=Gabardine= or =Gallebardine=, It. “A rough Irish mantle, or horseman’s
coat; a long cassock.” It was, and is, a favourite outer garment of the
Jews.
=Gabion=, Fortification. A basket filled with earth, used in the
construction of earthworks for defensive purposes.
=Gable=, Arch. (German _Giebel_, point). The triangular end of a house
from the eaves to the top.
=Gablet.= Diminutive of gable—applied to furniture and niches.
=Gadlyngs=, O. E. Spikes on the knuckles of gauntlets, like the modern
“knuckle-dusters.”
=Gæsum=, R. A weapon of Celtic origin. It was a strong, heavy javelin
with a very long barbed iron head, used rather as a missile than a
spear.
=Gage=, Med. A glove or cap thrown to the ground as a challenge to
combat.
=Galages=, O. E. (modern, _goloshes_). Clogs fastened with _latchets_.
=Galaxia=, Gr. (Γαλάξια). Festivals in honour of Apollo, who was
surnamed _Galaxios_; they were so called because the principal offering
consisted of a barley cake cooked with milk (γάλα).
=Galaxy= (Gr. γάλα, milk). In Astronomy, the Milky Way. It passes
between Sagittarius and Gemini, dividing the sphere into two parts.
=Galbanum=, R. (_galbus_, yellow). A yellow garment worn by women; men
who adopted this kind of dress were looked upon as foppish and
effeminate.
=Galbe=, Fr. The general contour or outline of any member of
architecture; in especial, the shaft of a column. (See CONTRACTURA.) It
also denotes the lines of a vessel, console, baluster, &c.
=Galea=, R. A helmet; especially one of skin or leather, in
contradistinction to CASSIS, which denoted a metal helmet.
=Galeated.= In Heraldry, wearing a helmet.
=Galeola=, R. A very deep vessel in the shape of a helmet. It was used
for holding pure wine, and was a kind of ACRATOPHORUM (q.v.).
=Galerus=, =Galerum=, R. A peasant’s cap made of fur, and thence a wig.
It was a round leather cap, ending in a point, originally peculiar to
the priesthood.
=Galgal=, Celt. A Celtic or megalithic monument, more commonly called
TUMULUS.
=Galiot=, =Galliot= (dimin. of _galère_). A ship moved by both sails and
oars.
=Gall= (A.S. _gealla_). In an animal, a bitter yellowish green fluid
secreted by the gall-bladder. Ox-gall, clarified by boiling with animal
charcoal and filtering, is used in water-colour and in ivory painting to
make the colours spread more evenly upon the paper, ivory, &c.: mixed
with gum-arabic it thickens, and fixes the colours. A coating of it
_sets_ black-lead or crayon drawings. This word is also applied to
anything exceedingly bitter, especially to the bitter potion which it
was customary among the Jews to give to persons suffering death under
sentence of the law, for the purpose of rendering them less sensible to
pain. ὄξος μετὰ χολῆς, “vinegar to drink mingled with gall.” (Matt.
xxvii. 34.)
=Galle= (Tours de), Celt. A name applied to certain ancient monuments in
France, built by the Gauls.
=Galleon= (Sp. _galeon_). A large Spanish ship, formerly used in trading
to America as a war vessel.
=Gallery=, Gen. A covered place much longer than it is wide. In
Christian archæology it is a kind of tribune situated above the side
aisles, and having bays over the nave; it is also called TRIFORIUM
(q.v.).
[Illustration: Fig. 344. Device of Cardinal Richelieu, from the Galerie
d’Orléans, Palais Royal.]
=Galley= (Icelandic _galleyda_). A one-decked vessel, navigated with
sails and oars, in Heraldry called a LYMPHAD (q.v.). The prow of a
galley (Fig. 344), one of the devices adopted by Cardinal Richelieu, may
still be seen among the architectural decorations of his palace.
=Galloon= (Sp. _galon_). A narrow kind of lace made of silk woven with
cotton, gold, or silver; or of silk only.
=Gallow-balk=, O. E. (See GALOWS.)
=Gally-gascoynes=, O. E. Broad loose breeches; 16th century.
“His galligaskins were of corduroy,
And garters he had none.”
(_The Weary Knife-grinder._)
=Galows=, O. E. An iron bar fastened inside an open chimney, from which
the _reeking-hook_ was hung, for suspending pots and vessels over the
fire.
=Galvanography.= (See ELECTROGRAPHY, ELECTROTYPE.)
=Gamashes.= “High boots, buskins, or startups.” (_Holme_, 1688.)
=Gambeson= (Saxon _wambe_, the belly). A quilted tunic, stuffed with
wool. It answered the purpose of defensive armour, and was subsequently
called a _pourpoint_.
=Gamboge.= A gum-resin of a forest tree called Garcinia Cambogia,
generally imported in cylindrical rolls. It forms a beautiful yellow
pigment, used for water-colour; it is used to stain wood in imitation of
box, and the tincture enters into the composition of the gold-coloured
varnish for lacquering brass; it also gives a beautiful and durable
stain to marble. (_E. B._)
=Gamelion.= The seventh month of the ancient Athenian year,
corresponding to our January. It was so called because it was a
favourite season for marriages (γάμη).
=Gammut.= (See GAMUT.)
=Gamut.= The musical scale; so called from the first tone, UT (our DO),
of the model scale of Guido, which was represented by the Greek _gamma_.
=Ganoid= (γάνος, brightness). A name applied to an order of fishes,
having angular scales, composed of bony plates, covered with a strong
shining enamel.
=Gantlet.= (See GAUNTLET.)
=Garb=, Her. A sheaf of wheat, or of any other grain to be specified.
[Illustration: Fig. 345. Garde de Bras.]
