Chapter M (5)

=Prochous=, Gr. (πρόχοος, i. e. thing for pouring out). A small jug for pouring liquid into a cask; it had a narrow neck, a very large handle, and a pointed mouth.

=Procœton=, Gr. and R. (προ-κοιτών). An antechamber or room preceding other rooms or chambers.

=Prodd=, O. E. A light cross-bow, used by ladies, _temp._ Elizabeth.

=Prodomos=, Arch. (πρό-δομος). The façade of a temple or building, and sometimes the porch of a church.

=Profile.= The side view of the human face. It is observed by Fairholt that “a face which, seen directly in front, is attractive by its rounded outline, blooming colour, and lovely smile, is often divested of its charms when seen in profile, and strikes only as far as it has an _intellectual_ expression. Only where great symmetry exists, connected with a preponderance of the intellectual over the sensual, will a profile appear finer than the front face.”

=Projectura=, R. The beaver of a helmet.

=Proletarii=, R. The proletariate, or Roman citizens of the lowest class of the people, so called because they contributed nothing to the resources of the republic except by their offspring (_proles_); being, as they were, too poor to pay taxes.

=Prom=, Hind. An ornamented carpet in Khmer art.

=Prometheia.= An Athenian festival in honour of Prometheus, with a torch-race (_lampadephoria_).

=Promulsis.= The first course at a Roman dinner, arranged to stimulate the appetite; eggs were a principal ingredient, whence the proverb _ab ovo usque ad mala_ (from first to last).

=Pronaos=, R. (πρό-ναος). A portico situated in front of a temple; it was open on all sides, and surrounded only by columns, which, in front, supported not only the entablature, but the pediment (_fastigium_).

=Proper=, Her. Said of a thing exhibited in its natural, or proper, colour.

=Proplasma=, Gr. and R. (πρό-πλασμα). A rough model or embodiment of the sculptor’s first idea, executed by him in clay.

=Propnigeum=, Gr. and R. The mouth of the furnace of the HYPOCAUSIS (q.v.).

=Propylæa=, Gr. The open court at the entrance to a sacred enclosure; e. g. an Egyptian temple, or especially the Acropolis at Athens.

=Prora=, R. (πρῷρα). The prow or fore-part of a ship, whence _proreta_, a man who stood at the ship’s head; _proreus_ was a term also used. (See ACROSTOLIUM.)

=Proscenium=, R. (προ-σκήνιον). The stage in a Greek or Roman theatre; it included the whole platform comprised between the _orchestra_ and the wall of the stage; the term was also used sometimes to denote the wall of the stage itself.

=Proscenium=, Mod. The ornamental frame on which the curtain hangs.

=Prostylos=, Gr. (πρό-στυλος). A building or temple which has a porch supported by a row of columns.

=Proteleia=, Gr. (προ-τέλεια). Sacrifices which were offered to Diana, Juno, the Graces, and Venus prior to the celebration of a marriage.

=Prothyrum=, Gr. (πρό-θυρον). With the Greeks, the vestibule in front of the door of a house, where there was generally an altar of Apollo, or a statue or laurel-tree; with the Romans, the prothyrum was the corridor or passage leading from the street to the atrium (Fig. 563).

=Prototype= (πρῶτον, first; τύπον, mould). The model of a plastic design; hence figuratively, a _type_ or forerunner.

=Protractor.= An instrument for laying down and measuring angles upon paper.

=Protypum=, Gr. and R. (πρό-τυπον). A model, first model or mould for making any object in clay, such as antefixæ.

=Prussian Blue.= A valuable pigment of a greenish-blue colour, of great body, transparency, and permanency; a mixture of prussiate of potash and rust, or oxide of iron. (See CYANOGEN.)

=Prussian Brown.= A deep-brown pigment, more permanent than madder.

=Psaltery.= A stringed instrument or kind of lyre of an oblong square shape, played with a rather large plectrum.

=Pschent=, Egyp. The head-dress of the ancient kings of Egypt, which should properly be called _skhent_, since the _p_ only represents the article _the_. This head-dress is the emblem of supreme power, the symbol of dominion over the south and north. It is a diadem composed of the united crowns of the Upper and Lower Egypts.

=Psephus=, Gr. (ψῆφος). A round stone used by the Athenian voters to record their votes.

=Pseud-iso-domum= (_opus_). (See OPUS PSEUD-ISO-DOMUM.)

=Pseudodipteros=, Gr. and R. (ψευδο-δίπτερος). A building or temple which presents the appearance of being surrounded by a double colonnade, though it possesses only a single one, which is separated from the walls of the cella, as in the dipteral arrangement. (Fig. 564.)

=Pseudoperipteros=, Gr. and R. (ψευδο-περίπτερος). A building or temple which presents the appearance of being surrounded by a colonnade, although in reality it does not possess one, the columns being embedded in the walls of the cella. (See PERIPTEROS, under which an example of this kind of temple is given.)

=Pseudothyrum=, Gr. and R. (ψευδό-θυρον). Literally, a false door, and thence a secret door, or door hidden by some means or other.

=Pseudourbana= (sc. _ædificia_), R. The dwelling-house of the owner of a farm, which was distinct from the buildings set apart for the farm people and the slaves, the _familia rustica_.

=Psili=, Gr. (ψιλοί). Light-armed troops, who wore skins or leather instead of metal armour, and fought generally with bows and arrows or slings.

=Psychè=, Fr. A cheval-glass or mirror.

=Psycter=, Gr. (ψυκτήρ). A metal wine-cooler, often of silver, consisting of an outer vessel to contain ice, and an inner vessel for the wine.

=Pterotus=, R. (πτερωτός). That which has wings or ears; an epithet applied to the drinking-cup called _calix_.

=Puggaree=, Hind. A piece of muslin worn as a turban.

=Pugillares=, R. Writing-tablets small enough to be held in the hand (_pugillus_), whence their name.

=Pugio=, R. (Gr. μάχαιρα). A short dagger, without a sheath, worn by officers of high rank.

=Pulpitum=, R. The tribune of an orator, or the chair of a professor. In a theatre the term was used to denote the part of the stage next to the _orchestra_. (See PROSCENIUM.)

=Pulvinar=, R. (_pulvinus_, a cushion). A cushion or bolster, and thence a state couch or a marriage-bed.

=Pulvinarium=, R. (1) A room in a temple, in which was set out the _pulvinar_ or couch for the gods at the feast of the LECTISTERNIUM. (2) See OPUS PULVINARIUM.

=Pulvinatus=, R. Having a contour similar to that of a cushion or bolster, and thence the cylinder formed by the swelling of the volute at the side of the Ionic capital. (Fig. 565.)

=Pumice-stone.= A kind of lava of less specific gravity than water. The dome of the mosque of St. Sophia at Constantinople is built of pumice-stone.

=Punchau.= (See INTI.)

