Chapter M (7)

=Sica=, R. (dimin. _sicilla_). A curved dagger or scimitar; distinct from PUGIO, a straight dagger. It was the weapon preferred by thieves and assassins on account of the convenience of its shape for concealment. (From this word our English _sickle_ is derived.)

=Siccative.= A synonym for DRYING (q.v.).

=Sicilis=, R. A sickle.

=Sienite.= A statuary marble from Syene (Assouan) on the Nile.

=Sienna=, =Terra di Sienna=. A brown pigment. (See OCHRES.)

=Sigilla=, R. (dimin. of _signum_, an image), (1) A seal or signet. (2) Small sculptured or moulded bosses, used to decorate vases or architecture. (3) Small statuettes, called also SIGILLARIA.

=Sigillaria=, R. (1) The last days of the festival of the Saturnalia, when _sigilla_, or statuettes of gold and silver or terra-cotta, were offered to Saturn, and amongst the people, as presents to each other.

=Sigillatus=, R. Ornamented or decorated with _sigilla_. (See SIGILLUM.)

=Sigla=, It. (contraction of _sigilla_). A conventional sign used instead of a word or phrase; such as = for _equal to_, and + for _plus_; A.U.C. for _ab urbe conditâ_, &c.

=Sigma=, R. A semicircular couch, so called because it assumed the form of the Greek Σ, which was originally written like our C. Hence, the seat which ran round the walls of the PISCINA in a bath. (See STIBADIUM.)

=Signa Militaria.= (See ENSIGNS.)

=Signature=, in printing, is a letter put at the bottom of the first page in every sheet, as a direction to the binder in collating them.

=Signets.= (See RINGS.)

=Signinum= (opus), R. A kind of concrete for floorings, invented at _Signia_, and formed of broken tiles consolidated with mortar, and levelled with a pavior’s beetle.

=Signum=, R. A general term for any kind of sign or mark by which anything can be recognized; such as an image or figure, the intaglio on a ring, the sign of a shop, or a military standard or ensign (_signa militaria_), as represented in Fig. 665.

=Silex=, R. In general a flint or flint-stone, and thence, by extension, any kind of hard stone hewn into polygonal blocks, as shown in Fig. 613.

=Silhouette=, Fr. A profile portrait, or representation of the shape contained in the outline of an object, with no attempt to fill in the parts.

=Silicernium=, Gr. and R. A funeral feast in honour of the dead.

=Silicious Wares.= (See POTTERY.)

=Sill= or =Cill= of a window or door. The LIMEN INFERIUS (q.v.).

=Silver.= The history of working in silver is identical with that of Goldsmiths’ work in general. (See GOLD.) _Pollen_ remarks that though Phidias and his contemporaries made great statues of gold, many artists who devoted themselves mainly and altogether to working in the precious metals executed their best work in silver. Silver was also largely used for the surfaces of mirrors, which were hung on the walls of temples. The best collection of antique silver plate was found at Hildesheim, in Germany, in 1869, and is now in the Berlin Museum. The silver stoup (Fig. 615) belonging to the Corporation of Norwich, is of the time of Elizabeth. The illustration (Fig. 614) of the silver dish and ewer at St. John’s College (1670), is representative of the change that the goldsmiths’ style underwent about the middle of the 17th century, after which time the light and graceful leaf work gave way to heavier designs. (Consult _Pollen_, _Gold and Silversmiths’ Work_.)

=Silver.= In Christian art, an emblem of purity. (See WHITE.) As one of the two _metals_ among the _tinctures_ of Heraldry, represented by a white space. (See ARGENT.)

=Silver, Cloth of.= Josephus tells us that the royal robe of Herod Agrippa was a tunic made of silver. In the Middle Ages it was woven, like gold, in long narrow shreds unmixed with anything else, into a web for garments.

=Sima=, Arch. (See CYMA.)

=Simikion=, Gr. (σιμίκιον). A musical instrument of the Greeks; it had thirty-five strings.

=Simpulum= or =Simpuvium=, R. A small cup used for libations. It was in the form of a ladle with a long handle.

=Sinciput.= The front part of the head. The back part is the _occiput_.

=Sindon= (σινδών). (See CORPORAL.)

=Singing-bread=, Chr. The larger altar breads used in the mass were called _singing-bread_; the smaller ones consecrated for the people were known as _houseling bread_. (See also HOLY BREAD.)

=Sinister=, Her. The left side of a shield (considered from the back, or wearer’s point of view). The _bendlet_ or _baton sinister_ is generally (not rigorously) regarded in modern Heraldry as the most appropriate _difference_ of illegitimacy. (Consult _Boutell’s English Heraldry_, p. 194.)

=Sinopia.= A fine red pigment found upon ancient mural paintings.

=Sinum= or =Sinus=, R. A vessel of small dimensions, but tolerably wide and deep, which was used for holding wine or milk.

=Siparium=, R. The curtain of a theatre. It was divided in the middle and withdrawn to the sides to disclose the stage.

=Sipho=, Gr. (σίφων, a hollow body). A siphon for exhausting liquids from a vessel by the pressure of the atmosphere. A painting at Thebes shows that the principle of the siphon was known to the Egyptians as early as the eighteenth dynasty. The same name was applied to a suction and forcing pump, which was generally employed as a fire-engine.

=Sirens= (Gr. Σειρῆνες [probably from σειρὰ, a _chain_, to signify their attractive power]). These mythical representatives of the evil side of the seductive power of music, are represented in art as lovely women to the waist, and fishes or birds below. Sometimes they have wings, which the Muses are said to have plucked (see MUSES) of their feathers; as Orpheus, by opening their minds to the unattainable higher music, drove them to suicide in the end. In Christian symbolism the sirens typify the three carnal lusts. (See Fig. 455.)

=Sirpea.= (See SCIRPEA.)

=Sispa-sastra=, Hind. A Hindoo work, the title of which means literally the science of manual art. It was a kind of encyclopædia, and comprised about thirty treatises on the manual arts, and included a treatise on architecture written by a Hindoo whose name has not come down to us; but a sage or mage called Dupayana compiled, abridged, and edited, about 1500 B.C., the lost treatise of the Hindoo architect. (_Bosc._)

=Sistrum=, Egyp. (σεῖστρον; σείω, to shake). A kind of rattle formed by a certain number of metallic rods which passed through a framework also of metal; this was attached to a short handle ending in a head of Athor. By shaking the instrument by the handle the metallic rods and the movable rings suspended from them were made to give out a sharp rattling sound. The Egyptians made use of the sistrum in the ceremonial worship of Isis and at funerals. Roman coins of Hadrian present a personification of Egypt as a female figure seated with the sacred ibis at her feet, and a _sistrum_ in her hand. The instrument is still in use on the Nile.

=Sitella.= Diminutive of SITULA (q.v.).