=Garde de Bras.= An additional protection for the left arm, to the
elbow-piece of which it was fastened by straps and a screw. It was used
only for jousting, and first appears at the end of the 15th cent. The
example shown is of the 16th cent., from the Meyrick collection. (Fig.
345.)
[Illustration: Fig. 346 Gargoulette. Arab.]
=Gargoulette.= An Arab vase, or water-cooler, with one handle, furnished
with a spout adapted for drinking through. The piece in the illustration
is from the Arabian potteries of Maghreb in Africa. This pottery is
described by M. Jacquemart as “covered with a pinkish grey enamel of
rose colour, and heightened by a polychrome decoration in zones,
generally consisting of bands of scrolls, flowers, denticulations,
rosettes, &c.; where citron, yellow, manganese brown, green, and blue
form the most charming harmony.”
[Illustration: Fig. 347. Gargoyle, Antique.]
[Illustration: Fig. 348. Gargoyle, Gothic.]
=Gargoyle=, Mod. The projecting extremity of a gutter. In antiquity
terra-cotta masks were used for the purpose. (Fig. 347.) During the
Gothic period any kind of representation was employed. Fig. 348 shows an
upright gargoyle from the church of St. Remy at Dieppe.
=Garland=, Arch. A term employed by some authors as synonymous with
foliage; but it denotes rather heavy festoons tied with fillets, and
consisting of leaves, fruits, and flowers, as shown in Figs. 287 and
309, taken from the temple of Vesta at Tivoli. (See ENCARPA, FESTOONS.)
=Garnet.= This gem, on account of its brilliant colour and hardness, is
much used in jewellery, and although an abundant supply renders it of
little value, the gem nevertheless possesses every quality necessary for
ornamental purposes. It occurs in many colours—red, brown, yellow,
white, green, black; the streak is white; the diaphaneity varies from
transparent to sub-translucent, or nearly opaque, and it has a
subconchoidal or uneven fracture. The varieties used in jewellery are
called _carbuncle_, _cinnamon-stone_ (or _essonite_), _almandine_, and
_pyrope_ or Bohemian garnet. _Garnets_ are not much used for engraving,
being of splintery, bad grain under the tool. (_A. Billing_, _Science of
Gems_, &c.; _H. Emanuel_, _Diamonds and Precious Stones_.)
=Garnished=, Her. Adorned in a becoming manner.
[Illustration: Fig. 349. Order of the Garter. Lesser George.]
=Garter, Order of the=, instituted by Edward III. in 1350, consists of
the Sovereign and twenty-five knights companions, of whom the Prince of
Wales always is one. Knights of the Garter place K.G. after their names;
and these letters take precedence of all other titles, those of royalty
alone excepted. The stalls of the knights are in the choir of St.
George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where their garter-plates are fixed and
their banners are displayed. The insignia are the garter itself, the
badge of the order; the collar, and the Lesser George or jewel. (Fig.
349.) It was this jewel that Charles I., immediately before he suffered,
delivered to Archbishop Juxon, with the word “Remember!” The ribbon of
the order is dark blue; it passes over the left shoulder, and the Lesser
George hangs from it under the right arm.
=Garter King of Arms=, Her. The chief of the official heralds of
England, and officer of arms of the Order of the Garter.
=Gastrum=, R. An earthenware vessel with a round _belly_; whence its
name.
=Gaulus=, R. A vessel used for drinking and other purposes. The same
term was also applied to a broad-built ship employed by the Phœnicians
and by pirates.
[Illustration: Fig. 350. Gauntlet.]
=Gauntlet.= The knight’s gauntlet was made of leather covered with
plates of steel. It was not originally divided into fingers. (Fig. 350.)
=Gausapa=, =Gausape=, =Gausapum=, R. (γαυσάπης). (1) A garment
introduced from Egypt into Rome, in the time of Augustus; it was made of
a woollen cloth with a long nap on one side, and was worn on leaving the
bath; it was white or dyed purple. Gausapa was used not only for
articles of dress, but for table linen, napkins, dusters, and mattings.
(2) A wig made of human hair, worn at Rome during the Empire.
=Gauze.= A light, transparent silk texture, supposed to have been
invented at Gaza in Palestine; whence the name.
=Gavotte= (It. _gavotta_). A lively dance-tune in two-fourth time,
consisting of two sections, each containing eight measures.
=Gehenna= (Heb. _Ge-hin-nom_, i. e. the valley of Hinnom). In this
place, on the north of Jerusalem below Mount Zion, is a place called
Tophet, where children were sacrificed to Moloch. King Josiah made it
the common receptacle for rubbish and carcases, and a fire was kept
constantly burning there; hence the Jews used this term to signify
“hell.” (Compare HADES.)
=Gemellar=, R. (_gemellus_, twin). A case for holding oil; it was called
_gemellar_ from the fact of its being divided into two compartments.
=Gemelled=, Arch. Double; thus a _gemelled bay_ is one divided into two
parts; _gemelled arches_, those which are joined two and two.
=Gemelles=, Her. In pairs. (See BARS-GEMELLES.)
=Gemmæ=, Lat. (1) Precious stones, esp. cut or engraved. (2)
Drinking-vessels or objects made of precious stones. (3) Pearls. (4) The
eyes of a peacock’s tail. The original meaning of the word is a _bud_,
_eye_, or _gem_ on a plant; anything _swelling_ and bright.
=Gemoniæ=, or =Gemoniæ Scales=, R. (i. e. steps of sighs). Steps leading
to the prison in the forum, on the stairs of which the corpses of
criminals were exposed for several days.
=Gems.= Precious stones, especially when carved. (See CAMEOS.)
=Genet=, Her. A spotted animal, something like a marten.
=Genethliaci=, Gr. and R. (γενέθλη, birth). Astrologers who cast
“_nativities_.”