=Punctum=, R. A vote or suffrage, because in early times each citizen, instead of laying down a _tessera_ or tablet with his vote, passed in front of the _rogator_, or voting officer who had the list of candidates before him, and pricked a hole (_punctum_) in the tablet against the name of the candidate for whom the vote was given.

=Punkahs.= Swinging fans suspended from the ceilings of houses in India, often richly embroidered and decorated with feathers, brilliant insects, gold and silver, &c.

=Puntilla=, Sp. A narrow point-lace edging.

=Pupa=, R. A doll; a child’s plaything. Dolls of terra-cotta have been found in various countries. In Egypt dolls have been found, made out of wood, painted, and in perfect proportion, with glass beads on the head in imitation of hair. As a rule, the ancient dolls are made with movable joints.

=Puppis=, R. The poop or after-part of a vessel as opposed to the _prora_ or prow. (See PRORA.)

=Purbeck-stone.= A rough grey sandstone from Dorsetshire, largely used for building purposes in London.

=Purim= (Festivals of), Heb. Jewish festivals called _Festivals of the Lots_, instituted in memory of Esther, who had averted the peril with which Haman threatened the Jews; they were so called because the favourite of Ahasuerus was to have decimated the Jews by casting lots to see who should be put to death.

=Purple=, Gen. An insignia of authority pertaining to certain magistrates who wore purple robes or bands of purple on their attire. There were two kinds of purple, the amethyst and the Tyrian; the former was a deep violet, and obtained from a shell-fish (_murex trunculus_); the Tyrian was more brilliant and had a redder tinge; it was obtained from the _murex brandaris_.

=Purple= is red graduated with blue, the red predominating; red with black makes purple-black. Purple pigments are _madder purple_, _violet mars_, _burnt carmine_ (for water-colours).

=Purple Lakes= and _Green Lakes_ are made by mixing _yellow_ lakes with blue pigments. (See YELLOW LAKE.)

=Purple Madder.= (See MADDER.)

=Purple-wood.= A beautiful deep-coloured Brazilian wood, used for marquetry and inlaid-work, but principally for the ramrods of guns.

=Purpure=, Her. Purple.

=Purree=, Hind. A bright golden yellow pigment prepared from camel’s dung. (See INDIAN YELLOW.)

=Pursuivants.= The lowest order of officers in Herald’s College; of whom there are four, called respectively Rouge Croix, Rouge Dragon, Blue Mantle, and Portcullis. In the Middle Ages these officers were attached to the households of the nobility, and bore titles generally taken from the armorial insignia of their lords.

=Puteal=, R. A place struck by lightning, and thus rendered sacred; in order to keep it from the tread of profane feet, it was surrounded by a low wall similar to that which protected a well (_puteus_); whence the name of _puteal_.

=Puteus=, R. (1) A well fed by a spring or an underground stream of water; (2) an opening or manhole of an aqueduct (Fig. 566); (3) a pit for preserving grain.

=Puticuli=, =Puticulæ=, R. Common pits in which the bodies of those slaves and paupers were buried, who had not the means to pay for a funeral pyre or a private tomb.

=Puttock=, O. E. A base kind of hawk. (_Shakspeare._)

=Pyanepsia=, Gr. (πυανέψια). Ancient “Beanfeasts.” Athenian festivals in honour of Apollo, instituted by Theseus after his victory over the Minotaur; they were so called because beans were cooked for the banquet in honour of the god (πύανος, a bean, and ἕψειν, to cook).

=Pyat=, O. E. A magpie.

=Pykers=, O. E. A kind of fishing-boats.

=Pylon=, Egyp. (πυλών). A monumental gate composed of two lofty and massive pyramidal towers, forming the entrance to the enclosure of the great Egyptian temples. The interior of a pylon contained staircases and chambers. A splendid example in full preservation is that of the temple at Esneh on the Nile.

=Pyra=, Gr. and R. (πυρὰ, lit. the burning-place). A funeral pile before it was set on fire, in contradistinction to _rogus_, a funeral pile which has been lighted. It was built in the form of an altar with four equal sides, which were frequently covered with foliage of dark leaves; and cypress-trees were placed in front of the pile. The corpse was placed on the top, in the bier (_lectica_) on which it had been borne to the place. (See FUNERAL CEREMONIES.)

=Pyræum=, Pers. (πυρεῖον). A place in which the Persians kept the sacred fire (_puros_, fire). At Bactria there were seven pyræa, in honour of the seven planets.

=Pyramid= (Egyptian, _Pi-rama_, a mountain). In the hieroglyphics called _Abumer_, “a great tomb,” which it essentially is, or rather a great cairn over the cave tomb excavated in the live rock immediately under its apex. This sepulchral chamber having been connected with the upper world by a passage sloping downwards from the north, the graduated structure was regularly built over it, the proportions of the base to the sides being constantly preserved, and the whole forming always a perfect pyramid; so that the building could be continued during the whole lifetime of its destined tenant, and covered and closed in immediately upon his death. It is on record that from Seneferoo, the first king whose name has been found upon monuments, to the last of the Sixth Dynasty, i. e. during the whole period of the Ancient Empire, every king of Egypt built a pyramid. (Consult _Vyse_, _Pyramids of Gezeh_.)

=Pyrotechny= (πῦρ, fire, and τέχνη, art). The art of making fireworks. The Chinese had great skill in this art long before its introduction into Europe, and are at this day unrivalled in it. The best English work on the subject is perhaps that by _G. W. Mortimer_ (London, 1853).

=Pyrrhica=, Gr. (πυρρίχη). A war-dance in great favour with the early Greeks, and frequently represented in sculptures, in which warriors brandished their weapons and went through a mock combat.

=Pythia=, Gr. (πύθια). (1) A priestess of Apollo at Delphi, represented seated on the sacred _tripod_. (See CORTINA.) (2) Games instituted at Delphi in honour of Apollo, and of his killing the Pytho, the monstrous serpent born from the waters in Deucalion’s flood.

=Pythoness.= Synonym of PYTHIA (q.v.). The term was also used to denote certain sorceresses, such as the pythoness of Endor.

=Pyx=, or =Pix Cloths=. (See =Corporals=.)

=Pyx.= The word in its earliest meaning included any small box or case, and often in the Middle Ages it contained relics. Thus in the Durham treasury there was “a tooth of St. Gengulphus, good for the falling sickness, in a small ivory pyx.” The pyx used for the sacrament was usually ornamented with religious subjects, other than the incidents of the lives of saints. (Fig. 567.)

=Pyxis=, Gr. and R. (πυξὶς, lit. a box-wood box). A casket, trinket-box, or jewel-case.

Q.

_Many Old English words are indifferently spelt with_ qu, ch, _and_ c; _such as_ quire, choir; quoif, coif, _&c._

=Quadra=, R. Generally, any square or rectangular object; such as a table, plinth, or abacus.

=Quadragesima=, Chr. Lent is so called, because it has _forty_ days.

=Quadrans=, R. (a fourth part). A small bronze coin worth the quarter of an _as_, or about a farthing.

