Chapter II: Preface (2)

=Anaceia= or =Anakeia=, Gr. (from ἄναξ, a king). A festival held at Athens in honour of Castor and Pollux, who were also called _Anaktes_ and _Anakestes_. (See ANACEIUM). Similar festivals were held at Sparta, Argos, and other cities of Greece.

=Anaceium=, Gr. A temple of ancient Athens, dedicated to Castor and Pollux. Slaves used to be sold there.

=Anaclinterium=, Gr. (ἀνακλιντήριον). The head-board of a sofa or bed, which served as a support for the bolster and the pillow on which the sleeper’s head rested.

=Anadem=, Gr. (ἀνάδημα). In general a fillet or head-band; but in a more restricted acceptation, an ornamental band, such as was worn by women and youths among the Greeks. It was thus distinguished from the _diadema_ and the _vitta_, which were also head-bands, but worn solely as the insignia of honorary, regal, or religious distinctions.

=Anaglyph=, (ἀνὰ and γλύφειν, to carve). A general term to denote any work of art that is sculptured, chased, carved, or embossed, such as cameos, bas-reliefs, or other raised work, whether in metal, marble, or ivory. When such sculptures or chasings are incised or sunk, they are called INTAGLIOS or DIAGLYPHS (q.v.). According to St. Clement of Alexandria, anaglyphs were employed by the Egyptians when they wished to hand down a panegyric of any king under the form of a religious myth. Although the words of St. Clement are very obscure, and have furnished materials for countless discussions, it is now admitted that the anaglyphs in question belong to the group of hieroglyphics which may be deciphered on the cartouches of the Pharaohs, and in which we have, in fact, panegyrics of the Egyptian kings veiled in religious myths. The Egyptians also gave the name of anaglyphs to a kind of secret writing, understood only by the initiated; even at the present day it remains undecipherable, owing to our imperfect knowledge of Egyptian mythology. (See CÆLATURA.)

=Anagogia.= A festival at Eryx, in Sicily, in honour of Aphrodite.

=Analemma=, Gr. and R. (ἀνάλημμα). Any raised construction which serves for a support or rest, and more particularly a pier, wall, or buttress. (2) The pedestal of a sun-dial, and so the sun-dial itself.

=Anancœum=, R. A drinking-cup of great capacity, the form of which is unknown. If we may credit Varro it was sometimes richly chased.

=Anankaion=, Gr. (ἀναγκαῖον, from ἀνάγκη, restraint). A kind of prison the purpose of which is not exactly known. According to some archæologists it was a private prison for slaves, or for freedmen, who, from some fault, were reduced to servitude again; others assert that it was a public prison.

=Anapiesma=, Gr. and R. (ἀνα-πίεσμα, that which is pressed back). An appliance used in ancient theatres. It was a kind of trap-door by means of which deities were raised from beneath the stage so as to make them visible to the spectators. The _proscenium_ contained a certain number of these trap-doors; one of them, leading from the orchestra to the front of the stage, enabled the Furies to appear; by another, marine deities made their appearance; while that through which passed the shades who ascended Charon’s staircase was called _Charon’s anapiesma_.

=Anastatic.= An ingenious modern process of reproducing copies of printed matter, engravings, ink drawings, &c., by transferring them to a sheet of polished zinc.

=Anathēma=, Chr. (ἀνάθημα, an offering). Anything offered up in churches by the faithful; as, for instance, vases and other utensils for sacrifice, altar ornaments, &c.

=Anathĕma=, Chr. The greater excommunication, answering to the Hebrew _cherem_.

=Anchor.= In Christian Art, the emblem of Hope. The attribute of S. Clement, the Pope, who was bound to an anchor, and thrown into the sea. (See ANCORA.)

=Ancile=, R. A shield of the shape of a violin case. It was the sacred shield which, according to tradition, had fallen from heaven into the palace of Numa. It occurs frequently on medals, especially those of Augustus. The two incavations of the shield were more or less deep, and usually semicircular. But Ovid describes it as of an entirely different shape, being cut evenly all round; _Idque ancile vocat, quod ab omni parte recisum est_ (Ovid, Fast. iii. 377). The SALII, or twelve priests of Mars Gradivus, had twelve such shields. The form was oval, with the two sides curving evenly inwards, so as to make it broader at the ends than in the middle. They used to beat their shields and dance.

=Anclabris=, Gr. and R. A small table used instead of an altar at sacrifices; it was slightly concave, so as to adapt it to hold the entrails of the victim for the inspection of the diviners. (See ALTAR.)

=Ancon=, Gr. and R. (αγκων). A term admitting various meanings, (1) A small console on each side of a door supporting an ornamental cornice. (2) The arm of a chair or arm-chair. (3) A cramp of wood or metal serving to connect together courses of masonry or blocks of stone. (4) The prongs or forks at the end of the props employed by hunters to hang their nets upon. (5) An earthenware vessel used in Roman taverns for holding wine. According to the etymology of the word which in Greek signifies hollow or elbow, this bottle must have been shaped like a retort. (6) The arms or branches of the square used by carpenters and stone masons, which form an angle similar to that formed by the bent arm.

=Ancora=, Gr. and R. (ἀγκύρα, from ἄγκος, a bend). An anchor or piece of iron used to stop a ship. Like those now in use, the ancient anchors were generally furnished with two flukes or arms, but sometimes they had only one. In the latter case they were called _terostomos_, a term corresponding to our modern blind anchor. A bas-relief on the column of Trajan represents an anchor placed at the bow of the vessel. In Christian archæology the anchor is a symbol of hope; an anchor is frequently met with, among Christian symbols, associated with a fish; the emblem of the Saviour (See ACROSTIC).

=Ancorale=, Gr. and R. Literally the cable of an anchor, and then the buoy-rope, or even the buoy itself. The ancient anchors had a ring at the end of the shank to which the buoy-rope was attached. The latter served not only to indicate the place where the anchor lay, but also to drag the flukes out of the ground when the anchor was raised.

=Andiron.= Iron standards with bars for supporting logs of wood fires, frequently richly ornamented, and sometimes made partly of silver.

=Andriantes=, Gr. (ἀνδριάντες, images of men). Statues set up by the Greeks in honour of the victors in the public games. This custom dated from 50 Olym., or 584 B.C.

=Androgeonia.= An Athenian annual festival, in honour of Androgeus, the son of Minos.