=Genius=, R. (_geno_, to beget). The Romans believed the existence of a
good genius, or guardian angel, born with every mortal, and which died
at the same time with him. _Genius loci_ was the name given to the
guardian spirit of a place. [See JUNONES, LARES, PENATES, &c. The
superstition has many forms in Christian as well as in pagan art.]
[Illustration: Fig. 351. Genoa Point Lace—Pillow-made.]
=Genoa Lace.= Mention is made of Genoa Lace as early as the 15th
century. Genoa was as celebrated for its pillow lace as Venice for its
needle-made. The characteristic of this lace was its design, a kind of
barleycorn-shaped pattern, radiating into rosettes from a centre. It was
particularly adapted for the large turnover collar of Louis XIII., and
was produced by plaiting, and made entirely on the pillow.
=Genouillières=, Fr. (1) Steel coverings for the knees. From the 13th
century. They were often richly ornamented. (2) In _Fortification_, the
sill of the embrasure.
=Genre Pictures.= Those representing scenes of every-day life and
manners.
=Geodes.= In Mineralogy, hollow lumps of chalcedony found deposited in
the cavities of flints, formed by the chemical action of water.
[Illustration: Fig. 352. “George” Gold Noble, Henry VIII.]
=George.= A gold noble of the time of Henry VIII. (Fig. 352.)
=George, Saint=, Her. The patron saint of England. His red cross on a
silver field first appears in English heraldry in the 14th century. (See
Fig. 349.)
=George, The=, Her. A figure of St. George on horseback, worn as a
pendant to the collar of the Order of the Garter. (See GARTER.)
=Georgic= (γεωργικὸς, rustic; from γῆ, earth, and ἔργον, work). Poems on
the subject of husbandry.
=German Silver.= An alloy of nickel, zinc, and copper. The proportions
recommended are nickel 25, zinc 25, copper 50.
=Gerrhæ.= Persian shields made of wicker-work.
=Ghebres=, Pers. Fire-worshippers.
=Ghibellines.= An Italian faction, 13th century, who supported the
German Emperors against the _Guelphs_, who stood by the Pope. The
war-cry of the Guelphs was taken from the name of Henry the Lion, Duke
of Saxony, of the house of _Wolf_; that of the Ghibellines from
_Weiblingen_, a town of Würtemberg, the seat of the Hohenstauffen
family, to which Conrad, Duke of Franconia, belonged. These two dukes
were rivals for the imperial throne of Germany.
=Ghoul=, =Ghole=, Pers. A demon who fed on dead bodies of men.
=Giallo=, =Giallolino=, =Gialdolino=, It. Pale yellow. (See MASSICOT.)
=Giaour=, Turkish. An unbeliever in Mohammed.
=Gigantomachia=, Gr. A favourite subject of Greek art, representing the
War of the Giants, sons of Cœlus and Terra, against Jupiter. They
“heaped Ossa on Pelion” to scale heaven, and were defeated by Hercules.
They are represented as of vast stature and strength, having their feet
covered with scales. A beautiful cameo in the Naples Museum represents
Jove in his chariot subduing the giants. In 1875 the German expedition
found among the ruins of a temple at Pergamus a series of sculptures of
almost colossal proportions, representing, as Pliny describes them, the
Wars of the Giants. These sculptures are now in the Berlin Museum.
=Gillo=, R. A wine-cooler, of earthenware.
[Illustration: Fig. 353. Gimmel Rings. The device of Cosmo de’ Medici.]
=Gimmel Ring=, Her. Two, sometimes three annulets interlaced. (Fig.
353.)
=Gingham= (Javanese _ginggan_). Cotton cloth, woven from dyed yarns;
distinguished from cloth printed or dyed _after_ weaving.
=Ginglymus=, R. (γίγγλυμος). A hinge moving in a socket.
=Gingrinus=, R. (γίγγρας). A flute used at funerals.
[Illustration: Fig. 354. Gipcière.]
=Gipcières.= Richly ornamented leather purses of the 14th and 15th
centuries. They were often engraved with religious mottoes. (Fig. 354.)
=Gipon.= Probably the same as _gambeson_.
=Girandole.= A large kind of branched candlestick.
=Girdled=, =Girt=, Her. Encircled or bound round.
[Illustration: Fig. 355. Girdle of a Flemish lady of the 15th century.]
=Girdles.= These were the most beautiful and costly articles of dress
during the Middle Ages. They were frequently made entirely of gold or
silver, decorated with cameos, precious stones, &c. Besides the knightly
sword; the purse, dagger, rosary, or penner and ink-horn and other
objects were suspended from the girdle. From this word the waist was
called the _girdlestead_, or place (_sted_) of the girdle. The girdles
of ladies were equally splendid, and frequently depended nearly to the
ground, as in Fig. 355. The girdle is an attribute of St. Thomas, from a
legend that the Virgin, pitying his weakness of faith, threw down to him
her girdle, after her assumption into heaven.
=Girgillus=, R. A roller turned by a windlass, for drawing up the bucket
of a well. (See JACK.)
=Girouette.= (See EPI.)
=Girt=, Her. (See GIRDLED.)
=Gisarme.= A scythe-shaped weapon with a pike, fixed on a long staff.
=Gittern=, O. E. A small guitar, strung with catgut.
=Givre.= (See WYVERN.)
=Glabrous= (Lat. _glaber_). Smooth, bald.
=Glade= (Norman _glette_, a clear spot among clouds). An opening or
passage in a wood through which the light may shine.