=Quadrant.= An instrument for measuring celestial altitudes; superseded by the CIRCLE. (See SEXTANT.) (Consult _Lalande_, _Astronomie_, § 2311, &c., 3me edition).

=Quadrantal=, R. A square vessel used as a measure, the solid contents of which were exactly equal to an amphora. A standard model was kept in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.

=Quadrelle=, O. E. A mace, with four lateral projections, ornamental like the leaves of a flower. (See _Planché_, _Cycl. of Costume_, Plate xii. 16.)

=Quadrellus=, Med. Lat. A quarrel for a cross-bow.

=Quadriforis=, R. A door folding into four leaves.

=Quadriga=, R. Generally =Quadrigæ= (Greek τετραορία or τέθριππος). A chariot in which four horses were yoked abreast. The two strongest horses were harnessed under the yoke in the centre; the others were fastened on each side by means of ropes. (See CURRUS.)

=Quadrigatus=, R. A silver denarius, so called from its having a quadriga on the reverse.

=Quadrilateral.= Four-sided.

=Quadriliteral.= Consisting of four letters.

=Quadrille=, Med. (It. _squadriglia_, dimin. of _squadra_—our “squadron”—a small party of troops drawn up in a square). Small parties of richly-caparisoned horsemen, who rode at tournaments and public festivals. The modern dance so called was introduced in 1808.

=Quadriremis=, R. A galley with four banks of rowers.

=Quadrisomus=, Chr. A sarcophagus with compartments for four bodies. One discovered in the Vatican cemetery at Rome contained the bodies of the first four popes called Leo. (Cf. BISOMUS.)

=Quadrivalves=, Arch. (See QUADRIFORIS.)

=Quadrivium= (lit. of four ways). The four minor arts of arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy. (See TRIVIUM.)

=Quadrivium=, R. A place where four roads meet.

=Quadrumane.= Having four prehensile hands or feet, like monkeys.

=Quadruplatores=, R. Public informers, who were rewarded with a _fourth part_ of the criminal’s property on obtaining a conviction.

=Quæstiones Perpetuæ=, R. Permanent tribunals established at Rome to take cognizance of criminal cases.

=Quæstorium=, R. In a Roman camp, the _quæstor’s_ tent; this was in some cases near the porta decumana, or the rear of the camp; in others, on one side of the PRÆTORIUM (q.v.).

=Quaich=, =Queish=, or =Quegh=, Scotch. An old-fashioned drinking-cup or bowl, with two handles. (English MASER [?].)

=Quality-binding=, Scotch. A kind of worsted tape used in the borders of carpets.

=Qualus=, R. (Gr. KALATHOS, q.v.). A wicker-work basket.

=Quandary=, O. E. (from Fr. _qu’en dirai-je_?). Doubt and perplexity.

=Quannet.= A tool for working in horn and tortoise-shell.

=Quarnellus=, Med., in fortification. (See CRENEL.)

=Quarrel= (Fr. _carreau_), Arch. A lozenge-shaped brick, stone, or pane of glass; a glazier’s diamond.

=Quarrel=, O. E. An arrow for the cross-bow with a four-square head.

=Quarter-deck=, on a ship of war. The deck abaft the mainmast, appropriated to the commissioned officers. These were originally of great height, corresponding with the lofty forecastle for soldiers, and helped to make the ships top-heavy and unmanageable. A commission on ship-building in 1618 says,—

“They must bee somewhat snugg built, without double gallarys, and too
lofty upper workes, which overcharge many shipps, and make them coeme
faire, but not worke well at sea.”

=Quarter-gallery= of a ship. A balcony round the stem.

=Quarter-round=, Arch. The ovolo moulding (q.v.).

=Quarter-tones= (Gr. _diesis_), in Music, were the subject of much discussion among the ancient Greeks, but they were used on the lyre for an occasional “grace-note.” Aristoxenos says “no voice could sing three of them in succession, neither can the singer sing _less_ than the quarter-tone correctly, nor the hearer judge of it.” (Consult _Chappell’s Hist. of Music_.)

=Quartering=, Her. Marshalling two or more coats of arms in the different quarters of the same shield. (Fig. 568.)

=Quartet=, =Quartetto=, It. A piece of music for four performers, each of whose parts is _obligato_, i. e. essential to the music.

=Quartile.= In Astronomy, distant from each other 90 degrees, or a _quarter_ of a circle.

=Quasillum= (dimin. of QUALUS, q.v.) was a small basket in which the quantity of wool was measured, which was assigned to a slave to spin in a day’s work.

=Quatrefoil.= An ornament in pointed architecture consisting of four foils. The term is likewise applied to a rosace formed of four divisions, which figures frequently in the upper part of pointed windows.

=Quatrefoil= or =Primrose=, Her. A flower or figure having four foils or conjoined leaves.

=Quattrocento=, It. (lit. _four hundred_). A term applied to the characteristic style of the artists who practised in the 15th century; it was hard, and peculiar in colour as well as in form and pose. It was the intermediate of that progressive period of art, which, commencing with Fra Angelico, Masaccio, Mantegna, Botticelli, and other celebrated painters, between A. D. 1400 and 1500, reached excellence in the 16th century (the _cinque-cento_) with Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.

=Quaver.= A musical note of very short time = half a crotchet.

=Queen.= Crown of Her Majesty. (See Fig. 570.)

=Queen-post= (anciently _prick-post_ or _side-post_), Arch. An upright post similar in use and position to the KING-POST, but rising, not in the centre to the point of the gable, but midway between the wall and the centre.

=Queen’s Boots.= The interesting fact in English archæology is not generally known, that Her Majesty’s _boots_ are provided for by an annual tax of two shillings (on the whole) upon the village of Ketton in Rutlandshire “_pro ocreis reginæ_.”

=Queen’s Ware.= A cream-coloured glazed earthenware of the Wedgwood manufacture at Burslem, 1759–70.

=Queen’s Yellow.= A colour formed from the subsulphate of mercury.

=Queintise=, O. E. A dress curiously cut or ornamented. (See COINTOISE.)

=Querpo= (for =Cuerpo=). Partly undressed.

=Querpo-hood.= A hood worn by the Puritans. (_P._)

“No face of mine shall by my friends be viewed
In Quaker’s pinner, or in _querpo_-hood.”
(_Archæologia_, vol. xxvii.)

=Queshews=, O. E. _Cuisses_; armour for the thighs.

=Queue=, Fr. A support for a lance. It was a large piece of iron screwed to the back of the breastplate, curved downward to hold down the end of the lance.

=Queue Fourchée=, Her. Having a double tail, or two tails.

=Quichuas.= Remarkable specimens of pottery, from this Peruvian coast province, doubtless of remote antiquity, resemble in their freedom from conventionality and successful imitation of natural forms all primitive Egyptian and other sculpture. Jacquemart describes the vase of the illustration (on page 214) as the _chef-d’œuvre_ of American ceramics; and, from the close resemblance of the features of the figure represented to certain groups of prisoners on the Egyptian bas-reliefs, as well as to the ethnic type of the ancient Japanese kings, makes important deductions with reference to the dispersion of mankind, and the commerce of the old and new worlds in prehistoric times.