=Andron=, =Andronitis=, Gr. and Gr.-R. (ἀνδρὼν, from ἀνὴρ, a man). That part of the Greek or Græco-Roman house exclusively set apart for men. Fig. 22 represents the ground-plan of a Greek house; the _andron_ occupies all that part of the building which surrounds the open court, and consists of the apartments numbered 1 to 9. The Romans applied the term simply to a passage separating a house or part of a house from another.

=Anelace=, O. E. A knife or dagger worn at the girdle; broad, two-edged and sharp.

“An _anelace_ and a gipciere all of silk,
Hung at his girdle, white as morwe milk.”
(CHAUCER, _Canterbury Tales_.)

=Angel.= A gold coin current in England and France in the 15th and 16th centuries. It derived its name from the figure of an angel stamped upon it. A similar coin, either of gold or silver, was current in France at various periods. From the time of Louis IX. to that of Louis XI., the gold angel was equal in value to a crown of fine gold, or a little more than fourteen francs. It was stamped with a figure of St. Michael, holding in his right hand a sword, and in his left a shield with three fleur-de-lys. Henry VI., king of England, when he was in possession of Paris, had a gold angel struck which was not above seven francs in value. It was stamped with the figure of an angel holding in his hand the shields of France and England. The same king also had a silver angel struck which was only worth about five and a half francs.

=Angels=, (Gr. ἄγγελος, a messenger) in Christian Art are represented in nine degrees, which are divided into three categories. The first consists of Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones; the second of Dominations, Virtues, Powers; and the third of Princedoms, Archangels, and Angels. They are represented as young, to show their continued strength; winged as messengers of speed; barefooted and girt to show their readiness; in robes of white indicative of purity, or in cloth of gold for their glory; the cloth of gold diapered with bands of precious stones; the emerald, emblem of _unfading youth_; the crystal, of _purity_; the sapphire, of _celestial contemplation_; and the ruby, of _divine love_. During the renaissance, Pugin complains, “the edifying and traditional representations of angelic spirits were abandoned, and, in lieu of the albe of purity and golden vests of glory, the artists indulged in pretty cupids sporting in clouds, &c.” The proper attributes of the angels are trumpets, for the _voice of God_; flaming swords, for the _wrath of God_; sceptres, for the _power of God_; thuribles or censers for the _prayers of saints_, and musical instruments to emblem their _felicity_.

=Angiportus= or =Angiportum=, R. A narrow road passing between two houses or rows of houses, or an alley leading to a single house.

=Angleterre, Point d’.= Lace made by Flemish makers who were invited to settle in England in the reign of Charles II., the English Parliament having passed an act prohibiting the importation of all foreign lace. England, however, could not produce the necessary flax, and the lace was of inferior quality. The merchants of the time remedied this by smuggling large quantities of lace from the Brussels market, selling it as English Point or Point d’Angleterre, by which latter name it is still known, effacing the old name “Point de Bruxelles.” (Fig. 25.)

=Anglicanum Opus.= (See EMBROIDERY.)

=Angones.= French weapons of the Middle Ages furnished with three blades, one of which was straight, broad and keen, the remaining two curving outwards. Some angons have a lozenge-shaped head-blade. They were used as a kind of pike, and sometimes hurled like javelins. The latter kind somewhat resembled the _aclis_.

=Anguilla=, R. A whip made use of by Roman schoolmasters for punishing their scholars. It was so called because made from the skin of an eel (_anguis_).

=Anguis=, R. A serpent which among the Romans symbolized the local spirit (_genius loci_). Serpents were painted upon a wall to deter the public from defiling the spot thus indicated. At Pompeii these representations of serpents are found in the bakehouses, kitchens, and similar places where cleanliness is peculiarly desirable. The same term was applied to a military ensign in the shape of a serpent.

=Anime.= Gum anime is a resin, which is mixed with copal in making varnish, causing it to dry quickly and firmly.

=Animosi of Milan.= One of the Italian literary academies. Their device was “stags passing a river, resting on the heads of each other.” Motto, “Dant animos vices.” (Mutual help gives strength.)

=Anklets=, Gr. (See PERISCELIS.)

=Annealing.= The process of tempering brittle glass and metals by heat.

=Annulet=, Her. A plain ring, or false roundle.

=Annulets=, Arch. The rings or mouldings about the lower part of the echinos or ovolo of Doric capitals.

=Annulus= or =Anulus=, Gr. and R. (dimin. of _anus_, a ring). A finger-ring. They were originally made of iron, and used as a signet for sealing. Later on they were made of gold. Among the Greeks and Romans they were worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, whence the expression _sedere ad anulos alicui_, to be seated at any one’s left hand. The _anulus bigemmis_ was a ring set with two precious stones; _anulus velaris_ was a curtain ring. A plait of hair arranged in circles round the back of the head was also called _anulus_. In architecture the term was formerly employed instead of _anulet_. The stone most frequently used for rings was the onyx, upon which devices were carved with wonderful skill. The _bezel_, or part of the ring which contained the gem, was called PALA. (See RINGS.)

=Ansa=, Gr. and R. A term signifying both haft and handle, and even eyelet or hole. Any vessel or vase which has large ears or circular handles on the neck or body, is said to be furnished with _ansæ_. _Ansa ostii_ was the term applied to the handle by which a door is pulled or shut to. The bronze or iron eyelet on the top of a steelyard were also called _ansæ stateræ_. The holes or eyelets made in the side leathers of a Greek or Roman shoe were called _ansæ crepidæ_; the handle of the rudder, _ansa gubernaculi_; lastly an iron cramp was called _ansa ferrea_.

=Antæ=, R. Square or rectangular pilasters supporting the walls of a temple, which was thence called _templum in antis_. (Fig. 26.) The _antæ_ thus formed the end of the walls of the _cella_. The capitals of _antæ_ and the friezes abutting on them were sometimes richly ornamented, as may be seen by referring to Fig. 27, which represents, in their restored state, the frieze and one of the antæ in the temple of Augustus, at Ancyra, in Galatia.

=Antarius=, =Antarii funes=, R. Ropes employed for raising into the proper position any object of considerable weight, such as a column, mast, &c.

=Antefixa.= Ornaments of terra-cotta which were placed above the cornice, at the end of each row of tiles on a roof (Fig. 29). They were also used in ancient times for decorating the ridge of a roof. We possess specimens of antefixa remarkable for delicacy of design and execution; such were the antefixa of the temple of Diana Propylæa at Eleusis, and the various Etruscan specimens to be found in our museums. They were decorated with masks, leaves, and especially palms painted to imitate nature or in different colours. The Etruscans employed coloured antefixa only; many specimens of these last may be seen at the Louvre, and in the museums of Perugia, Florence, and Naples. The Antefixa of the Parthenon were of marble. (Fig. 30.)