=Situla=, R. A bucket for drawing water from a well.

=Situlus.= Synonym of SITULA (q.v.).

=Sixfoil=, Her. A flower of six leaves.

=Size= is used to prepare paper for printing upon, and as a _vehicle_ in oil painting. (See DISTEMPER.)

=Skeens=, Celtic. Long sharp knives; “_sheen dubh_,” black knife, the Highlander’s _dernier ressort_.

=Skinning=, in Masonry. (See REGRATING.)

=Skirophorion.= (See SCIROPHORIUM.)

=Sling.= (See BALEA, FUNDA.)

=Slipped=, Her. Pulled or torn off.

=Smalt.= A vitreous substance coloured by cobalt, used for painting on china, not being affected by fire. It makes also a bad pigment in water-colour painting, and is largely used for giving a blue tinge to writing-paper, linen, &c. (See COBALT.)

=Smalti=, It. Cubes of coloured glass applied in the modern MOSAICS.

=Snail=, Chr. In Christian iconography the snail is an emblem of sloth and of the resurrection.

=Snood= (A.S. _snôd_). A head-band for ladies, of the Anglo-Saxon period, similar to that now used by young unmarried women in Scotland.

=Soapstone.= (See STEATITE.)

=Socculus.= Diminutive of _soccus_.

=Soccus=, Gr. and R. A slipper worn in Greece both by men and women, but at Rome by women only. It was worn by actors upon the stage.

=Socle=, Arch. A plain block or plinth forming a low pedestal to a column; or a plinth round the bottom of a wall.

=Soffit=, Arch. The flat surface on the lower side of an arch or cornice.

=Solarium=, R. (_sol_, the sun). (1) A sun-dial; (2) a water-clock or clepsydra (_solarium ex aquâ_); (3) a terrace constructed on the top of a house or portico.

=Soldurii=, Gaul. A body of Gallic warriors forming a CLAN under one chief.

=Solea=, R. and Chr. (_solum_, sole of the foot). A sandal of the simplest kind, consisting of a sole fastened on with straps over the instep. _Solea ferrea_, a horse-shoe, or _soccus_ of iron; _solea sparta_, a sock of Spanish broom for the feet of beasts of burden or of cattle; _solea lignea_, wooden clogs fastened to the feet of criminals. Lastly the term denoted a machine for crushing olives, the nature and shape of which are entirely unknown. In Christian archæology, the term _solea_ was used to denote, in the early basilicas, a space in front of the choir.

=Soler= (Lat. _solarium_; A.S. _up-flor_). The upper floor of a house, approached by a _staeger_ (Ang. stair) outside.

=Soles of the Feet=, Egyp. and Chr. On a great number of Christian tombs there occur representations of the soles of the feet. This symbol has been variously explained. In our opinion, one which has never been broached before, it denoted that the dead were in the power of God; for among the Egyptians, whenever a god or powerful king was spoken of, it was said of him that he put his enemies under the sole of his foot. Ezekiel uses the same terms in speaking of Jehovah. Whenever an Egyptian went on a pilgrimage to a distant place, he never left the country without engraving on some stone the impression of his feet, to which he added his name and titles. (_Bosc._)

=Soliferreum= or =Solliferreum=, R. A javelin made entirely of massive iron.

=Solium=, R. This term denotes (1) a chair or arm-chair with a high back; (2) a bier of wood or terra-cotta for a dead body; (3) the granite or marble seat in an ancient bath.

=Solstice.= The time when the sun appears to _stand still_, at one of the solstitial points, i. e. at his greatest distance from the equator; the summer solstice is the longest day, June 22nd; the winter solstice December 22nd, in the North Hemisphere; reversed in the South.

=Sonata=, Ital. A piece of music with various movements, composed for a single instrument with or without accompaniment. _Sonate di camera_, sonatas adapted for chamber music; _sonate de chiesa_, for churches.

=Sonnachiosi of Bologna.= One of the Italian Academies, having for their device a bear, which sleeps through the winter; and the motto _spero avanzar con la vigilia il sonno_. (I hope by vigils to make up for sleep.)

=Sorrows of the Virgin.= (See JOYS OF THE VIRGIN.)

=Sortes=, R. Lots; small tablets or counters thrown into a SITELLA or urn full of water, and withdrawn for soothsaying.

=Soteria=, Gr. and R. (σωτήρια, i. e. of saving). Sacrifices in honour of the gods offered by way of thanksgiving for escape from any danger.

=Sounding-board=, Chr. A sort of dome or canopy, placed above pulpits to convey the voice of the preacher to his auditory. In the centre of the lower part of the canopy there is often a carved dove, symbolizing the Holy Ghost. Sounding-boards must be placed five feet above the speaker’s head, and their diameter should exceed that of the pulpit by six to eight inches on either side.

=Soutane=, Fr. A white woollen cassock, worn by priests under the _rochet_.

=Sow=, Chr. In Christian iconography, the sow is a symbol of evil, impurity, gluttony, and fecundity. It is borne in the crest of Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, with the motto, “Through.”

=Span.= Of an arch, the breadth between the imposts.

=Spandril=, Arch. The triangular space between the upper arch of a door and the square mouldings which form a frame to it.

=Spangles=, of gold and silver, were, in the Middle Ages, artistically shaped concave, and sewed on like tiles, one overlapping the other, producing a rich and pleasing effect. Our present flat spangles are quite modern.

=Spanish Black.= A pigment of burnt cork.

=Spanish Brown.= (See OCHRE.)

=Spanish Ferreto.= A rich reddish-brown pigment.

=Spanish Red.= An ochreous red pigment, yellower than the _Venetian red_.

=Spanish Stitch.= A kind of embroidery introduced into England by Katharine of Aragon in 1501.

=Span-roof=, Arch. Having _two_ inclined sides; not a _pent-roof_.

=Spartea.= (See SOLEA.)

=Sparum=, R. A weapon specially employed by the agricultural population, whence its name of _sparum agreste, telum rusticum_. It was a kind of halberd. A form _sparus_ was also in use.

=Spatha=, Gr. and R. (σπάθη). (1) A _batten_ or wooden blade used by weavers for beating the threads of the woof. (2) The spatula of a druggist or chemist. (3) A long, broad, two-edged sword, with a sharp point.

=Spathalium=, Gr. and R. (σπαθάλιον:). A kind of bracelet with bells attached, so that it bore some resemblance to the flower-sheath of the palm-tree (_spatha_), whence its name.

=Speak-house=, O. E. A parlour.

=Spean=, Hind. A monumental bridge, of no great height, among the Khmers or ancient inhabitants of Cambodgia. The balustrade of this bridge was formed by means of NAGAGAS (q.v.).

=Spear=, Her., is seldom seen in blazon, though it appears as a “punning device” in the arms granted to Shakspeare’s father. (See LANCE, CUSPIS, &c.)