=Quicksilver=, alloyed with tinfoil, forms the reflecting surface of looking-glasses, and is largely used in the operations of gilding and silvering metals.

=Quilled=, Her. A term used to blazon the quills of _feathers_; thus a blue feather having its quill golden is blazoned—a feather _az., quilled or_. (_Boutell._)

=Quilts= for bed-coverings, in England, were formerly made of embroidered linen with emblems of the evangelists in the four corners. At Durham, in 1446, in the dormitory of the priory was a quilt “cum iiij^{or} evangelistis in corneriis.” The Very Rev. Daniel Rock (_Textile Fabrics_) suggests that this gave rise to the old nursery rhyme:—

“Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on.”

=Quinarius.= A Roman coin = half a _denarius_, or five asses.

=Quincaillerie=, Fr. A general term for all kinds of metallurgical work in copper, brass, iron, &c.

=Quince=, Her. The “_Pomo cotogno_,” the emblem of the town of Cotignola, adopted by the founder of the Sforza family who was born there. The Emperor Robert of Bavaria added a lion in 1401 as a reward of an act of bravery, to “support the _quince_ with his left hand and defend it with his right,” adding “guai a chi lo tocchi!” (Fig. 571.)

=Quincunx=, R. (i. e. five-twelfths of anything). (1) A Roman bronze coin, equivalent to five-twelfths of an _as_, and weighing five ounces (_unciæ_). (2) An arrangement of five objects in a square; one at each corner, and one in the middle. (3) In _gardening_, said of trees planted in oblique rows of three and two, or in a _quincunx_ (No. 2).

=Quincupedal=, R. A rod five feet in length, for taking measurements in masonry.

=Quindecagon.= A plane figure having fifteen sides and fifteen angles.

=Quinite.= A Spanish textile of hair with silk or other thread.

=Quinquagesima=, Chr. The _fiftieth_ day before Easter; Shrove Sunday. (_S._)

=Quinquatrus= (or —=ia=), R. Festivals of Minerva, celebrated on the 19th of March. They lasted five days; on the first no blood was shed, but on the last four there were contests of gladiators. Another festival called _Quinquatrus minores_, also in honour of Minerva, was celebrated on the ides of June.

=Quinquennalia=, R. Games celebrated every four years at Rome; instituted by Nero, A. D. 60. They consisted of music, gymnastical contests, and horse-races.

=Quinqueremis=, R. A galley with five banks of oars.

=Quinquertium=, R. (Gr. _Pentathlon_). A gymnastic contest of Greek origin, so called because it consisted of five exercises, viz. _leaping_, _running_, _wrestling_, _throwing the discus_, and _throwing the spear_. Introduced in the Olympic games in Ol. 18.

=Quintain=, O. E. A post set up to be tilted at by mounted soldiers; sometimes a man turning on a pivot; sometimes a flat board, on a pivot, with a heavy bag of sand at the other end, which knocked the tilter on the back if he charged unskilfully. (See _Strutt_, _Sports and Pastimes_, p. 89, Plates ix. and x.)

=Quintana=, R. A causeway fifty feet wide in a Roman camp.

=Quintetto=, It. A piece of music for five performers, _obligati_. (Cf. QUARTET.)

=Quintile.= In Astronomy, distant from each other 72 degrees, or a _fifth_ of a circle.

=Quippa=, Peruv. (lit. a knot). A fringe of knotted and particoloured threads, used to record events in ancient Mexico.

=Quippos= or =Quippus=, Peruv. A plaited cord of strings of different colours and lengths, used as a substitute for writing among the ancient Peruvians.

=Quire.= O. E. for CHOIR.

=Quirinalia=, R. A festival sacred to Romulus—Quirinus—held on the 17th of February, as the anniversary of the day on which he was supposed to have been carried up to heaven. The festival was also called _Stultorum feriæ_. (See FORNACALIA.)

=Quirk=, Arch. An acute channel by which the convex parts of Greek mouldings (the ogees and ovolos) are separated from the fillet or soffit that covers them. In Gothic architecture quirks are abundantly used between mouldings.

=Quishwine=, =Quusson=, and =Qwissinge=. Old ways of spelling the word “cushion.”

=Quivers.= The ancient Greeks and Etruscans, the Normans and Saxons wore quivers (_pharetra_) on a belt slung over the shoulder. Archers of the 12th to 14th century carried their arrows stuck in their belts.

“A shefe of peacock arwes bryght and kene
_Under his belt_ he bare ful thriftely.”
(_Chaucer._)

Quivers were probably introduced into England in the 15th century.

=Quoif= or =Coif=, O. E. A close-fitting cap worn by both sexes, and by lawyers, _temp._ Elizabeth.

=Quoin= or =Coin=. (1) Arch. The external angle of a building. (2) O. E. A wedge.

=Quoits.= A very ancient game derived from the Roman DISCUS (q.v.).

R.

=Ra.= The sun-god with hawk head is a common object of Egyptian pottery and architectural ornament, subsequent to the Asiatic invasions. It typifies the union of the yellow Asiatic and the native Egyptian races.

=Rabato=, Sp. A neck-band or ruff. (See REBATO.)

=Rabbet= (from _rebated_). In Joinery a groove in the edge of a board.

=Rabyte=, O. E. (for Arabyte). An Arab horse.

=Racana=, Chr. A blanket of hair-cloth prescribed for the couches of monks, &c., in summer.

“Pro anis _rachinis_ propter æstus utantur.”

=Rack=, O. E. The last fleeting vestige of the highest clouds.

=Racon=, O. E. The pot-hook by which vessels are suspended over a fire. (See GALOWS.)

=Radiant=, =Rayonée=. Encircled with rays. (Fig. 395.)

=Radius=, R. A pointed rod employed by certain professors of astronomy and mathematics for tracing figures on the sand. Also the spoke of a wheel, a ray of light, and lastly, a stake used in constructing intrenchments (_valla_).

=Radula=, R. A scraper, an iron tool used for paring or scratching off.

=Raffaelle-ware.= A fine kind of Urbino majolica, the designs for which were probably furnished by pupils of the great master.

=Rag.= In Masonry, stone that breaks in jagged pieces.

=Ragged Staff=, Her. (See RAGULÉE.)

=Ragman’s= or =Rageman’s Roll=, O. E. (1) In History, a roll of the nobles of Scotland, who swore fealty to Edward I. at Berwick, in 1296; hence (2) a game of chance, in which a number of versified descriptions of character were drawn from a roll by the members of a company; 13th to 15th century. The game survives among children of the present age in the custom of drawing _Twelfth-Night_ characters.

=Ragstone.= A rough kind of sandstone found in Kent.