=Antemural.= A term referring either to the outworks protecting the approach to a castle, or to the wall surrounding the castle.

=Antenna=, R. The yard-arm of a ship.

=Antepagmentum=, R. The jamb of a door. _Antepagmentum superius_, the lintel.

=Antependium.= Richly ornamented hangings of precious metal, wood, or textile fabrics, in front of a Christian altar.

=Anteportico.= A synonym of PORCH (q.v.); but little used.

=Anterides=, Gr. and R. (? ἀντερείδω, to stand firm). A structure employed to strengthen a weaker one. It consisted of a kind of buttress placed against an outer wall, chiefly in subterranean constructions, such as a sewer or aqueduct. Fig. 31 represents the _anterides_ of the Cloaca Maxima at Rome.

=Anthony, Cross of St.=, in the form of the letter T. It is the idealized representation of a crutch. (See CROSSES.)

=Anthropomorphic.= Man-shaped; said for example of the character of the Greek Religion, whose gods and demi-gods were only ideal men, from which circumstance the representation of the human form became the first object of their plastic art.

=Antia.= The iron handle of a shield.

=Antiæ=, R. The ringlets of hair worn by men and women which hung about the ears and the temples.

=Antick.= Strange, irregular, or fantastic in composition.

=Antilena=, R. An appliance attached to the pack-saddle of a beast of burden. It was a broad strap passing in front of the animal’s breast so as to prevent the saddle from slipping backwards. It was employed especially in mountainous districts.

=Antimensium=, Chr. A consecrated altar cloth.

=Antimony.= The oxide of this metal is employed in the preparation of yellow pigments for enamel or porcelain painting. Glass is coloured yellow by antimony. (See NAPLES, GUIMET’S YELLOWS.)

=Antipendium=, Chr. (See ANTEPENDIUM.)

=Antiphoner=, Chr. An antiphonarium; a book of responses set to music.

=Antique.= Pertaining to ancient Greek or Roman art: more freely used in recent times to describe the quality of ancient art in general, but properly applicable only to classical art.

=Antiquum Opus=, Arch. An ancient kind of stone-work or masonry composed of irregular stones. Another name for it was _opus incertum_.

=Antiseptic varnish.= A glazing composed to protect vegetable or animal pigments.

=Antitype.= The realization of the _type_.

=Antonine Column.= One of the most valuable architectural monuments in Rome. It is a lofty pillar ornamented with a series of bas-reliefs extending spirally from the base to the summit, representing the victories of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

=Anulus.= (See ANNULUS.)

=Anvil.= In Christian art the attribute of St. Adrian, and of St. Eloy, the patron saint of the smiths.

=Apalare=, R. A kitchen utensil; a sort of large metal spoon or ladle.

=Ape.= In Christian art the emblem of malice and of lust. Common in illuminations of the penitential psalms, in allusion to David’s fall.

=Apex=, R. (_apex_, the top). A piece of olive wood pointed at the end, and set in a flock of wool. It formed the head-dress of the _Flamines_ and _Salii_. By analogy, the term was further used to denote a cap, and also the ridge on the top of a helmet to which the horsehair crest was attached.

=Aphractus=, Gr. and R. (ἄφρακτον, lit. unguarded). A vessel without a deck, or only partly decked fore and aft.

=Aphrodisia=, Gr. (Ἀφροδίσια). A general term under which were comprised all the festivals held in honour of Venus (_Aphroditè_).

=Aplustre=, Gr. and R. (ἄφλαστον). An ornament placed at a ship’s stern. It was constructed of flexible wooden planks, in imitation of the feather of a bird’s wing.

=Apobates=, Gr. (Lat. _Desultor_). One who dismounts. (1) Soldiers in chariots who leaped in and out in the fight. (2) The circus riders who leaped from one horse to another.

=Apodyterium=, R. and Gr.-R. (from ἀπὸ δύω, to put off). In a general sense, an undressing-room, and more particularly the apartment in the baths where the bathers undressed. As little light penetrated from without, there was generally a lamp burning in a niche. An _apodyterium_ such as that just described may still be seen at Pompeii.

=Apollino=, It. The name usually given to the beautiful “Apollo of Florence,” attributed to Praxiteles.

=Apophyge= or =Apophysis=, Arch. The small fascia or band at the top and base of the shaft of columns.

=Apostle Mug.= The mug or tankard shown in the engraving is of Nanconian or Nuremberg stone-ware, with figures of the twelve apostles enamelled in colours upon it. (Fig. 34.) APOSTLE SPOONS are well known to have received their names from the figures of the Apostles forming the handles.

=Apostyls Coats=, O. E. Probably garments used for mystery plays.

=Apotheca=, Gr. and R. (ἀποθήκη, a granary). A store-room or magazine for containing any kind of stock. The Romans also applied the term specially to a wine store-room situated in the upper part of the house; this was sometimes called the _fumarium_. Here the wine was placed in amphoræ to ripen it more quickly, whereas when stored in the _cella vinaria_, it was placed in CUPÆ and DOLIA (q.v.).

=Apotheosis=, Gr. (ἀπὸ, θεὸς god, to deify). A deification; the ceremony by which a mortal was introduced among the number of the gods. The proper term in Latin is _consecratio_ (q.v.). The funeral pile, in such cases, was built several stories in height, and an eagle was let loose from the top storey, to carry the soul of the emperor from earth to heaven. This is commemorated upon the medals struck on the occasion, which represent an altar with a fire on it, from which an eagle ascends.

=Apparel=, Chr. Embroidered additions to the vestments of the clergy.

=Appaumée=, Her. Said of a _hand_, open, erect, and showing the palm.

=Appianum=, Lat. Appian green, a pigment used by the ancients, prepared from green earth, now known as _Cyprus_ or _Verona green_, because the best is found at those places.

=Apple.= The emblem in classical art of victory, and in Christian art of the fall of man.

=Appliqué=, Fr. Applied ornament, as of metal or porcelain upon wood. In embroidery, Appliqué work is used, when a pattern cut out of one colour or stuff is applied, or laid on, to another.

=Apse=, =Apsis=, or =Chevet= (ἁψὶς, bow or vault). The termination of a church. It is generally of semicircular form, and surmounted by a demicupola, but there are instances of rectangular apses. Fig. 35 represents the apse of St. William in the Desert. (See ABSIS.)