=Specillum=, R. A surgeon’s probe, of iron, bronze, or silver.

=Spectra.= Impressions which remain for a time on the retina of the eye, after looking at certain bright and coloured objects. They are either similar in colour and form to the objects which excited them, or vary according to the laws of the spectrum; e.g. if the eye is fixed on a _red_ wafer, lying on a sheet of _white_ paper, it will appear fringed with a faint _green_; then if, after a time, the eye is turned to another part of the paper, where there is no wafer, a _green_ wafer will appear.

=Spectrum.= The series of colours that a beam of white light slips into under refraction:—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

=Specula=, R. A watch-tower.

=Specularia=, Gr. and R. Window-panes made with a kind of transparent stone (_lapis specularis_).

=Speculum=, R. (_specio_, to behold). A mirror; they were made in ancient times of a white composition of copper and tin, and afterwards of silver. The back of the mirror was decorated with beautiful engraved or enchased designs. There were also glass mirrors backed with a thin leaf of metal. Mirrors were not contrived to be hung against a wall, or to stand on a table, but were generally held by female slaves in front of their mistresses. (See MIRRORS.)

=Specus=, R. Originally a dark grotto or cave; later the covered canal of an aqueduct.

=Spence=, O. E. The buttery attached to the hall; 13th, 14th century.

=Speos=, Egyp. (σπέος). HYPOGEA or subterranean Egyptian temples. _Hemispeos_ was the name given to temples built partly above and partly under the ground.

=Sperlings=, O. E. Sprats.

=Sperthe=, O. E. A battle-axe.

=Spetum=, Med. A kind of PARTISAN, but narrower and lighter.

=Sphæristerium=, Gr. and R. (σφαιριστήριον, lit. place for ball). An apartment attached to a gymnasium or set of baths for playing with balls.

=Sphæromachia=, Gr. and R. (σφαιρο-μαχία). A game of ball.

=Sphendone=, Gr. A band or fillet with which Greek ladies confined their hair. (See DIADEMA, HAIR, &c.)

=Sphinx=, Egyp. (Σφίγξ). An emblem peculiarly Egyptian, signifying the religious mystery; in this sense it was adopted by the Romans and placed in the pronaos of their temples. The ANDRO-SPHINX (Fig. 617), a human head upon a lion’s body, typified generally the union of intellectual and physical power; the CRIO-SPHINX (Fig. 618) had the head of a ram; and the HIERACO-SPHINX (Fig. 619) that of a hawk. The two latter are complex emblems; the hawk being the sun-god’s and the king’s special figure, and the ram that of the god Neph. The symbolical importance of these figures was completely disregarded in the course of their application to the purposes of Greek art.

=Sphyrelata=, Gr. Hammered metal-work; the earliest form of art manufacture in metal. Archaic statues, antecedent to the invention of the art of casting, were formed of hammered plates fastened together with rivets. (See METALLURGY.)

=Spicæ Testaceæ=, R. (_spica_, ear of corn). Oblong bricks for pavements; applied in the Spicatum Opus.

=Spicatum= (opus), R. A term answering to our HERRING-BONE. work; it was a kind of construction in which the stones were arranged so as to resemble the setting of the grains in an ear of corn. (Fig. 620.)

=Spiculum=, R. (dimin. of _spicum_, a point). The barbed iron head of an arrow or lance. The custom of barbing weapons dates from a very early period, since it is met with in prehistoric times. Fig. 621 shows a barbed bone arrow.

=Spider-work= (_opus araneum_). A kind of embroidery; specimens of the 13th and 14th centuries are in South Kensington Museum.

=Spike.= _Oil of spike_ used in wax painting is prepared from the wild lavender.

=Spina=, R. (lit. a spine). A long, low wall along the middle of a circus, marking off the course in a race. At each end were the goals, (_metæ_). (See CIRCUS, META.)

=Spinet= (Ital. _spinetta_). An old-fashioned musical instrument on the principle of the _harpsichord_ and pianoforte. Brass and steel wires were struck by quills fixed to the tongues of jacks which were moved by the keys of a finger-board. (Fig. 622.)

=Spinther=, R. (σφιγκτήρ). A bracelet; it was worn upon the left arm, and retained in its place merely by the elasticity of the material. The term is really a corruption of _sphincter_, the muscle which remains naturally contracted. (See ARMILLA.)

=Spira=, R. (σπεῖρα). Anything spiral or coiled; such as (1) a coil of rope; (2) an ornament worn by women on the head; (3) the string by which the cap of the Salian priests was fastened under the chin; (4) the base of a column.

=Spire=, Arch. An acutely-pointed termination crowning a steeple. (See CHAMFER.)

=Spirit Fresco.= A new method of painting in _fresco_, introduced by Mr. Gambier Parry, 1880.

=Spirits of Wine= are used to dissolve resins in the preparation of varnishes.

=Spirula.= Diminutive of _spira_.

=Spittle= or =Spittlehouse=, O. E. A hospital.

=Spolarium=, R. (_spolio_, to strip off). A cloakroom in the baths, where the bathers left their clothes; in an amphitheatre or circus the term was applied to a cella in which gladiators who had been killed in the arena were stripped of their clothes and weapons.

=Spolia=, R. Booty taken in war. PRÆDA means plunder generally; MANUBIUM, the share of the commander or the state; EXUVIÆ, the personal spoils of an enemy; and SPOLIA, properly speaking, arms or implements of war. (See OPIMA SPOLIA.)

=Spoon=, Chr. In early times, especially among the Greeks, Syrians, and Copts, the sacrament in one kind only was administered with a small gold or silver spoon, into which a few drops of the consecrated wine were poured. In the Middle Ages spoons were frequently ornamented with figures, some carved in ivory or wood, and others of metal. APOSTLE SPOONS had figures of the Apostles on the handles. (See LABIS and COCHLEAR.)

=Sporta=, R. A broad plaited basket made of wood and usually furnished with two handles. Diminutives of this term are _sportella_ and _sportula_.

=Springers=, Arch. The lowest stones of an arch resting on a column, pilaster, or cluster of small columns.

=Spurs= with rowels appear first in the 13th century; in early times and in antiquity they were merely sharp goads fixed to the heel. In the middle of the 15th century spurs were of extravagant length. In Heraldry, the _knightly spur_ had a single point, up to about 1320, and was known as the “pryck-spur;” the later form is called the “rouelle-spur.”

=Spurn=, O. E. A piece of stone or wood protecting a corner house or gate-post from wheels. One end is fixed in the ground, and the other attached at an angle to the post or wall.

=Squinch=, Arch. Small arches built across angles of towers to support projecting masonry above.

=Stadium=, Gr. (στάδιον). The course for the foot-race at Olympia, which measured exactly one stadium (606¾ feet). The stadium was the principal Greek measure for distance, and equalled the eighth of a Roman mile.