=Ragulée=, =Raguly=, Her. Serrated. A “ragged staff,” or “staff _ragulée_,” is a part of a stem from which the branches have been cut off roughly. The illustration is the well-known device of the Earls of Warwick, originating with Arthgal, one of the Knights of the Round Table; because, says Leland, “this Arthgal took a bere in his arms, for that, in Britisch, soundeth a bere in Englisch.” (Fig. 573.)

=Rahal=, Arabic. A load for a camel; about 5 cwt.

=Rains=, or =Raynes=, =Cloths= (A. D. 1327–1434, &c.). Fine linen woven at _Rennes_ in Brittany.

=Rajeta=, Sp. A coarse cloth of mixed colours.

=Rallum=, R. A piece of iron on the end of a stick, used to scrape off earth from the plough-share.

=Ram=, in Christian iconography, is a symbol not fully explained. It was probably connected with the idea of a manful _fight_ with the powers of evil. Two rams face to face with a cross between them are a frequent symbol. (Consult _Martigny_, _Dict. des Antiq. Chrét._ s. v. Belier.)

=Ram=, O. E. for rain. (_Shakspeare._)

=Ram= or =Battering-ram=. (See ARIES.) The illustration (Fig. 574) is from the Assyrian sculptures, showing the invention of the _testudo_ to be of great antiquity.

=Ramadhan.= The ninth month of the Arabian calendar, and the Mohammedan month of fasting; it is followed by the festival of the _Little Bairam_.

=Ramalia=, R. (_ramus_, a ram) Roman festivals instituted in honour of Ariadne and Bacchus.

=Ramillete=, Sp. A nosegay; a pyramid of sweetmeats and fruits.

=Rampant=, Her. Erect, one hind paw on the ground, the other three paws elevated; the animal looking forward, and having his tail elevated.

=Rampant guardant=, Her. The same as rampant, but looking out of the shield.

=Rampant reguardant=, Her. The same as rampant, but looking backwards.

=Ranseur=, Fr. A sort of partisan in use in the time of Edward IV., having a broad long blade in the centre, and projecting shorter blades on each side.

=Rantle-tree=, Scotch. (1) The beam in the chimney from which the crook is suspended, when there is no grate (Angl. GALOWS. See also REEKING-HOOK). (2) A tree chosen with two branches, which are cut short, and left in the shape of a Y, built into the gable of a cottage to support one end of the roof-tree.

=Rapier=, introduced from Spain in the 16th century, remained the favourite weapon of gentlemen. It is a light sword with a narrow blade adapted only for thrusting. It used to be called a _tuck_.

=Rapier-dance.= A theatrical dance still practised in Yorkshire, consisting of evolutions of the dancers with naked rapiers round a performer who kneels in the centre and finally simulates death. (Compare SWORD-DANCE.)

=Raploch=, Scotch. Coarse undyed woollen cloth.

=Rareca.= Peruvian aqueducts; distinct from the subterranean aqueducts called HUIRCAS or _Pinchas_ (q.v.).

=Rash.= “A species of inferior silk, or silk and stuff manufacture.” (_Nares._)

=Raster=, =Rastrum=, R. (_rado_, to scrape). A rake.

=Rat.= In Chinese symbolism, the month of November. (See TCHY PERIODS.)

=Rath=, Celtic. An ancient fortress or castle of the Irish chiefs, consisting of a circular intrenched enclosure, with buildings in the centre.

=Rational=, Heb. A square piece of richly embroidered cloth worn by the Jewish high priest upon the breast, above the ephod.

=Ratis=, R. A raft of strong beams or planks; and thence a flat boat, a bridge of boats, &c.

=Raunle-tree.= Scotch; for RANTLE-TREE (q.v.).

=Raven=, the ensign of the ancient Danes, was the bird of Odin. In Christian art, the emblem of Divine Providence (in allusion to the history of Elisha); attribute of certain saints, especially of ascetics. (See CROW.)

=Ray=, Chr. The fish (_rina diaudan_) which was burned by Tobias (vii. 2, 3), and the eggs of which are still burnt for intermittent fevers among the Greeks. (_Harris_, 408.)

=Ray=, O. E. (i. e. _rayed_). Striped cloth much worn in the 13th and 14th centuries.

=Raynes=, O. E. (from Rennes in Brittany). Fine linen.

“Cloth of raynes to sleep on soft.” (_Chaucer._)

=Rayonnée=, Her. (See RADIANT.)

=Real= (Eng. ROYAL). A Spanish coin. There are two kinds: a _real of plate_, worth 4¾_d._, and a _real of vellon_, worth 2½_d._ (Cf. RIAL.)

=Realgar.= A red pigment, formed of arsenic in combination with sulphur. A fugitive and _corrosive_ pigment. (See _Merimée_, _De la Peinture à l’huile_, p. 124.)

=Realism=, =Realistic=, in Art. (See IDEAL and REAL.)

=Rebated.= Turned back, as the head of a MORNE or jousting-lance.

=Rebato=, Sp. The turn-down collar of the 15th and 16th centuries.

=Rebec=, Sp. A musical instrument of three strings, tuned in fifths, and played with a bow like a fiddle. It was originally introduced into Spain by the Moors.

=Rebiting.= A process of renewing the lines of a worn-out plate, by etching them over again; a difficult and delicate operation, which is rarely performed with entire success.

=Rebus=, Her. An allusive charge or device. A _ton_ or _tun_ pierced by a bird-bolt is in the church of Great St. Bartholomew, of which Prior Bolton was the last prior.

“Prior Bolton
With his bolt and tun.”
(_Ben Jonson._)

=Recamo=, Sp. Embroidery of raised work.

=Recel=, Sp. A kind of striped tapestry.

=Receptorium=, R. (_recepto_, to receive). A kind of parlour, also called _salutatorium_, which generally adjoined the ancient basilicas.

=Recercelée=, Her. A variety of the heraldic cross.

=Recheat=, O. E. A sound on the horn to call dogs away from the chase.

=Recinctus.= Equivalent in meaning to DISCINCTUS (q.v.).

=Recorders.= A musical instrument mentioned by Shakspeare. It resembled a very large clarionet. Milton also speaks of

“the Dorian mood
Of flutes and _soft recorders_.”
(_Paradise Lost_, i. 550.)

=Recta=, R. A straight tunic, made out of a single piece, which took the form of the body; it hung from the neck, and fell down as far as the feet.

=Rectilinear= figures are those composed entirely of straight or _right_ lines.

=Red.= One of the three primary colours, producing with YELLOW, _orange_, and with BLUE, _violet_. The principal red pigments are _carmine_, _vermilion_, _chrome red_, _scarlet lake_, _madder lake_, _light red_, _burnt sienna_, for _yellow_ reds; and _Venetian red_, _Indian red_, _crimson lake_, for _blue_ reds. Red, in Christian art, represented by the ruby, signified fire, divine love, the Holy Spirit, heat or the creative power, and royalty. In a bad sense, red signified blood, war, hatred, and punishment. Red and black combined were the colours of purgatory and the devil. (See REALGAR, INDIGO.)