=Gladiators= were first exhibited at Rome, B.C. 264, at a funeral. The
practice had its origin in that very ancient one of slaughtering slaves
and captives on such occasions. Subsequently it became more general. The
different classes of gladiators, distinguished by their arms and other
circumstances, were: _Andabatæ_, who wore helmets without any opening
for the eyes, and therefore fought blindfold; _Essedarii_, who fought
from chariots (ESSEDÆ); _Hoplomachai_, who wore heavy defensive armour;
_Laqueatores_, who carried a sort of lasso or noose; _Meridiani_, who
fought in the middle of the day, and were very slightly armed;
_Mirmillones_, so called from their having the image of a fish (mormyr)
on their helmets; _Retiarii_, armed with a trident and a net. Others, as
_Samnites_, _Thraces_, &c., were named from the nation whose fashion of
armour they adopted. The fights of gladiators were favourite subjects of
Roman art, and it is assumed that in cases where no actual combats took
place at a funeral, they were represented on the walls of tombs in
sculpture or paint. The most celebrated statues of the kind are the so
called “Dying Gladiator” in the museum of the capitol at Rome, and the
Gladiator of the Borghese collection.
=Gladiolus.= Diminutive of GLADIUS, and synonym of LIGULA. (See both
words.)
[Illustration: Fig. 356. Roman sword.]
[Illustration: Fig. 357. Gallic swords.]
=Gladius=, R. A general term, including all the different kinds of
swords or glaives, but denoting more particularly the two-edged swords
used by the Greeks, Romans, and Gauls. Fig. 357 represents two Gaulish
swords, the form of which may easily be guessed, even though they are in
the scabbard; Fig. 356 is a Roman _gladius_.
=Glaive.= A blade on a pole having its edge on the outside curve, used
by foot-soldiers in the 15th century.
=Glans=, Gr. and R. (lit. an acorn). A large leaden slug, of long oval
form, which was hurled by a sling in place of stones.
[Illustration: Fig. 358. Venetian Glass Vase, 16th century.]
=Glass.= The discovery is lost in remote antiquity. Pliny gives a legend
which ascribes it to chance. Glass bottles in Egypt are represented upon
monuments of the 4th dynasty (at least 2000 years B.C.). A vase of
greenish glass found at Nineveh dates from B.C. 700. Glass is found in
the windows at Pompeii; and the Romans stained it, blew it, worked it on
lathes, and engraved it. Pliny mentions, as made by the Romans in his
time, glass coloured opaque, red, white, black (like _obsidian_), or
imitating jacinths, sapphires, and other gems; also _murrhine glass_.
This last was either an imitation of fluor-spar, or a kind of agate, or
fluor spar. The Romans also made _mosaic_ or _millefiori_, in which the
threads of colour are melted into a rod, so that at every section the
whole pattern appears; and _cameo glasses_, in which a paste of one
colour is laid over another, and the whole then carved into the required
design; _gold leaf_ was also worked into the substance or fixed on the
surface. A gate at Constantinople took its name from the glass works
near it, but little is known of the Byzantine art, nor of earlier
European art than the 13th century. In mediæval times stained glass
windows, in leaden frames, were constructed with great success in
England, France, and Flanders. In the 13th century they appear in Italy.
The Venetian art took its impulse from the capture of Constantinople in
1204. Its peculiar beauty is derived from the curved forms and tenuity
of substance obtained in blowing. (Fig. 358.) There are six kinds of
Venetian glass. (1) Vessels of colourless or _transparent glass_, or of
single colours, generally blue or purple. (2) _Gilt_ or _enamelled
glass_. (3) _Crackled glass_, having a surface rough and divided
irregularly into ridges. (4) Variegated or _marbled opaque glass_,
called _schmeltz_; the most common variety is a mixture of green and
purple, sometimes resembling jasper, sometimes chalcedony; other
varieties are imitations of lapis lazuli and tortoise-shell; and
_avanturine_, which is obtained by mingling metallic filings or
fragments of gold leaf with melted glass. (5) _Millefiori_, or _mosaic
glass_, in imitation of the old Roman process. (6) _Reticulated_,
_filigree_, or _lace glass_. The varieties contain fine threads of
glass, generally coloured, but sometimes milk-white, included in their
substance. The lightness and strength of the Venetian glass are due to
its not containing lead like our modern flint glass. Venetian _mirrors_
were for a long period widely celebrated. The oldest example of the
German _drinking-cups_, ornamented with paintings in enamel, is of the
date of 1553. The designs are commonly armorial bearings. From the
beginning of the 17th century the Bohemian manufactories supplied
_vases_ enriched with ornamental subjects, particularly with portraits
engraved upon the glass. The art of _wheel engraving upon glass_
flourished in France under Louis XVI. In modern times this kind of
ornamentation is produced by the agency of hydrofluoric acid. “Coarse
glass-making in England was, in Sussex, of great antiquity.” (_Fuller._)
“The first making of Venice glasses in England began in London, about
the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, by one Jacob Vessaline,
an Italian.” (_Stow._)
=Glass-glazed Wares.= (See GLAZED WARES.)
=Glaucous= (γλαυκός). Of a sea-green colour, or a greyish blue.
[Illustration: Fig. 359. Flemish stone-ware Cruche, 17th century.]
=Glazed Wares.= Almost immediately after the invention of Ceramic
manufacture, the application of _glaze_ or _coloured enamel_ must have
improved it. What we term _glaçure_ is a light varnish which enlivens
and harmonizes the porous surface of terra-cotta. In its simple state it
is a mixture of silex and lead, and in this state it is transparent, as
we find it on _antique vases_; when vitrifiable, and mixed with tin, as
in the case of _majolicas_, it is called enamel; and when of vitrifiable
and earthen substance, such as can only be melted at the temperature
required for the baking of the paste itself, it is known as GLAZE, or
_couverte_, and can be identified in the Persian faiences and Flemish
stone-ware. (Figs. 359, 360.) (See _Burty_, _Chefs-d’œuvre of the
Industrial Arts_.)
[Illustration: Fig. 360. German enamelled stone-ware Cruche, date first
half of the 16th century.]