=Stag= (_cervus_). Representations of the stag occur in many Christian bas-reliefs and paintings. It is the emblem of many dissimilar moral ideas, but more especially of a longing desire for baptism, from an application of the text in the 42nd Psalm, “Like as the hart,” &c. (See HART.)

=Stalactite= (Gr. στάλαγμα, an icicle). Spar, in the form of icicles hanging from the roof of a cavern. =Stalagmites= are heaped up from their droppings on the floor, forming when they unite with the Stalactites the so called Organ pipes.

=Stalagmium=, Gr. and R. (σταλάγμιον). An ear-ring decorated with pearls, or small gold or silver drops, which bore more or less resemblance to the shape of a drop of water (στάλαγμα), whence its name.

=Stall-plate=, Her. The plate bearing the arms of a knight, and placed in his stall in the chapel of his order.

=Stalls=, Chr. Seats in a chapel; made to be used in two ways: either with the flap of the seat let down called “sellette,” which formed the regular seat, or with the flap raised, affording only a small resting-place called _miserere_. The elbows are often called “museaux” from their being in many cases ornamented with the head of some animal. (See MISERERE.)

=Stamen=, R. The spun thread as it comes off the spindle.

=Stamnos=, Gr. and R. A vessel in the shape of a Panathenæan water-jar or amphora, but with a wider neck, and with two ears and no handle.

=Stanchion=, Arch. The upright iron bar between the mullions of a window.

=Standard= or =Banner=, Chr. The symbol of victory over sin, death, and idolatry. (See ENSIGNS, LABARUM, SIGNA, &c.) In heraldry, a long narrow flag introduced in the 14th century. The ROYAL STANDARD bears the blazonry of the Queen’s arms. The UNION JACK was produced in the reign of James I., in 1606, as the national flag of united England and Scotland, combining the banners of St. George and St. Andrew. The latest UNION JACK shows, over the saltire of St. Andrew, the _gules_ of St. Patrick, and was introduced upon the occasion of the _union_ with Ireland. The word “Jack” is a corruption of the French “Jacques,” for James.

=Standing Stones.= Celtic monuments, also called _megalithic_, consisting of a row of stones standing in a line. (See DOLMEN, MENHIR, MEGALITHIC, &c.)

=Standish=, O. E. A case for pens and ink; an inkstand.

=Stanniferous Wares.= (See POTTERY.)

=Stapes=, =Stapia=, Med. Lat. A stirrup.

=Star of India.= An order of knighthood instituted by Queen Victoria in 1861. The INSIGNIA are the _Badge_ (Fig. 171); _collar_ of heraldic roses and lotus-flowers alternating with palm-branches, a crown being in the centre; _ribbon_ of pale blue with white borders, crossing the left shoulder; and _star_ of diamonds, having a mullet upon an irradiated field in its centre, with the motto “Heaven’s Light our Guide.”

=Stars=, Her. (See ESTOILE, MULLET.)

=Stars=, Chr. Emblematic of the canopy of Heaven, are generally represented on the domed ceilings of churches. These were usually forged in metal and fixed on to an azure ground. They are attributes of the Virgin Mary as queen of heaven, and of St. Dominic and other saints.

=Stars=, =Star-moulding=, Arch. An ornament of the Romano-Byzantine period, in the shape of a star with four rays only. (Fig. 627.) It is met with as a decoration in various mouldings.

=Statera=, R. A steelyard or Roman balance, of much later invention than the scales called _libra_. It consisted (Fig. 628) of a rod or yard (_scapa_), divided by equidistant points (_puncta_), and was suspended by means of a handle (_ansa_) consisting of a hook or chain. The weight (_æquipondium_) forms a counterpoise to any object suspended from one of the hooks or the scale (_lancula_). (Fig. 418.) The term is sometimes looked upon as a synonym of LIBRA (q.v.). It denotes besides (1) a wooden bar or yoke placed across the withers of a pair of horses harnessed to a BIJUGUS (q.v.); (2) a plate or dish, probably of circular form.

=Statuettes.= Small statues in bronze or porcelain for the decoration of rooms. For =Porcelain Statuary=, consult Jacquemart’s _History of the Ceramic Art_.

=Stauracin= (Gr. σταυρὸς, a cross) was a silken stuff figured with small plain _crosses_; hence _polystauron_, having many crosses.

=Steatite= or =Soapstone=. A soft, unctuous, magnesian mineral, used by the Chinese for statuary and decorative purposes.

=Steel, Engraving in=, was invented during the present century. The process is nearly the same as engraving in copper. (See CHALCOGRAPHY.)

=Stega=, Gr. and R. (στέγη, i. e. a covering). The deck of a ship; a synonym for CONSTRATUM (q.v.).

=Steganography=, Gr. (στεγανὸς, secret). Cypher, or secret writing, by substitution of signs for letters.

=Steinkerque= was a twisted necktie, and owed its origin to the battle of that name fought in 1692 by Marshal Luxembourg against William of Orange. When the French princes were suddenly ordered into action, hastily tying their cravats—in peaceful times an elaborate proceeding—they rushed to the charge and gained the day. In honour of this event ladies also wore their lace neckerchiefs twisted in this careless fashion. Steinkerques became the rage, and were worn in England and France by men and women for many years afterwards. The engraving represents the Grand Dauphin of France wearing a Steinkerque.

=Stela=, =Stelè=, Gr. A pillar, or stone of a cylindrical or quadrangular shape, often surmounted by an ornament in the form of a palm. These _stelæ_ served to mark out burial-places. Fig. 631 represents a Roman, and Fig. 630 a Greek stelê.

=Stemma=, Gr. and R. (στέμμα, i. e. that which crowns). Among the Greeks this term served to denote a wreath bound round with woollen fillets; among the Romans the same term denoted a long roll of parchment ornamented with garlands. This roll contained the genealogy of the family. _Stemmata_ were hung upon the busts of ancestors, and in front of the _imagines majorum_.

=Stencil.= A plate of any material in which patterns have been cut out. The use of stencil plates is of great antiquity. They were used in the schools of ancient Rome to teach writing, and by the emperors for affixing their sign manual to documents.

=Stereobate.= The base of a plain wall. (See STYLOBATES.)

=Stereochromy.= A new method of wall painting, with water-colours sprinkled over with fluoric acid, adapted permanently to resist all the influences of climate.

=Stereo-graphy= (στερεὸς, solid). Geometrical drawing of solids on a plane surface.

=Stereoscope.= A binocular glass, arranged in conformity with the natural convergence of the sight of each eye to a focal centre. An object is photographed twice, as it would appear to each eye if the other were closed; and when the two pictures are looked at together in the stereoscope, an effect of rounded solidity (_stereon_) is produced. The effect is particularly beautiful in photographs of statues.