=Red Chalk= or =Reddle= is a mixture of clay and red iron OCHRE, used as a crayon in drawing. (See OCHRE.)

=Red Lake.= (See CARMINE.)

=Red Lead.= A pigment which mixes badly with other pigments. (See MINIUM.)

=Red Ochre= includes _Indian red_, _scarlet ochre_, _Indian ochre_, _reddle_, &c.

=Red Orpiment.= (See REALGAR.)

=Redan=, the simplest kind of work in field fortification, generally consists of a parapet of earth, divided on the plan into two faces, which make with one another a salient angle, or one whose vertex is towards the enemy.

=Reddle.= (See RED CHALK.)

=Redimiculum=, R. (_redimio_, to bind round). A long string or ribbon attached to any kind of head-dress.

=Redoubt= is a general name for nearly every kind of work in the class of field fortifications.

=Redshank=, Scotch. A Highlander wearing buskins of red-deer skin, with the hair outwards.

=Reduction.= In Art, a copy on a smaller scale. The work is done mechanically by a process of subdivision of the original into segments or squares.

=Reekie=, Scotch. Smoky; hence _Auld Reekie_, the city of Edinburgh.

=Reeking-hook=, O. E. A pot-hook hung in the chimney, to suspend vessels over an open fire. (See GALOWS.)

=Re-entering=, in Engraving, is the sharpening or deepening with a graver the lines insufficiently _bitten in_ by the acid.

=Refectory=, Mod. (_reficio_, to refresh). A hall in which the monks of a monastery assembled to take their meals; one of the most important rooms of the establishment; it was often divided into two naves by a row of columns called the spine (_spina_), which received the spring of the vaultings forming the roof of the refectory.

=Reflected Lights= thrown by an illuminated surface into the shadows opposed to it, modify the LOCAL COLOUR of every object that we observe in nature, and should accordingly be made to do so in painting.

=Reflexed=, =Reflected=, Her. Curved and carried backwards.

=Refraction= is the diversion of a ray of light which occurs when it falls obliquely on the surface of a medium differing in density from that through which it had previously moved. The differently-coloured rays have different degrees of refrangibility. Refraction is the cause of the phenomena of the _mirage_, _Fata Morgana_, &c., and presents to us the light of the sun before his actual emergence above the horizon.

=Regal= or =Regals=, O. E. (1) A small portable organ, with single or double sets of pipes (the attribute of St. Cecilia, and of saints and angels of the heavenly choir). The illustration (Fig. 579) of an angel playing the regals, is taken from an ancient MS. (2) A kind of harmonica, with sonorous slabs of wood.

=Regalia.= The ensigns of royalty. The regalia of England are the crown, sceptre, verge or rod with the dove, St. Edward’s staff, the orb or mound, the sword of mercy called Curtana, the two swords of spiritual and temporal justice, the ring of alliance with the kingdom, the armillæ or bracelets, the spurs of chivalry, and some royal vestments; and are kept in the Jewel Office in the Tower of London. The Scottish insignia, a crown, a sceptre, and a sword of state, are kept in the Crown-room at Edinburgh. The illustration shows the regalia and state vestments of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, in the 16th century. (Fig. 580.)

=Regifugium=, R. (lit. flight of the king). An annual festival held on the sixth day of the calends of March (24th of February), in commemoration of the flight of Tarquin and the establishment of the Roman republic.

=Regioles=, Fr. Chr. Small doors in the _confessio_ or _martyrium_ of an altar, containing relics of a saint or martyr. The faithful used to introduce handkerchiefs by these doors, that they might consecrate them by contact with the relics.

=Regrating= or =Skinning=, in Masonry, is the process of scraping or hammering off the outer surface of old stones to make them look white and new; it has been greatly abused in the restoration of ancient buildings.

=Reguardant=, Her. Turning the head and looking back; emblematic of circumspection and prudence.

=Regula=, R. A straight rule used by artisans.

=Regulares=, Chr. Horizontal _rods_ of wood or metal in churches for the suspension of veils or curtains. These were often made of gold or silver, with a row of images on the upper part.

=Regulus= (in Greek βασιλίσκος) is the name given by ancient astronomers to a line drawn from the polar star, between the pointers, &c., to the bright star called α Leonis or Cor Leonis (the lion’s heart).

=Reindeer=, Her. A hart with double antlers, one pair erect, the other drooping.

=Reisner-work.= A corrupt spelling of the name of Riesener, a celebrated worker in marquetry in France in the 18th century.

“Riesener used tulip, rosewood, holly, maple, laburnum, purple-wood,
&c. Wreaths and bunches of flowers, exquisitely worked and boldly
designed, form centres of his marquetry panels, which are often plain
surfaces of one wood. On the sides, in borders and compartments, we
find diaper patterns in three or four quiet colours.” (See _Pollen_,
_Ancient and Modern Furniture_, &c.)

=Relief= (It. _rilievo_). Sculpture projecting—ALTO-RELIEVO, more than half; MEZZO-RELIEVO, exactly half; BASSO-RELIEVO, less than half. (See also RONDO BOSSO, INTAGLIO-RELIEVATO, STACCIATO.)

=Reliquary=, Chr. A portable shrine or casket made to contain relics. A reliquary made to be worn round the neck was called _encolpium_ (ἐν κόλπῳ, in the bosom), _phylacterium_, &c.; one to be carried processionally, _feretrum_. (See FERETORY, Fig. 307.)

=Remarque=, Fr. A slight sketch on the margin beneath an etching or engraving, to denote the earliest proof impressions.

=Removed=, Her. Out of its proper position.

=Remuria=, R. A Roman festival in honour of Remus, held on the third of the ides of May (13th of May) on the Palatine mount, on the spot where Remus had taken the auspices, and where he was buried.

=Renaissance= (lit. new-birth or revival). The term is popularly applied to the gradual return to classical principles in Art in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Italian renaissance, begun by NICCOLA PISANO in architecture and sculpture, and by GIOTTO in painting, was fostered by the Medici family, and culminated in Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Teutonic art (Flemish, German, and Dutch) had also their periods of revival. It is, however, impossible to indicate their representatives without entering upon debateable questions. Goldsmith’s work, pottery, and other useful arts passed through parallel periods of revival concurrent, or nearly so, with those in painting.

=Rengue=, Sp. A kind of gauze worn on official robes in Spain.

=Reno= and =Rheno=, R. A very short cloak, often made of skins, peculiar to the Gauls and Germans, and adopted by the Roman soldiery.

=Repagula=, R. (lit. fastening back). A double fastening to a door; of two bolts (_pessuli_), one of which was shot towards the right, and the other to the left.

=Replica.= A duplicate of a picture, done by the same painter.

=Repose.= (See RIPOSO.)