=Apsis gradata=, Chr. The chair occupied by bishops in the early Christian basilicas.

=Apteral=, Arch. Without wings. A temple without columns on the sides.

=Aqua fortis= (nitric acid). Used by engravers and etchers for biting-in on copper and steel.

=Aqua marina.= A transparent green stone, frequently used by the gem engravers of antiquity.

=Aquæmanalis.= (See AQUIMINARIUM.)

=Aquamanile=, Chr. The basin used for washing the hands of the celebrant in the liturgy. A. of great splendour are frequently mentioned in the ancient records. The corresponding ewer was called URCEUS.

=Aqua-tint.= A method of engraving with the help of mastic. (_Consult_ Fielding’s “Art of Engraving.”)

=Aqueduct=, Gen. (_aqua_, water, and _duco_, to lead). An artificial canal for conveying water from one point to another, and often to a considerable distance from the source. Many ancient nations have executed works of this description, but the Roman aqueducts are especially celebrated. The most perfect is that which still exists, in a ruined state, over the river Gard, near Nismes in the South of France, called _Pont-du-Gard_. (Fig. 36.) Aqueducts were often discharged into reservoirs.

=Aquilæ=, R. The eagles, or ensigns, of the Roman legion under the Empire. They were of silver or bronze, and had the wings outstretched. As an architectural term _aquila_ denotes the triangular face formed by the tympanum of a pediment, because the latter was often ornamented with an eagle. (See ENSIGN.)

=Aquiminarium=, R. An ewer for pouring water over the hands of the guests after a banquet. Other terms for this ewer were _aquæmanalis_ and _aquimanale_.

=Ara=, R. The Latin term for ALTAR. (See this word and ALTARE.)

=Arab Pottery.= (See GARGOULETTE.)

=Arabesque=, Gen. An ornament of a pattern more or less intricate, composed of stems, foliage, leaves, fruits, scrolls, or leafage, as well as of curious and fantastic animals. It is an error to suppose that arabesque, as its name might seem to indicate, was an Arab invention; it was known to the Greeks and Romans, and was largely employed in Græco-Roman architecture.

=Aræostylé=, Arch. An order of temples, in which the space between the columns is four diameters in width.

=Arbalest.= (See CROSS-BOW.)

=Arca=, R. (_arceo_, to enclose, preserve). (1) A kind of box or strong chest used by the ancients as a receptacle for money, clothes, or any valuable effects. (2) A strong box or money chest; (3) a rough chest used for a coffin; (4) a cage for criminals, made of oak; (5) a wooden caisson, answering the purpose of a modern coffer-dam.

=Arcade.= A series of arches.

=Arcadi.= A Literary Academy established at Rome in 1690. The members adopted pastoral names. Their device was a Pandæan pipe, surrounded by a wreath of olive and pine.

=Arcatures=, Arch. A series of blind arcades represented on a wall, in relief or painting. Carved arcatures are those forming a kind of screen; they are detached from the wall, and have an inner and outer face.

=Arcera=, R. A cart boarded all over so as to resemble a huge chest (_arca_). The inmate reclined on cushions and pillows covered with drapery; and the exterior was covered with hangings, the richness of which varied with the rank and fortune of the owner.

=Arch= (_arcus_, a bow). A structure the form of which is based on the segment of a circle. The kinds of arches are named according to the curve which they make. _Round-headed arches_; semicircular, segmental or stilted, introduced by the Romans. _Triangular arches_, of very early date. _Horse-shoe arches_; the Moorish, the common horse-shoe and the pointed (which is also a Moorish form). Then the _trefoil arch_ of the Early English style: with its variations, including the square-headed trefoil of the 13th century. The _lancet_ or acute-pointed; the _equilateral_; the _pointed trefoil_; the _ogee_, of the 14th and 15th century; the _Tudor_ arch, of the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII.; and the decorative forms, not used in construction; the _flamboyant_, the _cinquefoil_ and the _multifoil_ are all described under the headings printed above in _Italics_.

=Archaic= (art). The first period of Art is distinguished by stiffness and conventionality of treatment, directed much more to the symbolic representation of an idea than to beauty or true imitation. It is properly called also the _hieratic_ type, from its intimate relation to religious symbolism. See SELINUNTIAN; ÆGINETAN MARBLES.

=Archangels.= The seven angels of the Christian hierarchy who stand in the presence of God. _St. Michael_, sometimes in complete armour, bears a sword and scales, as the Angel of Judgment, also a rod with a cross; _St. Raphael_ bears a fish, and a pilgrim’s staff and gourd; _St. Gabriel_ bears a lily; _Uriel_ carries a parchment roll and a book, as the interpreter of prophecies; _Chamuel_ bears a cup and a staff; _Zophiel_ a flaming sword; and _Zadchiel_ the sacrificial knife which he took from Abraham. The Archangels are generally represented with the nimbus, and clothed as princes and warriors; their ensign is a banner and cross, and they are armed with a sword and a dart in one hand.

=Arched= or =Archy=, Her. Bent or bowed.

=Arched-buttress= or =Flying Buttress=, Arch. An incomplete arch supporting the spandrels of a roof. It springs from a BUTTRESS (q.v.).

=Archeria=, Med. Lat. A vertical loophole from which arrows could be discharged.

=Archibault.= (See ARCHIVOLT.)

=Architrave=, Gr. and R. (ἀρχὸς, chief; and Ital. _trave_, a beam). That part of a structure which rests immediately on the capital of a column or pilaster. Architraves are surmounted by a frieze and a cornice.

=Archivium=, Gr. and R. A building in which archives (charters and records) of a city or state were deposited. It was also called ARCHEION or TABULARIUM (q.v.).

=Archivolt= or =Archibault=, (_arcus_, and _volutus_, rolled round). The whole of the mouldings decorating an arch or arcade, and following the contour of the same.

=Archlute=, old Eng. A kind of _theorbo_, or double-necked lute. 16th century.

=Archy.= (See ARCHED.)

=Arcosolium=, Chr. (_arcus_, and _solium_, a coffin). An arched or vaulted sepulchral chamber in the catacombs, sanctified by the interment of martyrs and holy persons; and in later generations often richly decorated, as with marble incrustations, paintings, and mosaics. The _arcosolia_ in which Christians of small means were buried are constructed in the walls of the passages in the catacombs. The wealthier Christians, however, had _arcosolia_ specially excavated for their family and friends; the following inscription is frequently found on them: _Nobis et nostris et amicis_.

