Among their more recent productions may be mentioned tesseræ for mosaic work, decorated with rich enamels; embossed tiles; “_sgrafito_,” a ware the decoration of which is produced by the cutting away of superimposed layers of different coloured clays, after the fashion of cameo carving; “_slip painting_,” the production of a pattern by the painting of liquid clay on a ground of another colour, and the whole glazed over, after the first burning, with transparent coloured enamels; “_pâte sur pâte_,” tiles in which the design in high relief is superimposed on a ground of a different colour; mixed coloured glasses and enamels for the decoration of pottery, by which the most subtle and brilliant effects are produced; _terra cotta and Parian plant-markers_, forming an economical and indestructible substitute for the old wooden and iron name tallies. On these the names of trees and shrubs are written in a permanent black enamel and burnt in. The special processes employed by Messrs. Maw have been made the subject of a number of patents, among which may be mentioned their mill machinery, used in the preparation of clay for the manufacture of tiles by Prosser’s process; the _steam blunger_, by which the rough clay is levigated, sifted, and refined ready for drying on the slip-kilns, without the intervention of manual labour; the manufacture of encaustic tiles out of pulverised nearly dry clay, and their patent press worked by steam power for the pressing of tiles, which is the only successful application of steam power to screw presses which has yet been attained. The geometric and tesselated pavements produced by Messrs. Maw are of the most elegant, elaborate, and beautiful character, and the tesseræ and tiles of which they are composed are made with the utmost mechanical accuracy, and of the finest quality both in body, in colours, and in glaze. The patterns they have prepared are of exquisite beauty and of endless variety, and suitable for every possible purpose both for public and private buildings. [Illustration: Fig. 696 to 699.] [Illustration: Figs. 700 to 701.]