=Glazing.= In oil painting, the application of thin layer of colour to
finally modify the tone. In pottery, a vitreous covering over the
surface. (See GLAZED WARES.)
=Globe=, held in the hand, is the emblem of power.
=Globus=, R. A military manœuvre employed by a body of Roman soldiers
when surrounded by superior forces; it consisted in forming a circle
facing in every direction.
[Illustration: Fig. 361. Glory. Vesica Piscis in Ely Cathedral.]
=Glory=, =Nimbus= or =Aureole=, the Christian attribute of sanctity, is
of pagan origin, common to images of the gods, and Roman, even
Christian, emperors. Satan in miniatures of the 9th to 13th century
wears a glory. The earliest known Christian example is a gem of St.
Martin of the early part of the 6th century. The glory round the head is
properly the nimbus or aureole. The oblong glory surrounding the whole
person, called in Latin “vesica piscis” (Fig. 361), and in Italian the
“mandorla” (almond) from its form, is confined to figures of Christ and
the Virgin, or saints who are in the act of ascending into heaven. When
used to distinguish one of the three divine Persons of the Trinity, the
glory is often cruciform or triangular: the square nimbus designates a
person living at the time the work was executed. In other instances it
is circular. Coloured glories are variously symbolical. (_Mrs. Jameson_,
“_The Poetry of Sacred and Legendary Art_.”)
=Gloves.= In the 14th century already _gloves_ were worn, jewelled on
the back, as a badge of rank. “They were worn in the hat,” says
Steevens, “as the favour of a mistress, or the memorial of a friend, and
as a mark to be challenged by an enemy.” A glove of the 17th century is
described “of a light buff leather, beautifully ornamented with spangles
and needlework in gold and silver threads, with a gold lace border, and
silk opening at the wrist.” Gloves were called “cheirothecæ,”
hand-coverers, by the Greeks and Romans; they were made without separate
fingers, the thumb only being free. A legend current at Grenoble affirms
that St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, was a knitter of gloves.
=Gluten.= In wax painting, the compound with which the pigments are
mixed.
=Glyphs=, Arch. The flutings of an ornament or grooving forming the
segment of a circle. (See DIGLYPH, TRIGLYPH.)
=Glyptics.= The art of engraving on precious stones.
=Glyptotheca=, Gr. and R. (1) A gallery for sculpture. (2) A collection
of engraved stones.
=Gnomon=, Gr. and R. The iron pin or index, which, by the projection of
its shadow, marks the hour upon a sun-dial.
=Goal.= (See META.)
=Goat.= The emblem of lasciviousness.
=Gobelins.= Celebrated Royal French manufactory of tapestry, named from
the successors of Jean Gobelin, who brought the art to Paris in the 15th
century from Rheims. [See _Burty_, _Chefs-d’œuvre of Industrial Art_.]
=Godenda=, O. E. A pole-axe, having a spike at its end; 13th century.
=Goderonné=, =Gouderonné= (Needlework). A fluted pattern of embroidery
in vogue in the 16th century.
[Illustration: Fig. 362. Egyptian Diadem of gold and lapis lazuli of the
ancient Empire, found in the tomb of Queen Aah-Hotep.]
=Gold.= It is probable that the earliest recorded mark upon units of
value was the image of a sheep or an ox; hence money in Latin is called
_pecunia_, from _pecus_, cattle, the original form of barbaric wealth,
for which gold was the substitute. The wealth of Abraham in silver and
gold, as well as in cattle, is mentioned in Genesis. No coins of gold or
silver have been found in EGYPT or NINEVEH, although beautiful specimens
of the goldsmith’s art have been recovered from the tombs of both
countries. The HEBREWS, taught by the Egyptians, made their ark,
mercy-seat, altar of incense, seven-branched candlestick, and other
golden ornaments, even in the desert of Sinai. The seven-branched
candlestick is represented in sculpture on the arch of Titus at Rome. At
BABYLON and NINEVEH gold is said to have been lavishly applied in
gilding sculpture, and even walls; but it is suggested that an alloy of
copper, the _aurichalcum_ of the Greeks, was the metal in reality used
for this purpose. The heroes of the Greek epic had golden shields and
helmets; breastplates and other large pieces of golden armour are among
the recent discoveries at Mycenæ; at Kourioum in the island of Cyprus
also great stores of golden ornaments of a very early age have been
discovered. In SCYTHIAN tombs in Russia also, about Kertch, beautiful
relics of Grecian work in gold have been found, showing that in the very
earliest ages the skill and taste applied to this art were not less than
those of later times. The gold jewellery of ancient India also excelled
that of modern date, but none, before or since, ever equalled the great
age of GREEK art. Pausanias describes a statue of Athene, made by
Pheidias, and kept in the Parthenon at Athens, of ivory and
gold—_chryselephantine_—delicately worked all over; and a still larger
statue of Jupiter, of the same materials. Native gold alloyed with
one-fifth silver was greatly prized by the Greek artists, who gave it
the name of _electrum_. Examples of this electrum are rare; there is a
vase at St. Petersburg. The ROMANS used to pay enormous prices for their
household plate; for an example, the bowl of Pytheas, on which were
represented Ulysses and Diomed with the palladium, fetched 10,000
denarii, or about 330_l._ _per ounce_. Few specimens of Roman art have
escaped destruction. (Fig. 7.) Of the age of BYZANTINE splendour we are
told that the Emperor Acadius, early in the 5th century, sat on a throne
of massive gold, his chariot being also of gold, &c. In the 9th century
the throne of Theophilus was overshadowed by a tree of gold, with birds
in the branches, and at the foot two lions all gold. The lions roared
and the birds piped in the branches. A remarkable wealth of ancient
goldsmith’s work has been found in IRELAND, consisting principally of
personal ornaments. In the 9th and 10th centuries the Irish workmanship
was unsurpassed in Europe. It consisted principally of objects for
religious use, and is characterized by a filagree of extraordinary
richness, akin to the intricate traceries of the Irish illuminated work
on MS. of the same date and derivation. In the 10th and 11th centuries
there was a great revival of art throughout Europe. In GERMANY, the
abbey of Hildesheim, under Bishop Bernward, became the centre of a
school of goldsmiths, and some beautiful specimens of hammered gold, by
the bishop’s hand, are preserved.