=Arcuatio=, R. A structure formed by means of arches or arcades, and employed to support a construction of any kind, such as a bridge, aqueducts, &c.

=Arcubalista=, R. (βάλλω, to throw). A machine for hurling arrows, somewhat similar to a cross-bow.

=Arcubus.= (See ARQUEBUS.)

=Arcula=, R. Diminutive of ARCA (q.v.). (1) A small chest. (2) A colour-box used by encaustic painters. (3) A small sepulchre, or stone coffin.

=Arculum=, R. A garland which the _Dialis_ (Priest of Jupiter) wore on his head while sacrificing; it consisted of one or two pomegranate boughs bent into a circle and fastened with fillets of white or red wool.

=Arcuma=, R. A small carriage constructed to hold only one person. (See PLAUSTRUM, CHIRAMAXIUM, VEHICULUM.)

=Arcus=, R. (1) A bow for discharging arrows. There were many kinds in use among the ancients. Those of the Greeks and Romans presented on the whole much analogy with each other, while the Scythian bow differed entirely from both. (2) An arch of masonry; the _arcus triumphalis_ was a triumphal arch. The Romans never used any other form of arch than the semicircle.

=Ardenti.= Literary Academies of this name existed at Pisa, at Naples, and at Viterbo.

=Area=, R. (1) Any broad, open and level space, and so a square or parade. _Areæ_ were adorned with fountains and statues set up in honour of some divinity, who frequently gave his name to the spot. Thus at Rome there were the _area Apollinis_, _area Mercurii_, &c. (2) A threshing-floor in a field.

=Arena=, R. (1) Sand; a material employed in building. (2) The level space forming the area of an amphitheatre.

=Arenaria=, R. A Roman game of ball for two persons; it derived its name from the fact that the ball was made to rebound from the ground (_arena_).

=Areste.= A cloth of gold, elaborately figured, used for vestments. 13th century. It is not to be confounded with _arras_.

=Arezzo Vase.= Many fine examples of old Etruscan pottery have been found in or near the town of Arezzo in Tuscany. They are of red lustred ware ornamented in relief, and show evident traces of Greek origin. (Fig. 37.)

=Argei=, R. (1) Certain sites at Rome, having a small temple attached to them. (2) Images or lay-figures made of bulrushes, which were cast into the Tiber, on the Ides of May, from the Sublician bridge. This custom is still kept up in the south of France, where, in certain towns, on Ash-Wednesday, they drown an image called _Caramentran_ who represents the god of the carnival.

=Argent=, Her. The metal silver, represented in engravings by a plain white.

=Argentan, Point d’.= Lace made much in the same way as Point d’Alençon, but having the flowers bolder and larger in pattern and in higher relief; the foundation, called the bride-ground, is also coarser. It takes its name from the little town of Argentan in Normandy, where it was made. (Fig. 38.)

=Argentella.= A name given to a lace made in Genoa, but worked much like Point d’Alençon.

=Argive.= A school of sculpture, contemporary with the ATTIC SCHOOL of Pheidias; of which Polycletus was the head. He was the author of the _Canon_, or law of proportion in sculpture, exemplified in his _Doryphorus_ (spear-bearer); he worked principally in bronze, and was famous for his chryselephantine statues. A specimen of the Argive school of sculpture is the _Discobolus_ of Myron (a contemporary of Polycletus) in the British Museum. It is an ancient copy in marble from the original bronze statue. Closeness to Nature is a distinguishing characteristic of the Argive School.

=Aries= or =Ram=. A battering-ram. It consisted of a stout beam, furnished at one end with an iron head, shaped like that of a ram, and was used to batter the walls of a city till a breach was effected. The battering-ram was at first worked by men, who simply carried it in their arms, but in course of time it was suspended from a wooden tower (Fig. 40), or a vertical beam, and worked with the aid of ropes. When the battering-ram was enclosed in a kind of wooden shed bearing some resemblance to the shell of a tortoise, it was called by the name of that animal (_testudo_) (Fig. 41).

=Ark=, Chr. A symbol of the church.

=Armanahuasi=, Peruv. The baths of the ancient Peruvians. They were remarkable for the elegance and luxury displayed in their ornamentation. They were furnished with magnificent fountains, some of which threw their jets upwards (_huraea_), others in a horizontal direction (_paccha_).

=Armarium=, R. A cabinet, cupboard, or bookcase. Originally a place for keeping arms. Some were ornamented with plates of brass set in links of gold; others were made of gold inlaid with precious stones of various shapes. (See also ALMERY.)

=Armatura=, R. (1) In a general sense, armour of every kind. Thus _armatura levis_ denoted the light infantry; and soldiers armed only with a _hasta_, and the dart, _gæsa_ (of Gallic invention) were called _leves milites_. (2) The art of fencing. (3) The pieces of iron or bronze which connect stones or the parts of a structure. (4) The iron framework in a window or casement.

=Armed=, Her. Having natural weapons of offence, &c. A lion is _armed_ of his claws and teeth, a bull of his horns, &c.

=Armenian Green.= (See CHRYSOCOLLA.)

=Armet=, Old Eng. A kind of helmet of the 16th century, worn with or without the _beaver_.

=Armilausa=, Lat. A classical garment adopted in England and elsewhere, worn by knights over their armour. Strutt describes it as “a round curtal weed, which they called a cloak, and in Latin _armilausa_, as only covering the shoulders.”

=Armilla.= In general, any circlet of gold or silver which forms a bracelet for men or women, whether worn on the wrist, arm, or ankle. Bracelets worn by men often consisted of three or four massive bands of bronze, silver, or gold, and thus covered a considerable portion of the arm. Bracelets were worn by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Celts (Fig. 42), and the Gauls (Fig. 43). The Egyptians in some instances employed ivory and porcelain in their manufacture.

=Armillum=, R. A kind of _urceolus_, or small pitcher for holding a particular kind of wine. It was among the number of the sacrificial vessels, and was well known from the Latin proverb: _Anus ad armillum_ (an old woman returns to her bottle).

=Armilustrium.= A Roman festival for the purification of arms.

=Arming Points.= The “points” or ties of armour.

=Armins.= Cloth or velvet coverings for pikehandles.

=Armory=, Her. (1) Heraldry. (2) A list of names and titles with the arms belonging to them.