=Stereotype.= Solid type, obtained from a cast of the forme of movable type, for permanent use in printing works of which many editions are required.

=Steyre=, O. E. A stair.

=Stiacciato=, Ital. Sculpture in very low relief, less than _basso-relievo_.

=Stibadium=, Gr. and R. (στιβάδιον). A circular dining-couch generally made of wicker-work. Another name for it was SIGMA.

=Sticharium=, Chr. (στιχάριον). A white tunic worn by the Greek bishops and deacons in certain ceremonies.

=Stigma=, R. (στίγμα, lit. a mark by pricking). A mark, impression, or brand. Thieves were branded with the letter F, which stood for _fur_, thief. A _stigma_ tattooed on the arm was the mark by which conscripts were declared capable of military service, &c., hence

=Stigmata=, Chr. The marks of the five sacred wounds on the hands, feet, and side of Our Lord; said to have been miraculously printed on the persons of saints.

=Stil de grain.= (See PINKS.)

=Still Life.= Inanimate objects.

=Stilted Arch.= One having the capital or impost mouldings of the jambs below the level of the springing of the curve, the moulding of the arch being continued vertically down to the impost mouldings.

=Stilus=, =Stylus=, R. A style, or instrument of bone, ivory, iron, bronze, or silver, about five inches long, having one end pointed, and the other flattened like a spatula; the latter served either to spread the wax on the writing-tablet, or to erase by smoothing down what had been written upon it; the other and pointed end served for writing upon the wax-covered tablet. The term also denoted (1) the needle or index of a sun-dial; (2) a bronze needle; (3) a probe employed for garden purposes. (4) A sharp stake in a pitfall. It was also called _graphium_.

=Stimulus=, R. (στίζω, to prick). A goad for driving cattle.

=Stipple.= Etched imitations of chalk drawings of the human figure, called _engravings in stipple_, have a very soft effect, but are inferior to engraving. In this variety the whole subject is executed in dots without strokes on the etching-ground, and these dots are bitten in with aquafortis. The dots may be harmonized with a little hammer, in which case the work is called _opus mallei_. In the method known as _mezzo-tinto_, a dark _barb_ or ground is raised uniformly by means of a toothed tool; and the design being traced, the light parts are scraped off from the plate by fitting instruments, according to the effect required. (See ENGRAVING.)

=Stips=, R. A small bronze coin, equal to the twelfth part of an _as_, or about a quarter of a farthing; it bore on the reverse the prow of a vessel.

=Stocheion=, Gr. A form of sun-dial. (See HOROLOGIUM.)

=Stockings= were introduced into England with knitting in 1501, when Queen Elizabeth was presented with a pair of black knit silk stockings by her tirewoman, and immediately discontinued the cloth hose she had previously worn. The Scotch claim the invention of knitting, and a French company of stocking-knitters established at Paris in 1527 took for their patron St. Fiacre, who is said to have been the son of a King of Scotland. (See NETHERSTOCKS.)

=Stola=, R. (στολὴ, lit. an equipment). The robe worn by Roman matrons; it consisted of a wide tunic with long sleeves. It came down to the ankles or feet, and was confined at the waist by a girdle, leaving broad loose folds over the breast. The pallium was worn over the _stola_. It was the distinguishing dress of the Roman matron, and the _meretrices_ or divorced women were forbidden to wear it. The _stola_ was also worn by a certain class of priests. (See PALLIUM, TOGA.) (See Fig. 632.)

=Stole=, Chr. This term, a synonym of _orarium_, denoted, with the early Christians, according to Fleury, a piece of fine linen which was worn round the neck. It was used as a kind of pocket-handkerchief, long before the introduction of Christianity, by the Romans, who named it indifferently _linteolum_, _strophium_, and _sudarium_. In the Christian Church it is represented by a narrow band of embroidered stuff, and worn over the left shoulder by deacons; and across both shoulders by bishops and priests. It is sacred to the memory of the cloth with which the Saviour is alleged to have wiped away the sweat from His face as He passed to the Crucifixion. (See SUDARIUM, ORARIUM.)

=Stone Ochre.= A pigment. An earthy oxide of iron. (See OCHRES.)

=Stone-ware.= (See POTTERY.)

=Stopping-out.= In etching, arresting the action of the acid on the fainter lines of a plate, by covering them over with a preparation called _stopping-ground_, while the deeper and broader parts corrode. (See ETCHING.)

=Stoup=, Chr. A small niche with a basin, at the entrance of a church, placed there for the holy water. O. E. A kind of tankard. (See Fig. 615.)

=Stragulatæ.= Striped or barred silks; 13th century.

=Stragulum=, R. (_sterno_, to throw over). A general term to denote any kind of covering used for bed-clothing, or a covering for men, horses, or beasts of burden, and thence a caparison.

=Strap-work=, Arch. A form of architectural ornament, by the tracery of a narrow band or fillet in convolutions similar to those that a leather strap thrown down at hazard would form. It is characteristic of the Renaissance period.

=Strasburg Porcelain.= The manufacture of this ware, which was begun by Charles Hannong about 1721, became very celebrated for about sixty years. (Consult Jacquemart’s _History of the Ceramic Art_.) (Fig. 634.)

=Strasburg Turpentine.= A varnish made of the resin from the silver fir (_pinus picea_), diluted with naphtha, drying linseed, or nut oil.

=Strena=, R. A new year’s gift or present made on the calends of January.

=Stria=, R. The fluting of a column.

=Striated.= Fluted like a column.

=Strigilis=, R. (_stringo_, to scrape). A bronze scraper for the skin, curved and hollowed like a spoon, used in the bath. The same term is used in architecture for a fluting which resembles the bath-strigil in form.

=String-course=, Arch. A narrow moulding projecting from the wall of a building in a horizontal line.

=Stroma=, =Gr.= (στρῶμα). A Greek term synonymous with the Latin STRAGULUM.

=Strontian Yellow.= A pale canary-coloured pigment.

=Strophe= (στρέφω, to turn). In Greek poetry, the first division of a choral ode, of which the other parts were the _antistrophe_ and the _epode_.

=Strophium=, R. (στρόφιον, lit. a thing twisted). (1) A long scarf which the Roman women rolled into a band, and fastened round the body and breast. (2) A girdle for the same purpose, generally of leather. (3) The term likewise denoted the cable of an anchor. (See ORARIUM.)

=Structura=, R. (_struo_, to build up). A general term for any kind of masonry. (See OPUS.)

=Struppus= or =Strupus=, R. A rope or other fastening by which the oar is attached to the thole (_scalmus_).

=Stucco=, It. A fine plaster, for covering walls, prepared by various methods, as a mixture of _gypsum_ and glue; or white marble, pulverized with plaster of lime and mixed with water; the _opus albarium_ of the ancients.