=Repositorium=, R. (_repono_, to lay down). A side-board for plates and dishes in a dining-room; it was divided into several stories, and formed a kind of dinner-wagon; and many examples were richly ornamented, and inlaid with variegated woods, or tortoise-shell and silver, &c.

=Repoussé=, Fr. Metal-work hammered out from behind into ornaments in _relief_.

=Requiem=, Chr. The Roman _Missa pro Defunctis_, or service for the dead, beginning with the anthem “_Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine_.”

=Rerebrace=, O. E. (for the French _arrière bras_). Armour for the upper part of the arm.

=Rerebrake=, O. E. A pommel at the back of a saddle to support the horseman under the shock of a tilting-bout. (See _Meyrick_, vol. ii. p. 137.)

=Reredos=, Chr. (1) The wall or screen at the back of an altar. In the primitive churches, in which the bishop’s seat was at the back of the altar, there was no _reredos_. Its introduction dates from the period (about the 12th century) when the episcopal seats and the choirs were established in front of the altars. (2) The ROOD-SCREEN was sometimes so called. (3) The open hearth was so called. Hollinshed relates that, before the invention of chimneys, “each man made his fire against a _reredosse_ in the hall, where he dined and dressed his meat.”

=Rere-supper= (Fr. _arrière souper_). The last meal taken in the day; 15th century.

=Resins.= (See AMBER, COPAL, DAMARA, MASTIC, &c.)

=Ressaunt=, O. E. Arch. An obsolete term applied to members of architecture inflected or curved like an OGEE moulding.

=Rest.= In Music, a character denoting silence for a length denoted by the character used to express the rest, i. e. _semibreve_, _minim_, _crotchet_, _quaver_, &c.

=Restoration.= In Architecture, a drawing of an ancient building in its original design.

=Retable= (Fr.), Chr. (See REREDOS.)

=Rete= and =Retis=, R. A net.

=Retiarius.= A gladiator whose only arms were a trident and net; with the latter he tried to embarrass the adversary by casting it over his head, and, having done so, to wound him with the trident; failing in their throw, their only resource was to run round the arena preparing the net for a second attempt. They fought generally with the Mirmillones, and had no helmet nor other protective armour excepting for the left arm. (See GLADIATORS.)

=Reticella= (Lat. _reticulus_, a little net). This was the first known needle-made lace, produced in all lace-making countries under different names. (See GREEK LACE.) It was made in several ways: the first consisted in arranging a network of threads on a small frame, crossing and interlacing them in various complicated patterns. Beneath this network was gummed a piece of fine cloth, open like canvas, called quintain (from the town in Brittany where it was made). Then with a needle the network was sewn to the quintain by edging round those parts of the pattern which were to remain thick, then cutting away the superfluous cloth: hence the name of cutwork in England. A more simple mode was to make the pattern detached without any linen; the threads radiating at equal distances from one common centre served as a framework to others, which were united to them in geometric forms worked over with button-hole stitch (or _point noué_). The engraving shows a fine specimen of reticella from Venice, 1493. (See also MILAN RETICELLA.)

=Reticulated.= Latticed like the meshes of a net (_rete_).

=Reticulated Glass.= (See GLASS.)

=Reticulated Porcelain= is an Oriental product, of which the outer side is entirely cut out in geometric patterns, honeycomb, circles intercrossed and superposed to a second vase of similar, or of simply cylindrical form. Fig. 582 is a specimen of this style.

=Reticulated Work=, Arch. (Lat. _reticulata structura_, literally, made like a net). Masonry constructed with diamond-shaped stones, or QUARRELS, shown in Figs. 493 and 583. The latter shows one of the mouths of the _cloaca_ opening on the Tiber. _Reticulata fenestra_ was a window grated over with bars of wood or metal crossing in the form of network.

=Reticulum=, R. Diminutive of _rete_, a net.

=Retinaculum=, R. (_retineo_, to hold back). A rope used to moor a vessel to the shore.

=Retorted=, Her. Intertwined.

=Retro-choir=, Chr. Arch. Chapels behind or about the choir.

=Reverse.= The back of a medal. In very ancient coins this had no mark except that of the instrument by which it was fixed to receive the stamp of the _obverse_. By degrees this grew into a figure of a dolphin or some other animal. Some ancient Greek reverses are _intaglios_ of the stamp in relief of the _obverse_. Complete reverses appear on Greek coins about 500 B.C., and are of exquisite execution. (Cf. OBVERSE.)

=Revinctum= (opus), R. (_revincio_, to bind fast). Dove-tailed masonry. (See Fig. 269.)

=Rhabdion= (lit. a small rod). An instrument used in _encaustic painting_, with which the wax tints were blended. It was probably flat at one end, and kept heated in a small furnace close at hand. (See _Eastlake_, _Materials_, &c., i. 154.)

=Rheda=, R. A roomy four-wheeled carriage, of Gallic origin, with several seats. The driver was called RHEDARIUS.

=Rheno=, Gr. (ῥὴν, a sheep). A sheepskin cloak, covering the shoulders and as far as to the waist, worn by the ancient Germans as a protection against rain.

=Rhingrave.= The petticoat breeches worn in the reign of Charles II. (_Planché._)

=Rhomboid.= “An equilateral oblique parallelogram.”

=Rhomphæa=, =Romphæa=, =Rumpia=, R. A sword with a long blade, used by the Thracians.

=Rhyton=, Gr. and R. (ῥυτὸν, lit. flowing). A drinking-vessel of earthenware in the form of a horn or trumpet; in many instances with a handle.

=Rial= or =Royal= (Sp. _real_). A Spanish coin introduced into England in 16th cent. (See REAL.)

=Riband= or =Ribbon= (Welsh _rhibin_; Irish _ruibin_, &c.). A long narrow web of silk worn for ornament or use; especially for a _badge_ of devotion in love or war.

“See in the lists they wait the trumpet’s sound:
Some love-device is wrought on every sword,
And every ribbon bears some mystic word.”
(_Granville._)

The Ribbons of the various orders of Knighthood are:—of the GARTER, a broad dark blue ribbon passing over the left shoulder; of the THISTLE, a broad dark green ribbon; of St. PATRICK, a light blue; of the BATH, red; of the STAR OF INDIA, pale blue with white borders.

=Ribbon=, =Riband=, Her. A diminutive of a BEND.

=Ribibe.= A kind of fiddle; 15th century.

=Ribs=, Arch. Projecting bands on ceilings, &c.

=Rica=, R. A square piece of cloth with a fringe, worn by priests and women on the head, and especially by the former when they were offering a sacrifice; _ricula_ was a smaller veil worn in the same fashion. (Cf. FLAMMEUM.)

=Rice-paper.= A delicate vegetable film brought from China, and used as a substitute for drawing-paper in the representation of richly-coloured insects or flowers, &c.

=Ridels.= French word for bed-curtains; 15th century.

=Rimenato=, It. (See CRUSCA.)

=Ring Mail.= Flexible armour of iron rings interwoven; introduced from the East by the Crusaders.