=Armour=, =Arms=. In almost every deposit where _prehistoric_ remains are buried, we find clubs, hatchets, arrows, hammers, or other arms, mostly, even in the _stone age_, carefully ornamented. The ancient _Egyptians_ were armed with “the bow, spear, two species of javelin, sling, a short and straight sword, dagger, knife, falchion, axe or hatchet, battle-axe, pole-axe, mace or club, &c. Their defensive arms consisted of a helmet of plate, or quilted head-piece, a cuirass, or coat of armour made of metal plates, or quilted with metal bands, and an ample shield” (_Wilkinson_). Among the Greeks, the heavy-armed warrior wore the greaves, cuirass, with the mitra underneath, and the zone or cingulum above; his sword, ensis or gladius, hung on his left side, and the large round shield, sacus, aspis, clipeus or scutum, hung from his shoulder; his helmet, corys, cunea, cassis or galea; his spear, enkus, doru or hasta, or two spears. The defensive armour, the shield and thorax, were called hopla, and the man hoplites. The light-armed, psiloi, anoploi, gymnai, gymnetai, had a slighter covering of skins, or cloth, and fought with darts, stones, bows and arrows or slings. There were also the peltastæ, so called from their small shield pelte. All the above-mentioned parts of classical armour, and their modifications in that of mediæval times are described under their respective headings; as well as much of mediæval armour.

=Arnis=, Gr. and R. An expiatory festival held in honour of Linus and his mother Psamathê, the daughter of Crotopus, king of Argos. Various legends are extant regarding the origin of this festival, which was called _Arnis_ from the sheep (ἀρνειὸς) that were sacrificed.

=Arotoi-Hieroi=, Gr. Literally: _sacred labours_, a term used to denote three agricultural festivals which took place in Attica; the first was held in commemoration of the first sowing; the second, on occasion of reaping the earliest crop of barley in a field near Eleusis; the third, by way of invoking the blessings of Ceres on the field of corn specially set apart for the worship of Athena.

=Arquebus.= A hand-gun, larger than a musket. The man using it was called an _arquebusier_.

=Arra= or =Arrha=, R. A deposit, or earnest-money to a contract.

=Arras.= Tapestry. Textile hangings for walls; first made at Arras in the 14th century. It was originally called Opus Saracenicum.

=Arrhæ Sponsalitiæ=, called also ARRABO, was the name of the betrothal money paid to the parents of a bride; a practice of the Hebrews, continued by Christians.

=Arrhephoria=, Gr. (Ἀρρηφόρια). A festival held at Athens in the month of June or _Scirophorium_. The maidens who took part in it were called ἑροηφόροι or ἑροηφόροι. Four little girls and a priestess carried some sacred vessels to a grotto.

=Arricciate=, Ital. One of the coats of mortar laid on to a wall to receive fresco-painting.

=Arrondie=, Her. Curved, round.

=Arrows=, in Christian art, are the emblems of pestilence, death, and destruction.

=Arsenicon=, Greek for _orpiment_ (q.v.).

=Artemisia=, Gr. A general term to denote all the festivals of _Diana Artemis_. The most celebrated were those held at Ephesus, Delphi, and Syracuse.

=Articulation.= The anatomical study of the juncture of the bones.

=Artolaganus=, R. (ἀρτο-λάγανον, i. e. bread-cake). A kind of dough-cake made with wine, milk, oil, and pepper. Cicero, in one of his letters, asserts that it was delicious.

=Artophorium= (bread-bearer), Chr. Another name for the ciborium or costly box prepared to contain the consecrated Host.

=Artopta=, Gr. and R. (from ἀρτάω, to bake). A mould in which bread and pastry were baked.

=Artopticius=, R. (sc. _parús_). A roll or loaf of bread baked in an _artopta_, many examples of which may be seen in the small museum at Pompeii; owing to their having become hardened, these loaves have retained their shape perfectly when taken from the oven after eighteen centuries.

=Arundel Device.= A chapeau _or_, and _gules_, surmounted by a fret _or_, and an acorn leaved _vert_. This is only one of the numerous badges of the house of Arundel, which is peculiarly rich in armorial bearings.

=Arundel Marbles.= A collection of ancient sculptures found in Greece and Asia Minor in the early part of the 17th century and brought to England at the expense of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel. In 1667 his grandson presented them to the University of Oxford.

=Arundo=, R. A term with various significations. (1) A reed or cane. (2) An arrow or bow made of cane. (3) A fishing-rod. (4) A cane rod tipped with bird-lime for catching birds. (5) A reed pen for writing. (6) A Pan’s pipe in which the reeds were joined together by wax; whence its name _arundo cerata_. (See CALAMUS.)

=Arx=, R. (_arceo_, to enclose). A citadel or fortress. _Arx_ is almost equivalent to ACROPOLIS (q.v.), since citadels were usually built on elevated sites, thus forming an upper city (ἀκρόπολις).

=Aryballos.= A Greek flask or vase used for oil or wine. It was commonly of a bladder shape with a thin neck. The example engraved (Fig. 46) is painted in the Asiatic style. On some of these vases the ornament is engraved.

=Arystichos=, Gr. and R. (from ἀρύω, to draw water). A vessel for drawing water, especially from the AMPHORA (q.v.). It was also called _ephebos_ (ἔφηβος), because, at banquets, it was the duty of youths to mix the wine with water before handing it to the guests. This term has as synonyms _aruter_, _arusane_, _arustis_ and _oinerusis_.

=Arzica.= (1) An artificial pigment of a yellow colour, used for miniature painting. (2) A yellow lake made from the herb “reseda luteola.” (3) A yellow earth for painting, of which the moulds for casting brass are formed; it yields an ochreous pigment of a pale yellow colour, which, when burned, changes to an orange colour.

=Arzicon.= A contraction of _Arsenicon_, for _orpiment_ (q.v.).

=As=, R. The unit of value in the bronze currency of the Romans. Originally the _as_ weighed one pound, whence its name _as liberalis_; and as it was composed of a mixture of copper and tin (_æs_), it was also called _æs grave_. At a later period the _as_ had much declined in value; under Augustus it was only worth somewhat less than a penny.

=Asaminthos=, Gr. (ἀσάμινθος). A large vase of the Homeric epoch, large enough to admit of a person bathing in it. It is supposed that this was the _tub_ of Diogenes.

=Asbestus.= (See AMIANTUS.)

=Ascendant=, Her. Issuing upwards, as a flower.

=Ascia=, Gr. and R. A term applied to instruments of various shapes and employed for different purposes, but all bearing a general resemblance to a carpenter’s adze. The expression _sub ascia dedicavit_, which is frequently found engraved on tombs together with the representation of an _ascia_, has given rise to numerous interpretations. It is supposed that this expression signified: This tomb [never before used] has been dedicated to the memory of the person in whose honour it was erected; or possibly the formula implied that the plot upon which the memorial stood had been granted in perpetuity. After all the discussion to which the formula has given rise, these are the two hypotheses most generally accepted. (See ACISCULUS.)