=Stump=, for drawing in pencil or crayon. It is a thick roll of strong paper made into a kind of pencil, and used for rubbing over lines to soften them down for ground tints, gradation of shading, &c.

=Stylites=, Chr. (στυλίτης). “Pillar saints.” Anchorites of the early Church who passed their lives on the top of a column, in order to give themselves up to meditation. There were some of them in Syria down to the 12th century. They derived their name from στῦλος, a column.

=Stylobate=, Arch. A pedestal supporting a row of columns; Figs. 635 to 637 represent three richly-decorated stylobates found in the baths and other Roman ruins at Nismes. (See PEDESTAL, STEREOBATE.)

=Stylus=, R. (Gr. στῦλος). A pointed instrument with which the Romans wrote on their waxed tablets. (See STILUS.)

=Subarmale=, =Subermale=, R. A garment worn by soldiers underneath their armour; it formed the tunic of the legionaries, and representations of it are very frequently met with on the bas-reliefs of monumental columns and triumphal arches.

=Subjugium=, R. Curved pieces of wood placed at each end of a yoke, _underneath_ it; whence their name.

=Sublicius=, R. (_sublica_, a pile). Any wooden structure supported on piles. (See PONS.)

=Subligaculum=, =Subligar=, R. (_subligo_, to tie below). A cloth worn by acrobats, drawn between the legs and made fast to the girdle.

=Subsecus=, R. A tenon, in carpentry; that is, the tongue or wedge which fits into a mortise.

=Subsellium=, R. (i. e. lower than a _sella_). A movable bench without a back, which was used in large assemblies. In a theatre or circus the same term was applied to the circular rows of seats in the _cavea_.

=Subsericum.= Partly, not all, silk; opposed to _holosericum_.

=Substructio=, R. (_substruo_, to build underneath). Any work of solid masonry, such as a foundation wall, abutment walls, &c. (See SUSPENSURA.)

=Subtrefoiled=, Arch. Decorated with foils placed underneath; a term applied to what are called _trefoil-headed_ arches.

=Subucula=, R. (_sub_, and _duo_, to put on). Under-garments of wool which the Romans wore next the skin, underneath the tunic.

=Suburbanum=, R. A villa in the suburbs of Rome.

=Succinctus=, R. (_succingo_, to gird beneath). Wearing a girdle round the waist above the tunic; applied to a person prepared for active exertion.

=Sucula=, R. A capstan.

=Sudarium=, Chr. A name of the miraculous portrait of our Lord, impressed on the cloth presented to Him by St. Veronica on the way to the Crucifixion. (See STOLE, VERA ICON.) A representation of this legendary portrait is given in Albert Dürer’s “Little Passion.”

=Sudatorium=, R. (_sudor_, sweat). The hot room in a Roman bath. (See CALDARIUM.)

=Sud’ha=, Hind. A temple of the Khmers or ancient inhabitants of Cambodgia, built of one unmixed material, and thence called _pure_ (_sud’ha_).

=Suffibulum=, R. A large square piece of white cloth worn by vestals and priests during the discharge of their functions.

=Suggestus=, R. (_sub_ and _gero_, to heap up). (1) A stage or platform from which an orator addressed a crowd. The ROSTRA at Rome was a celebrated _suggestus_. (2) In a camp the _suggestus_ was formed of stones and clods of turf, or constructed of wood-work, from which the general harangued the troops. (3) The raised seat from which the Emperor saw the games.

=Suile=, R. A stable for pigs; among the Romans a building of considerable size, containing a number of separate sties (_haræ_).

=Sulphate of Barytes.= (See BARYTES.)

=Sulphate of Zinc=, or white vitriol, is used as a _dryer_.

=Sulphurs.= Impressions taken by the goldsmiths of the 16th century from the engravings executed on plates, paxes, &c.; and which they obtained by spreading a layer of melted sulphur on the face of the plate, producing a cast in _relief_ of the lines engraved. Some few of these proofs exist in the British and continental museums, and are known as “sulphurs.” They are amongst the rarest specimens connected with the art of engraving. (_Fairholt._)

=Sun=, Her. When represented shining and surrounded by rays, he has a representation of a human face on his disc, and is blazoned “In splendour,” or “In glory;” when “eclipsed” the representation is the same, but tinctured sable.

=Sundials.= The sun-dial of Ahaz is mentioned by Isaiah, 713 B.C. Sundials with appropriate mottoes have been at all times fashionable. Mrs. Palliser gives a long selection of such mottoes: e.g.:—

Nulla hora sine linea, “No hour without a line.” (Nec momentum sine
linea, was Cardinal Richelieu’s motto.) Pereunt et imputantur—“They
pass and are imputed”—(_Martial_). _Of the passing hour_, Dubia
omnibus, ultima multis—(“Uncertain to all, the last to many”); or,
suprema hæc multis forsitan tibi—(“The last to many, perhaps to
thee”). The old sun-dial at the Palais de Justice in Paris is
inscribed, in letters of gold, Sacra Themis mores, ut pendula dirigit
horas—(“Holy Justice guides manners, as this dial does the hours”).
The largest number are _allusions to Death_, as:

Io vado e vengo ogni giorno. Ma tu andrai senza ritorno—(“I go and
come daily, but thou shalt go and never return.”) And on a sun-dial at
Bourges is the following:

“La vie est comme l’hombre,
Insensible en son cours.
On la croit immobile:
Elle s’avance toujours.”

More cheerful mottoes are found from Horace, as: Carpe diem. Horas non
numero nisi serenas (at Venice), &c.

(Consult _Mrs. Alfred Gatty_, “_Book of Sundials_.”)

=Super-altar=, Chr. A small portable altar.

=Superaria.= (See EPENDYTES.)

=Supercilium=, R. (lit. eye-brow). (See LIMEN SUPERIUS.)

=Superindum.= (See EPENDYTES.)

=Superpellicum=, Chr. A surplice.

=Suppedaneum.= A synonym for SCABELLUM and SCAMNUM (q.v.).

=Supplicatio=, R. (_supplico_, to kneel down). The act of praying when kneeling; opposed to _precatio_, a prayer uttered standing. Solemn thanksgivings offered to the gods in their temples.

=Supporter=, Her. A figure that stands by a shield of arms, as if supporting or guarding it. Supporters came into use during the 14th century. (See Fig. 24.)

=Surahé=, Pers. A Persian wine bottle. The illustration represents a beautiful specimen of hard porcelain decorated in patterns, of Chinese character, executed under the glaze with cobalt. A legend on the medallions contains the words _Deh surahé_, “Give me the bottle.” (Fig. 640.)

=Surbase=, Arch. The shaft of a PEDESTAL.

=Surcoat.= Any garment worn over armour; more especially the long flowing garment worn by knights until 1325. (See Fig. 463.)