=Rings.= The symbolic use of signet-rings is mentioned in many passages of the Holy Scriptures, especially as a transfer of authority; as Pharaoh to Joseph (Gen. xli. 42), Ahasuerus to Haman, &c. A large collection of Egyptian signet-rings is in the British Museum, many being much too large to be worn on the hand. EGYPTIAN rings were of ivory, porcelain, or stone, but generally of gold. The ETRUSCANS and SABINES wore rings at the foundation of Rome, 753 B.C., those of the former being remarkable for beauty and intrinsic value. The LACEDÆMONIANS wore iron rings. The ROMANS also under the Republic were proud of wearing an iron ring; under the Empire the privilege of wearing a ring raised the wearer to the equestrian order. GREEK and ROMAN rings were, generally speaking, massive and simple, and of obvious value in metal and stone, until in the degenerate times of the Empire luxury spread, and the lower classes began to disfigure themselves with cheap jewellery. Solid rings were carved out of rock-crystal in Christian times; and others were made of stone, chiefly of calcedony. Rings of amber, glass, earthenware, and other materials were exhumed at Pompeii. The BRITONS and SAXONS had beautiful jewellery. The former wore the ring on the middle finger; the Anglo-Saxons on the third finger of the right hand, which was thence poetically called the “golden finger.” A beautiful specimen of enamelled art is the gold ring of Ethelwulf, king of Wessex (the father of Alfred the Great), now in the medal room of the British Museum. Among the _niello_ rings of the Saxon period is one in the British Museum inscribed “Ahlreds owns me, Eanred engraved me.” Plain wire rings, or plain bands of metal merely twisted round the finger, are common objects in Saxon tombs; but the most beautiful specimens of this, as of other branches of the goldsmith’s art in antiquity, are from IRELAND. In SCANDINAVIA the earliest forms are spiral, and of simple workmanship. RINGS were a part of the official jewellery of kings, bishops, and cardinals; and the _fisherman’s ring_, with a representation of St. Peter in a boat fishing, was the papal ring of investiture. A copious literature on this special subject deals with the superstitions, ceremonies, customs, and anecdotes connected with finger-rings, as well as with their exemplification of the history of the development or decadence of art. A collector divides his rings into _Antique_, _Mediæval_, and _Modern_; the former period ending A. D. 800, and classified by nationalities. The later collections are classified as _Official_: ecclesiastical, civil, and military; or _Personal_, viz. signet-rings, love and marriage, mourning, &c.; historical, religious (i. e. devotional, &c.), magic, and simply ornamental. (The substance of the above is drawn from _Finger-ring Lore_, &c., by _W. Jones_, Chatto, 1877; and _Antique Gems_, by the _Rev. C. W. King_. For the significance of rings in connexion with the history of Christianity, see _Smith and Cheetham_, _Dict. of Christ. Ant._ s. v.)

=Rinman’s Green.= (See COBALT.)

=Rip-rap=, Arch. A builder’s term for a foundation of loose stones.

=Riposo=, It. The rest of the Holy Family during the Flight into Egypt is often shortly designated the _Riposo_; it is treated by different masters in a great variety of styles.

=Riscus=, R. (ῥίσκος). A wardrobe or chest for clothes.

=Rising=, =Roussant=, Her. Said of birds about to take wing.

=Rivers=, Chr. The four rivers of Paradise are variously represented in primitive Christian art; e. g. the LAMB standing on a mountain, from which they flow; or they are personified, and symbolize the four Evangelists: the Gihon is St. Matthew; Pison, St. John; Tigris, St. Mark; and Euphrates, St. Luke. The following lines in one instance accompany such a representation on an engraved copper plate:—

“Fons paradisiacus per flumina quatuor exit;
Hec quadriga levis te _Χρε_ per omnia vexit.”

In CLASSIC art generally, rivers are personified as half-prostrate figures reclining upon an urn, and marked by certain attributes; e. g. of the Nile, a hippopotamus; of the Tiber, a wolf suckling Romulus and Remus; other rivers by the flora or by certain cities of their banks, &c. (Consult _Didron_, _Iconographie Chrét._; _Martigny_, &c.)

=Roan.= (1) A kind of leather much used for bookbinding; it is of sheepskins tanned with sumach. (2) Said of a _bay_ or _sorel_ horse marked with grey.

=Robigalia=, R. Roman festivals held every year on the sixth of the calends of May (25th of April), in honour of the god Robigus, to preserve the wheat from mildew.

=Roborarium= (_robur_, strength). An enclosure within a wooden palisade.

=Robur=, R. The subterranean dungeon of a prison (_carcer_), in which criminals were executed. In Fig. 588 the character of the _robur_ is clearly seen; it is that of the prison of Ancus Martius and Servius Tullius at Rome, of which some ruins still remain.

=Rochet=, Chr. (Lat. _rochetum_; Anglo-Saxon _roc_, a loose upper garment). A short surplice without sleeves, open at the sides; imitated from a linen outer garment of the same name, much worn by women in the 14th century. Chaucer says,—

“There is no clothe sytteth bette
On damoselle than doth rokette.”

=Rock-crystal.= A material much used for carving in China. _Fortune_ says, “Fine specimens of rock-crystal, carved into figures, cups, and vases, are met with in the curiosity shops of Foo-chow-foo. Some of these specimens are white, others golden yellow, and others again blue and black. One kind looks as if human hair was thrown in and crystallized. _Imitations_ of this stone are common in Canton, made into snuff-bottles, such as are commonly used by the Chinese.” The GREEK name (κρύσταλλος, ice) refers to the belief that it was frozen water; the INDIANS believe it to be the husk of which the _diamond_ is the kernel, and call it the _unripe diamond_; in JAPAN it is cut into round balls used for cooling the hands; in CHINA also it is extensively carved; in the MIDDLE AGES it was highly valued throughout EUROPE as a detector of poison. Still more recently crystal balls have been supposed to have magical influence, and used for divination and conjuring.

=Rockets=, O. E. Slabs of wood used on lances, during exercise, for the same purpose as the buttons of foils.

=Rococo=, It. The style of decoration into which that of the Louis Quinze period culminated, distinguished for a superfluity of confused and discordant detail. (See LOUIS XV.)

=Rod.= In measurement, 16½ feet linear, or 272½ square feet.

=Rodomel=, O. E. The juice of roses, mixed with honey.

=Rogus=, R. A funeral pile when in process of burning, in contradistinction to PYRA (q.v.).

=Rokelay=, O. E. A short cloak.

=Roll-moulding= (Arch.), profusely used in the Early English and Decorated styles, is a round moulding, divided longitudinally along the middle, the upper half of which projects over the lower. _Roll and fillet moulding_ is a roll-moulding with a square _fillet_ on the face of it.

=Rolls of Arms.= Heraldic records of ancient armorial insignia, preserved on strips of parchment. The earliest known are of the 13th century. (Consult _Boutell_.)

=Romal=, Hind. A silk fabric, of which cotton imitations are made in England.