[Illustration: Fig. 363. Greek Ear-ring of gold, and part of a necklace.
(_See also Fig. 276._)]
=Gold=, in Christian art. (See YELLOW.)
=Gold, Cloth of=, is mentioned in the Pentateuch, and was common
throughout the East in all ages. It was originally wrought, not in
rounded wire but flat, as the Chinese, the Indians, and the Italians
(their _lama d’oro_) weave it now. The early Roman kings wore tunics of
gold, and the Romans used it as a shroud for burial. King Childeric, A.
D. 482, was buried at Tournai in a mantle of golden stuff. It was much
favoured in England for church vestments, and by royalty, especially by
Edward IV. and Henry VIII. and the nobility of their time. (The
different varieties are described in their order. See ACCA, ARESTE,
BATUZ, CHRYSO-CLAVUS, CICLATOUN, DORNECK, SAMIT.)
=Goldbeater’s Skin=, prepared from a membrane found in the stomach of
the ox, is used to separate leaf-gold in the process of gold-beating.
=Golden Fleece.= An Order of Knighthood instituted on the 10th of
January, 1429, by Philip, Duke of Burgundy. The COLLAR is composed of
double steels, interwoven with flint-stones, emitting sparks of fire, at
the end whereof hangs on the breast a Golden Fleece. The fusils are
joined two and two together, as if they were double BB’s (the cyphers of
Burgundy). The _flint-stones_ are the ancient arms of the Sovereigns of
Burgundy, with the motto “_Ante ferit quam flamma micet_.” (See Fig.
342.) The motto of the Order is “_Pretium non vile laborum_.” There are
four great officers, viz. the Chancellor, Treasurer, Register, and a
King of Arms, called _Toison d’Or_. The BADGE consists of a Golden
Fleece, suspended from a flint-stone, which is surrounded with flames of
gold.
=Golden Spur.= An Order of Knighthood said to have been instituted by
Pius IV., at Rome, in 1559. They are sometimes spoken of as the
CHEVALIERS PIES or PIORUM, and must be distinguished from those who are
created knights on the coronation or marriage days of Emperors and
Kings, and who receive at the same time the _Spurs of Honour_. These
alone are entitled to the appellation of EQUITES AURATI. [Cf. _Peter de
Bellet_, _Favin_, &c.]
=Golden Stole= of Venice. (See STOLA D’ORO.)
=Golione=, O. E. A kind of gown.
=Gondola=, It. A Venetian pleasure-boat or barge.
=Gonfalon= or =Gonfanon=, Fr. (1) A richly-worked pointed banner carried
upon a lance; 13th century. (2) An ecclesiastical banner.
=Gonfalonier=. The bearer of a gonfalon.
=Goniometer= (γωνία, an angle, &c.). An instrument for measuring the
angles of crystals.
=Gonjo=, O. E. (14th century). Said to be the _gorget_.
=Gopouras=, Hind. The pyramid-shaped door of the Hindoo temples.
_Dwararab’ha_, or door of splendour, was the name given to a door with
one or two tiers; _dwarasala_, or door of the dwelling, a door with two
or four tiers; _dwaraprasada_, or propitious door, a door with three to
five tiers; _dwaraharmya_, or door of the palace, a door with five to
seven tiers; lastly, _dwaragopouras_, or door-tower with seven to
sixteen tiers.
=Gorged=, Her. Wearing a collar.
=Gorget=, Fr. A defence or covering for the neck.
[Illustration: Fig. 364. Gorgoneia.]
=Gorgoneia.= Masks of the Gorgon’s head, which were fixed as bosses upon
walls or shields.
=Gossamer=, O. E. (properly _God’s summer_). The name is attributed to
an old legend that the fine filaments so called are the fragments of the
winding-sheet of the Virgin Mary, which fell away from her as she was
taken up to heaven.
=Gothamites=, O. E. The inhabitants of the village of Gotham in
Northumberland, renowned for their stupidity. A reprint of the tale
called “The Wise Men of Gotham” appeared in 1840.
=Gouache=, Fr. This term is applied to the use in water-colour painting
of opaque colours more or less mixed and modified with white. The
process is extremely ancient, known to the Chinese and Indians of the
earliest times, and to the Greeks and Romans. It was the method used by
mediæval illuminators. Its result is a velvety reflection of the light.
[Illustration: Fig. 365. Gourd-shaped bottle. Anatolian.]
=Gourd of Noah.= A piece of ancient blue faience from Asia Minor.
According to the tradition current in the country, these vessels, which
are in great veneration, would go back to such remote antiquity that it
was by one of them that Noah was betrayed into the first act of
inebriety recorded in history. (_Jacquemart._)
=Gouttée=, =Guttée=, Her. Sprinkled over with drops of gold, silver,
blue (tears), red (blood), or black (_poix_).
=Gown= (British _gwn_, Norman _gunna_). The men wore gowns in the Middle
Ages, the women at all times.
=Grabatus=, R. (κράβατος). A sort of low framework, consisting of a
network of cords, used to support a mattress; it was the least
comfortable kind of bed; whence the French word _grabat_ to denote a
sorry kind of bed.
=Gradient=, Her. Walking.
=Gradus=, R. A flight of steps leading to a temple; the tiers of seats
in a theatre or amphitheatre, &c.