=Surface-rib=, Arch. The rib of a groined vaulting.

=Surinda=, Hind. A stringed instrument played with a bow.

=Surod=, Hind. A kind of guitar, sounded with a plectrum.

=Surplice=, Chr. The Protestant _alb_. See _Stevens_, in a note to _All’s Well that Ends Well_, Act i., scene 3, for notices of the Puritan aversion to this article of clerical costume.

=Suspensura=, R. In a general sense this term denotes anything that is supported, _suspended_ above arcades, columns, or pillars, and more especially the flooring of a bath-room, when it is supported by small low pillars. Fig. 391 shows the flooring of a bath-room, and Fig. 641 the pillars supporting the suspensura. (See HYPOCAUST.)

=Svastika=, Hind. A kind of Greek cross, each branch of which ends in a hook. This cross has a sacred character, and is met with on a great variety of objects. Its origin dates back to the bronze age, and it is represented on the weapons of that period. (See FYLFOT.)

=Swallow.= In Christian symbolism, the emblem of pride and of conversion.

=Swallow-tail.= (See DOVE-TAIL.)

=Swan=, Her. When blazoned “proper”—white with red beak and legs—it is the badge of the Bohuns, Staffords, and some other families.

=Swathbondes=, O. E. Swaddling clothes (mentioned by Shakspeare).

=Swine’s Feather=, O. E. A kind of bayonet about six inches long, affixed to a musket-rest and projected by the action of a spring; 17th century.

=Sword.= (See GLADIUS.)

=Sword=, in Christian art, is a symbol of martyrdom; it is also the attribute of martyrs who were soldiers. In Heraldry, when borne as a charge, it is straight in the blade, pointed, and with a cross-guard. The custom of swearing on the sword, the hilt of which took the shape of a cross, or had crosses engraved on it, is mentioned in very ancient history. (Cf. _Hamlet_.)

=Sympathetic Inks.= Inks of which the marks are invisible until the moisture is absorbed by the application of heat. (See COBALT.)

=Symposium=, Gr. A drinking party, distinguished from _deipnon_, a feast. A very common subject of representations on ancient vases.

=Syndon= or =Sindon=. A better kind of _cendal_ (q.v.)

=Synoikia=, Gr. (1) Athenian festivals held in honour of Athena in the month Hecatombeion (July-August). Their object was to commemorate the union of the government of all the towns of Attica in Athens. (2) A lodging-house adapted to hold several families (Latin, _insula_), for the convenience of foreigners and others who by Athenian law were prohibited from acquiring house property of their own.

=Synthesis= or =Synthesina=, Gr. and R. (σύν-θεσις). One of the _vestes cœnatoriæ_ which the master of the house, the Amphitryon, provided for his guests. The parable of the “Wedding Garment” has reference to this practice. It was a kind of tunic worn over the other garments, and during the Saturnalia by all classes alike. It was usually dyed some colour, and was _not_ white like the toga.

=Sypirs=, O. E. Cloth of Cyprus.

=Syrinx= (O. E. 9th and 10th cent.). An instrument resembling Pandean pipes.

=Syrinx=, Gr. and R. (σῦριγξ). The pastoral pipe invented by Pan; it was called by the poets _arundo_ and _fistula_. It was formed of seven hollow reeds of regulated lengths adjusted to form an octave.

=Syrma=, Gr. (σύρω, to sweep). A robe with a train worn on the stage by those actors who had to represent the parts of gods or heroes. Hence the word is poetically used for tragedy.

=Systyle=, Gr. and R. (σύστυλος). An arrangement in architecture, the intercolumniation of which is of the width of two diameters of the shaft, measured at its lower part, just above the _apophyge_; the distance between the _plinths_ being exactly equal to the diameter of the plinths, as in the Parthenon at Athens.

T.

=Tabard=, O. E. (Lat. _colobium_). A tunic with sleeves, worn over the armour by knights of the Tudor period, and blazoned on the sleeves, front, and back; it is the official costume of a herald; Chaucer’s ploughman wears a _tabard_, like the modern smock-frock. (See COAT ARMOUR.) Fig. 642.

=Tabaret.= A stout, satin-striped silk.

=Tabbinet=, O. E. Another name for POPLIN.

=Tabby=, O. E. A silk _watered_ or figured.

=Tabella=, Gen. (dimin. of _tabula_). A small board, or tablet, of any kind, esp. (1) a wax-tablet; (2) a voting-tablet (_tessera_); (3) a letter sent by a messenger (_tabellarius_); (4) _tabella absolutoria_, a receipt for a debt; (5) _tabella damnatoria_, a judicial record of a verdict and sentence; (6) _tabella liminis_, the leaf of a door, &c.

=Taberna=, R. (1) A retail shop; Fig. 643 shows a shop at Pompeii, restored. (2) _Taberna deversoria_, _taberna meritoria_, or simply _taberna_, a wine-shop or _tavern_. (Fig. 643.)

=Tabernacle Work=, Arch. The ornamented open work over the _stalls_ (of a cathedral church, &c.), and, in general, any minute ornamental open work is called _tabernacle work_.

=Tabernaculum=, =Tabernacle=, R. and Chr. (Lit. a tent). (1) A booth of planks, or a wooden hut covered with hides. (2) In Christian archæology, the _tabernacle_ is a small shrine placed on the altar for the consecrated wafer. It succeeded the _pyx_, which was anciently deposited in one of two chambers arranged on each side of the altar. Originally of goldsmith’s work, in the 15th and 16th centuries they became stone shrines decorated with sculpture, approached by steps, rising into lanterns and pinnacles to the roof of the church. A cast of a beautiful tabernacle of late 15th century, marble with a gilt metal door, is in the South Kensington Museum. Tabernacles of ivory were common in the 16th century. (3) Ornamental niches in a hall. (4) Accurately applied the term signifies a _canopy_, (of stone, wood, or other material) such as was placed over a NICHE, a stall, &c.

=Tabernula.= Dimin. of TABERNA (q.v.).

=Tabinet.= (See TABBINET.)

=Tabl shamee=, Egyp. The Syrian drum, used by the modern Egyptians; a kind of kettle-drum of tinned copper, with a parchment face.

=Tablature=, Fr. One part of a painted wall or ceiling, forming a single piece or design.

=Table=, O. E. The ancient meaning of this word was “any level expanded surface,” such as a flat piece of board. A picture was called a table (Latin _tabula_) as late as the 17th century. (See TABULA.)

=Table-base=, Arch. A BASE MOULDING, near the ground, immediately over the plinth.

=Table Diamond.= A gem cut with a flat surface.

=Tablementum=, Arch. Synonym of TABULA.