=Ascopera=, Gr. and R. (ἀσκὸς, leathern bag or wine-skin; πήρα, a pouch). A large bag made of undressed leather, carried as knapsack by foot-travellers, and thus distinguished from the HIPPOPERA (q.v.).

=Ascolia=, =Ascolias=, Gr. and R. (from ἀσκὸς, a wine-skin). An Athenian game which consisted in leaping upon a wine-skin, filled with wine and greased over with oil, during the festivals in honour of Dionysus.

=Ashlar=, =Achelor=, &c.; also ASTLER or ESTLAR, O. E. Hewn stone for the facings of walls. “Clene hewen Ashler.”

=Asilla=, R. A yoke, like a milkman’s, or the Malay _picol_, for carrying burdens; is a common object in Egyptian and all other ancient representations of domestic appliances.

=Asinarii.= A term of reproach inherited by the early Christians from the Jews, who were accused of worshipping an ass.

=Askos=, Gr. and R. (ἀσκός). A vessel, originally shaped like a leather bottle (_uter_) for holding water or wine. It was furnished with a handle at the top, and had sometimes two mouths, one of which served to fill, the other to empty it. Later on, the _askos_ assumed the form of an earthenware pitcher.

=Asor=, Heb. A musical instrument of ten strings played with the plectrum.

=Asp.= In Egyptian art the emblem of royalty; in Christian art, under the feet of saints, of conquered malice.

=Aspectant=, Her. Looking at one another.

=Asperges=, =Aspergillum=, Chr. The rod for sprinkling holy water.

=Aspersed=, Her. Scattered over,—the same as Semée.

=Aspersorium=, Chr. The stoup, or holy water basin.

=Asphaltum.= A brown carbonaceous pigment used in painting. It is found in various parts of the world, more particularly in Egypt, China, Naples, and Trinidad. The best is the Egyptian. (See BITUMEN, MUMMY.)

=Aspic.= (See OIL OF SPIKE.)

=Ass=, Chr. An emblem of patience and sobriety; but also of idleness and obstinacy; sometimes of the Jewish nation.

=Ass, Festival of the.= A grotesque Christian festival of the Middle Ages, connected with the prominence of the ass in religious history.

=Asser=, R. (1) A beam, pole, or joist. (2) The rafters of a wooden roof. (3) _Asser falcatus_ was a kind of ram which was launched, with the aid of machinery, by the garrison of a fortified town, against the enemy’s siege works.

=Assett=, O. E. A salver.

=Assommoir=, Fr. A sort of gallery built over a door or passage of a fortified place, from which stones, lead, and other heavy objects could be hurled down to _overwhelm_ (_assommer_) the besiegers. Hence the name.

=Asterisk=, Chr. Sometimes called STELLULA. A kind of crossed framework made of gold or silver, consisting of two arched bands which are sometimes surmounted, at the point of intersection, by a cross. The asterisk is placed upon the patera for the purpose of keeping up the cloth which covers the consecrated wafers of the host.

=Astler.= (See ASHLAR.)

=Astragal= (ἀστράγαλος, knuckle-bone). A small semicircular moulding, so called from its resemblance to a row of knuckle-bones placed side by side. As it is decorated with beads, or berries of laurel or olive, separated by discs, it is now commonly known as a _chaplet_. Astragals are placed at the top of a column, beneath the capital, and divide the architrave into two or three parts. They are also used to decorate any kind of base. (See TORUS.)

=Astragalus=, R. The ancient game of knuckle-bones; a common subject in classical sculpture, called also TALI.

=Astreated=, Arch. Star-shaped ornaments, used in Norman mouldings.

=Asylum=, Gr. and R. (ἄ-συλον, safe from violence). A place of refuge, to which was attached the privilege of inviolability called _asulia_. This privilege belonged to certain temples, woods, or other sacred enclosures. There were a considerable number of such retreats in Greece and the Greek colonies.

=At Gaze=, Her. Said of animals of the chase “standing still and looking about them.”

=Atach-gah=, Pers. The fire-altar of the ancient Persians; mentioned in the writings of Pausanias and Strabo.

=Atellanæ= (sc. _fabulæ_), R. A farce, so called from its having originated in _Atella_, a city of the Osci, in Campania. Hence the name of Oscan games (_ludi Osci_). _Atellanæ_ were played by youths of good family, on the conclusion of a tragedy. They were introduced into Rome in the fourth century B.C. These farces were distinguished by their refinement, and freedom from low buffoonery.

=Athenæum.= A university for literary and scientific studies at Rome, on the Capitoline Hill.

=Athyr=, Egyp. One of the months of the ancient Egyptians. It was the third of the four months called the months of inundation.

=Atlantes=, Gr. and R. (from τλῆναι). Human figures so called, in allusion to the story of the Titan Atlas, which were employed instead of columns to support entablatures (Fig. 47). The Latin equivalent for the term is TELAMONES. Similar _female_ figures were CARYATIDES.

=Atlas.= One of the several devices adopted by Philip II. of Spain was a figure of Hercules bearing on his shoulders and kneeling beneath, the weight of the world; a feat recorded to have been performed by him in order to give relief to Atlas from his customary burden. The motto “Ut quiescat Atlas,” is written on a ribbon.

=Atramentale=, =Atramentarium=, Gr. and R. (_atramentum_, q.v.). An inkstand, of any shape or material whatsoever. Inkstands were made of terra-cotta, bronze, and silver. There is a Pompeian painting in which a _double_ inkstand is represented, one side of which contains black ink, the other an ink of some different colour. There were also portable inkstands called _theca_. (See THECA.)

=Atramentum=, Gr. and R. (_ater_, black). A general term to denote any kind of black liquid; such were _atramentum scriptorum_, _atramentum librarium_, or simply _atramentum_—all terms for writing ink; _atramentum sutorum_, the black used by shoemakers for dyeing their leather, another name for which was _chalcamentum_ (q.v.); and _atramentum tectorium_, a kind of ink used for writing inscriptions with a brush. In ancient times, all descriptions of ink were made with soot and gum, forming a kind of Indian ink which was diluted with water. Vitruvius (Book VII.) thus describes the process by which _atramentum_ was obtained: “Soot is first procured by burning rosin in a vaulted chamber, and the black (_atramentum_) thus obtained is then mixed with gum.”