=Græcostasis.= A part of the Roman forum, where the Greek ambassadors
stood to hear the debates.
=Graffiti=, It. Lines drawn with a graver upon clay or plaster. (See
SGRAFFITI.)
=Grafted=, Her. Inserted and fixed.
=Grand-garde=, Plate armour to cover the breast and left shoulder, worn
outside the usual armour in jousting at tournaments.
=Grand Quarters=, Her. The four primary divisions of a shield when it is
divided per cross or quarterly.
=Graphite.= Plumbago.
=Graphometer.= A mathematical instrument, called also a semicircle.
=Graphotype.= A method of producing book illustrations for printing
along with type, without the art of an engraver.
=Grass-green.= (See CHRYSOCOLLA.)
=Graver= or =Burin=. An engraving-tool. (See CHALCOGRAPHY.)
=Grazioso=, It. In Music, an intimation to perform the music smoothly
and gracefully.
=Greaves.= Plate armour for the legs.
=Grece=, O. E. A step, or flight of stairs. (See GRYSE.)
=Greeces=, Her. Steps.
=Greek Lace.= A kind of cutwork, described under LACE (q.v.).
=Green=, in Christian art, or the emerald, is the colour of spring;
emblem of hope, particularly hope in immortality; and of victory, as the
colour of the palm and the laurel.
=Green.= (See CARBONATES OF COPPER, OXIDES OF COPPER, SCHEELE’S GREEN,
SAP GREEN, CHROME GREEN, &c.)
=Green Bice.= Green cinnabar. (See CHROME GREEN.)
=Green Earth= (burnt terra verde) is a brown pigment, very useful for
landscape painting in oil colours; it is not affected by exposure to
strong light or impure air.
=Green Lakes.= (See PURPLE LAKES.)
=Green Verditer.= (See VERDITER.)
=Gregorian Calendar.= The calendar as reformed by Pope Gregory XIII. in
1582.
=Gregorian Music.= A collection of chants, originally compiled by
Gregory I. (the Great), A. D. 600. “It was observed by St. Gregory, a
great musician of his time, that the _Ambrosian Chants_, handed down
traditionally to a great extent, had become corrupted; he therefore
subjected them to revision, and added other modes and scales to those
four which Ambrose had retained. This was done by taking away the upper
tetrachord from the Ambrosian scales, and placing it below the lower
tetrachord.” (See _Music_, by the Rev. J. R. Lunn, B.D., in _Dictionary
of Christian Antiquities_.)
=Grey=, in Christian art, the colour of ashes, signified mourning,
humility, and innocence accused.
=Greybeards=, O. E. Stone-ware drinking-jugs, with a bearded face on the
spout.
=Gridiron= (It. _la graticola_). The attribute of St. Lawrence.
=Griffin.= (See GRYPHUS.)
=Grinding.= Pigments are generally ground in poppy or nut oil, which dry
best and do not deaden the colours. It is essential that these oils be
in the purest state, bright and clear. A good oil ought to be so dry in
five or six days that the picture can be repainted.
=Griphus=, Gr. and R. (γρῖφος). Literally, a fishing-net, and thence a
riddle propounded by guests at a banquet.
=Grisaille=, Fr. A style of painting _in grey_, by which solid bodies
are represented as if in relief; adapted for architectural subjects.
[Illustration: Fig. 366. Groat of Edward III.]
=Groat.= An old English silver coin, equal to 4_d._ In England, in the
Saxon times, no silver coin larger in value than a penny was struck, nor
after the Conquest till the reign of Edward III., who about 1351 coined
_grosses_ or great pieces, which went for 4_d._ each; and so the matter
stood till the reign of Henry VII., who in 1504 first coined shillings.
=Grogram= (Fr. _gros-grains_). A coarse woollen cloth with large woof
and a rough pile. Grogram gowns were worn by countrywomen, 15th to 17th
centuries. _Fairholt_ says that the mixed liquor called _grog_ obtained
its name from the admiral who ordered it to be given to the sailors; who
from wearing a grogram coat was called “Old Grog.”
=Groin=, Arch. The angular curve formed at the intersection of a vaulted
roof; the line made by the intersection of arched vaults crossing each
other at any angle. (See Fig. 173.)
=Grolier Scroll.= A beautiful and elaborate style of decoration for
bookbinding, introduced by _Grolier_, a celebrated patron of
bookbinding, in the 15th century.
=Groma= and =Gruma=, R. A quadrant; an instrument used by
land-surveyors. In the plural, _grumæ_ denotes the intersection of two
roads cutting each other at right angles.
[Illustration: Fig. 367. Grotesque from a stall in Rouen Cathedral.]
=Grotesques=, Arch. (It. _grottesco_, the style in which grottoes were
ornamented). Figures of a monstrous, comic, or obscene character, which
were spread in profusion over the façades of churches by mediæval
artists (_ymaigiers_); in stone and in wood; on choir-stalls and the
wood-work and wainscoting of interiors. Figs. 367, 368 represent figures
upon the stalls and columns in Rouen Cathedral.
[Illustration: Fig. 368. Grotesque decoration from the Cathedral at
Rouen.]
=Grounds= or =Priming=. In painting, the first coat of colour laid all
over the canvas, upon which the picture is to be painted.
=Grus=, Lat. (_a crane_). A constellation of the southern hemisphere.
=Gry.= A measure containing ⅒ of a _line_. A _line_ is ⅒ of a _digit_, a
_digit_ is ⅒ of a foot, and a (philosophical) foot is ⅓ of a pendulum
whose vibrations, in the latitude of 45°, are each equal to one second
of time, or ¹⁄₆₀ of a minute.
[Illustration: Fig. 369. Heraldic Griffin.]
