been actually taken away from a church in Ipswich, a few months since. Mr. Smith then drew the attention of the Committee to the progressive revival of the ancient art of engraving monumental effigies on brass, and stated that the Messrs. Waller have executed and laid down brasses, in Michel-Dean church, Gloucestershire, in Windlesham church, Surrey, and in Gresford church, Denbighshire; and that Mr. Thomas King, of Chichester, is now engaged in engraving a very elaborate brass of a priest richly robed. It is copied from a monument at Dieppe, which bears the date A.D, 1447.
Mr. W. H. Gomonde, of Cheltenham, communicated some additional details in regard to the discovery of interments near the camp on Leckhampton hill, of which an account had been supplied by the Rev. Lambert B. Larking. (See Proceedings of the Committee, October 9.) The adjacent part of the hill having subsequently been excavated, part of the bit of a