=Atriolum=, R. (dimin. of _Atrium_). (1) A small atrium. It might be either a smaller atrium adjoining the principal one in a house, or the atrium of a dwelling of inferior size. (2) A small antechamber forming the entrance of a tomb.

=Atrium=, R. and Mod. A term perhaps derived from _Atria_, a city of Tuscany in which structures of this description were first built. It consisted of a kind of covered court (_cavædium_), round which were grouped the different apartments of the house. In the centre of the roof was an aperture with sloping sides called the _compluvium_, and in the court beneath, a basin which collected the rain-water from the roof. This was called the _impluvium_. There were besides, the _atrium displuviatum_ and the _atrium testudinatum_. The atrium was unquestionably the most essential and the most interesting part of a Roman mansion; it was here that numbers assembled daily to pay their respects to their patron, to consult the legislator, to attract the notice of the statesman, or to derive importance in the eyes of the public from an apparent intimacy with a man in power.—_Moule._

During the Middle Ages the term _atrium_ was used to denote the open plot of ground surrounding a church, which served for a cemetery, and the close or courtyard of certain churches.

=Attegia=, R. A hut or cabin made of reeds, and covered with thatch.

=Attic-order=, Arch. An arrangement of low pilasters, surmounting a building.

=Atticurge=, Arch. (Ἀττικουργὴς, wrought in Attic fashion). A doorway, the uprights of which, instead of being perpendicular, inclined slightly inwards, so that the opening was wider at the threshold than immediately under the lintel. Fig. 51 represents the doorway of an ancient monument at Agrigentum, in Sicily.

=Attires=, =Attired=, Her. The antlers of a stag or “hart” having antlers.

=Attributes.= Conventional symbols of the character, or the agency, or the history, of subjects of art representation.

=Auditorium=, R. (a place for hearing). A lecture-room, assembly-room, court of justice, or generally any place in which orators, poets. &c., were heard. The BASILICÆ contained halls so named, in which courts of justice were held.

=Augmentation=, Her. An honourable addition to a coat of arms.

=Augurale=, R. (_augur_, a soothsayer). In a Roman camp the _augurale_ was a place situated to the right of the general’s tent or PRÆTORIUM (q.v.). It was so called because the augurs there took their station to observe the flight of birds. In Greece, the _oracles_ were consulted; but in Rome questions were addressed to Jupiter, who answered simply “_Do_” or “_Do not_,” by his messengers the birds. They gave no prophecies.

=Augustine’s Oak=, at Aust on the Severn; the scene of the conference between St. Augustine and the British bishops, A. D. 602.

=Aula=, Gr. and R. (αὐλή). (1) An open court attached to a house. It was usually in front, and on either side of it were the stables and offices. When it belonged to a farm it was round this courtyard that the stabling, sheepfolds, and other outhouses were arranged. (2) _Aula regia_ was the central part of the scene in a Greek or Roman theatre.

=Aulæa= or =Aulæum=, R. (_aula_, a hall). (1) Hangings or tapestry used to decorate the dining-room or _triclinium_, or generally, any piece of tapestry used as a curtain, whether to cover a doorway, act as a screen, or hide the stage in a theatre. (2) The covering of a sofa or dining-couch, also called, from the way in which it hung all round it, _peristroma_ (περίστρωμα). Aulæa is almost synonymous with VELUM (q.v.).

=Aulmonière.= The Norman name for the pouch, bag, or purse appended to the girdle of noble persons, and derived from the same root as “alms” and “almoner.” It was more or less ornamented and hung from long laces of silk or gold; it was sometimes called Alner. (Fig. 52.) (See ALLOUYÈRE.)

I will give thee an _alner_
Made of silk and gold clear.
(_Lay of Sir Launfal._)

=Aulos=, Gr. The Greeks gave this name to all wind instruments of the _flute_, or _oboe_, kind; it was not blown at the side like a flute, but by a vibrating reed in the mouthpiece, like a clarionet. The single flute was called _monaulos_, and the double one _diaulos_.

=Aumbrie=, =Aumery=, =Almery=, O. E. A cupboard or closet.

=Aumery of Here=, O. E. A cupboard with hair-cloth sides for ventilation. A meat-safe.

=Aureola=, Chr. (_aurum_, gold). A quadrangular, circular, or elliptic halo surrounding the bodies of Christ, the Virgin, or certain saints. Another name for this ornament is the _mystical almond_ or VESICA PISCIS (q.v.). When it envelopes the head only it is called the NIMBUS.

=Aureole.= (See AUREOLA.)

=Aureus=, R. (sc. nummus, golden). The unit of value for gold currency under the Roman emperors, worth about a guinea.

=Auripetrum.= A cheap imitation of gold leaf; made of tinfoil coloured with saffron.

=Auspicium=, R. (_aves aspicio_). Divination from observation of the flight of birds. (_Auspicium ex avibus_, _signa ex avibus_.) There was also the _auspicium cœleste_ or _signa ex cœlo_, of which the most important was a flash of lightning from a clear sky. Besides these there were the _auspicia pullaria_, or auspices taken from the sacred chickens; the _auspicia pedestria_, _caduca_, &c. (See AUGURALE.)

=Authepsa=, Gr. and R. (αὐθέψης). Literally a _self-boiler_; it was a sort of kettle or cauldron, which was exposed to the rays of the sun, to heat the water within it; whether, however, the ancients had attained the art of raising water to boiling heat, in this manner, it is impossible to say. The apparatus is mentioned by Cicero and Lampridius, but neither of them gives any description of it.

=Avellane.= A variety of the heraldic cross. (See CROSSES.)

=Avena=, R. (oats). A Pandæan pipe, made of the stalk of the wild oat.

=Aventail=, Fr. (_avant taille_). The movable front of a helmet.

=Aventurine.= A kind of brown glass, mixed with bright copper filings, formerly made at Venice.

=Averta=, R. A trunk, bag, or portmanteau, carried on the crupper by travellers who rode on horseback.

=Aviarium=, R. (_avis_, a bird). (1) A poultry-yard. (2) An aviary in which birds—and more particularly those of rare breeds—were kept.

=Axis=, R. (1) The axle-tree of a carriage. (2) _Axis versatilis_ was a cylinder worked by a crank, and used for drawing water from a well by means of a cord which rolled round it as it revolved. (3) The upright pivot upon which a door turned. It worked in two sockets, placed respectively in the upper and lower lintels.

=Azarcon.= The Spanish name for red lead.