=Gryphus=, =Griffin=, Gen. (γρύψ). A fabulous animal, represented with
the body of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle. In ancient art
it was applied in the decoration of friezes, one of the finest specimens
being that at the temple of Antoninus and Faustina at Rome. It was a
heraldic symbol among the Scythians, and is the ancient crest of the
city of London. As an emblem this monster symbolizes the destroying
power of the gods.
=Gryse=, =Grece=, =Tredyl=, or =Steyre=, O. E. A step, a flight of
stairs.
=Guacos= or =Huacos=, Peruv. The consecrated burial-places of the
ancient Peruvians.
[Illustration: Fig. 370. Passant guardant.]
=Guardant=, Her. Looking out from the field, as the lions in Fig. 370.
=Guazzo=, It. A hard and durable kind of distemper painting, used by the
ancients, calculated to resist damp and to preserve the colours.
[Illustration: Fig. 371. Gubbio Cup, 1519. Louvre Museum.]
=Gubbio=. A celebrated Italian botega of ceramic art, founded in 1498 by
Giorgio Andreoli, the reputed inventor of the secret of metallic
lustres. Fig. 371 is a cup bearing upon a fillet the inscription “_Ex o
Giorg._,” “of the fabric of Giorgio.”
=Gubernaculum=, R. (_guberno_, to direct). A rudder; originally an oar
with a broad blade, which was fixed, not at the extremity, but at each
side of the stern. A ship had commonly two rudders joined together by a
pole.
=Guelfs= or =Guelphs=. (See GHIBELLINES.)
[Illustration: Fig. 372. Badge of the Gueux.]
=Gueux, Badge of the.= The celebrated Netherlandish confraternity of the
Gueux (or Beggars), which had its origin in a jest spoken at a banquet,
assumed not only the dress, but the staff, wooden bowl, and wallet of
the professional beggar, and even went so far as to clothe their
retainers and servants in mendicant garb. The badge represents two hands
clasped across and through a double wallet.
=Guidon=, Fr. (1) The silk standard of a regiment; (2) its bearer.
=Guige=, Her. A shield-belt worn over the right shoulder.
=Guild=, O. E. (Saxon _guildan_, to pay). A fraternity or company, every
member of which was _gildare_, i. e. had to pay something towards the
charges. Merchant guilds first became general in Europe in the 11th
century. (See _Anderson’s History of Commerce_, vol. i. p. 70.)
[Illustration: Fig. 373. Base ornamented with guilloche.]
=Guilloche.= A series of interlaced ornaments on stone, resembling
network.
[Illustration: Fig. 374. Band with the guilloche ornament.]
=Guilloched.= Waved or engine-turned.
=Guimet’s Ultramarine.= A valuable substitute for the more costly
preparation. It is transparent and durable.
=Guimet’s Yellow= is the deutoxide of lead and antimony, useful in
enamel or porcelain painting.
=Guinea.= An English coin first struck _temp._ Car. II., and so called
because the gold was brought from the coast of _Guinea_ (the Portuguese
_Genahoa_). It originally bore the impress of an elephant. The sovereign
superseded it in 1817.
=Guisarme.= An ancient weapon of the nature of a pike or bill. (See
_Meyrick_.)
=Guitar= (Spanish _guitarra_). A stringed musical instrument, played as
a harp with the fingers.
=Gules=, Her. (Fr. _gueules_). Red, represented in engraving by
perpendicular lines.
=Gum-arabic= dissolved in water constitutes the well-known vehicle for
water-colour painting—_gum-water_.
=Gunter’s Line.= A line of logarithms graduated on a ruler, for
practical use in the application of logarithms to the ordinary
calculations of an architect, builder, &c. Other similar instruments
invented by the great mathematician (+ 1626) are _Gunter’s Quadrant_ and
_Gunter’s Scale_, used by seamen and for astronomical calculations.
=Gurgustium=, R. A cave, hovel, or any dark and wretched abode.
=Gussets= were small pieces of chain mail at the openings of the joints
beneath the arms.
=Guttæ=, Arch. (drops). Small conical-shaped ornaments, used in the
Doric entablature immediately under the mutule beneath the triglyph.
(See Fig. 265.)
=Guttée=, Her. (See GOUTTÉE.) Sprinkled over.
=Gutturnium=, R. (_guttur_, the throat). A water-jug or ewer; it was a
vessel of very elegant form, and was used chiefly by slaves for pouring
water over the hands of the guests before and after a meal. (See
ABLUTIONS.)
=Guttus=, R. (_gutta_, a drop). A vessel with a very narrow neck and
mouth, by means of which liquids could be poured out drop by drop;
whence its name. It was especially used in sacrifices, and is a common
object upon coins of a religious character.
=Gutty=, Her. Charged or sprinkled with _drops_.
=Gwerre=, O. E. The choir of a church.
=Gymmers=, O. E. Hinges. (The word is still used.)
=Gymnasium=, Gr. (γυμνάσιον; γυμνὸς, stripped). A large building used by
the Greeks, answering to the Roman _palæstra_, in which gymnastics were
taught and practised. There were also attached to it assembly rooms for
rhetoricians and philosophers.
=Gynæceum=, Gr. (from γυνὴ, a woman). That part of the Greek house which
was set apart for the women. (See DOMUS.)
=Gypsum= (Gr. γύψος). The property of rapid consolidation renders gypsum
very available for taking casts of works of art, &c. It is much employed
in architectural ornaments. The gypsum of Paris is called
_Montmartrite_, and forms the best _Plaster of Paris_, as it resists the
weather better than purer sorts. It contains 17 per cent. of carbonate
of lime. (See also ALABASTER.)
=Gyron=, Her. A triangular figure, one of the subordinaries.
[Illustration: Fig. 375. Gyronny.]
=Gyronny=, Her. A field divided into gyrons.