=Tables=, O. E. (1) Backgammon. (2) Ivory writing-tablets, so called, were used in the middle ages in England by people of all ranks:—

“His felaw had a staff tipped with horn,
A pair of _tables_ all of ivory,
And a pointed ypolished fetishly,
And wrote alway the names, as he stood
Of alle folk that gaue hem any good.”
(_Chaucer._)

=Tablet.= (Fr. _tablette_.) Any flat surface for inscriptions; leaves for memoranda.

=Tablets.= In architecture a general term for small projecting mouldings or strings, mostly horizontal. The tablet at the top, under the battlement, is called a _cornice_, and that at the bottom a _basement_, under which is generally a thicker wall. The tablet running round doors and windows is called a _dripstone_, and if ornamented a _canopy_. (_Rickman_, p. 42.)

=Tabletterie=, Fr. Turned work in ivory or shells, &c.

=Tablinum=, R. One of the apartments in a Roman house; it was a recess in the ATRIUM, and contained the wax or ivory portraits and statues in bronze and marble of ancestors, and carved representations of their honourable achievements in the state, and the family archives. (See DOMUS.)

=Tabor=, =Tabour=, O. E. A very loud drum “which is bad for people’s heads, for, if stretched tight and struck hard, it may be heard at half a league’s distance.”

=Tabouret.= An embroidery frame.

=Tabret=, Heb. A small _tabor_.

=Tabula=, R. and Chr. (1) Literally, a _plank_, and thence used to denote a variety of objects made of wood or planks, as for instance a bench; a dice-table; a waxed writing-tablet (_tabula cerata_); a panel-painting; a votive-tablet; a voting-ticket. (2) Arch. Properly any solid construction adapted for superficial decoration, as the _frontal_ of an altar. “The most remarkable example of the _tabula_ destined for the front of the Altar, is preserved in Westminster Abbey; it is formed of wood, elaborately carved, painted and enriched with a kind of mosaic work of coloured glass, superficially inlaid, a species of decoration of Italian origin.” (Consult _Parker’s Glossary_ s.v.) (3) In Christian archæology, _tabulæ nuptiales_ or _dotales_ was the name given to the parchment scrolls in the hands of persons who figure in the marriage scenes represented on tombs.

=Tabularium=, R. A place set apart in the temples at Rome where the public records were kept.

=Tace=, Chr. The cross or crutch of St. Anthony.

=Taces.= (See TASSETS.) The _skirts_ or _coverings_ to the pockets. (_Meyrick._)

=Taces.= Overlapping plates of armour to envelope the abdomen (see TACHES), introduced in the 14th century, under Richard II.

=Tack= or =Dag=, O. E. A kind of pistol: something like a _petronel_.

=Tæda= or =Teda=, R. A resinous torch made with pieces and slips of the pine called _teda_.

=Tænia=, Gr. and R. (1) The ribbon with which a wreath or fillet round the head was attached. (2) In architecture, the band which separates the Doric frieze from the architrave; it is, in many cases, ornamented with painting similar to that shown in Fig. 644.

=Taffeta= (Pers. _taftah_, from _taftan_, to twist). A thin, glossy silken fabric, having a wavy lustre; a less costly silk than CENDAL (q.v.), 16th century. _Stow_ records that it was first made in England by John Tyce, of Shoreditch, London, 41 Elizabeth, 1598.

=Taille de bois=, Fr. Wood-engraving.

=Taille douce=, Fr. Copper-plate engraving.

=Taille dure=, Fr. Steel engraving.

=Tail-piece.= An ornamental design placed at the end of a page or chapter of a book. In French _cul-de-lampe_.

=Takel=, O. E. An arrow,—

“Wel could he dress his _takel_ yeomanly.” (_Chaucer._)

=Talaria=, R. (_talus_, the ankle). Wings fixed to the ankles; the attribute of Mercury, Perseus, and sometimes Minerva. They are represented either attached to sandals, or growing from the limb.

=Talbot=, Her. A badge of the Earl of Shrewsbury of that name (the “Scourge of France”). A silver running hound or _talbot_.

=Talbotype.= The photographic process of multiplying impressions from a _negative_, invented by Mr. Fox Talbot. (See CALOTYPE.)

=Talc= (from Germ. Talg, tallow). A translucent mineral, resembling _mica_ but much softer, “being calcined and variously prepared, it maketh a curious whitewash, which some justify lawful, because clearing not changing the complexion.” (_Fuller._) The Chinese make lanterns, shades, and ornaments of talc.

=Talent=, Gr. and R. (τάλαντον, lit. a balance). A weight of silver with the Greeks, and of copper with the Romans; applied as a unit of value. The GREEK talent of silver is estimated at rather less than 250_l._ sterling—it contained 60 _minæ_, or 6000 _drachmæ_. The ATTIC talent was of much smaller value, of less than an ounce of gold, and is that generally intended by the word. The silver talent was called _talentum magnum_. The JEWISH talent of silver = about 396_l._, and of gold = about 5475_l._ From its application as an expression of a man’s available wealth, metaphorically applied _in Scripture_ to resources of any kind, as of intellect, position, &c., for the due unselfish administration of which he is responsible.

=Talero=, It. A Venetian silver coin = about five francs.

=Talevas=, =Talvas=. (See TAVOLACE.)

=Tali=, R. (Gr. ἀστράγαλος). Knuckle-bones of sheep or goats, used from the earliest times, exactly as they are by children now, to play with. When they were marked with black dots on each face they were used as dice. The numbers were 1, 3, 4 and 6; 1 being opposite to 6, and 3 opposite to 4; and each number, and each cast, had its appropriate name: 1 was called in Greek μονὰς, εἷς, κύων, Χῖος; Ionic οἴνη; Latin, _unio_, _vulturius_, _canis_; 3 was τριὰς, and _ternio_; 4, τετρὰς, and _quaternio_; 6, ἑξὰς, ἑξίτης, Κῷος, and _senio_. The best throw was that called _Venus_ or _jactus Venereus_, in which the four _tali_ showed different numbers. By this cast the player became king of the feast or symposium; in the _canis_ (dog-throw), on the other hand, all four dice turned up the same number.

=Talisman= (Arab, tilsam, a magical image). A charm worn about the person as a protection from dangers, especially from the effects of magic and the “evil eye.” The _bullæ_ worn by children, and the rings of the ladies among the Greeks and Romans frequently contained such charms. The practice has survived in all ages and nations, and is not at all unfrequent in the 19th century, and even among the educated classes.

=Tall-boys=, O. E. High cups or glasses.

=Tall-men=, O. E. Loaded dice.

=Tall-wood=, O. E. “Pacte wodde to make byllettes of, _taillee_.” (_Palsgrave._)

=Talleh=, Arab. Myrrh from Abyssinia.

=Tallow-cut= (Fr. _en cabuchon_). This is a term applied by lapidaries to precious stones not cut into regular _facets_, but ground down and polished.