=M-roof=, Arch. A roof formed by the junction of two common roofs, with
a valley between them.
=Macabre.= (See DANCE OF DEATH.)
=Macaronic Verses.= A burlesque of Latin, chequered with Italian,
Tuscan, and plebeian words, described by the author:—
“Ars ista poetica nuncupatur Ars Macaronica, a Macaronibus derivata;
qui Macarones sunt quoddam pulmentum, farina, caseo, butyro
compaginatum, grossum, rude et rusticanum. Ideo Macaronica nil nisi
grossedinem, ruditatem, et _Vocabulazzos_ debet in se continere.”
=Macchia=, It. (lit. a spot or stain). “The blocking out of the masses
of light and shade.” (See _Eastlake’s Materials_, &c., ii. 355.)
=Mace= (Fr. _masse_ or _massue_). A military club or staff, generally of
iron with a wooden handle, useful for breaking defensive armour. The
mace was generally worn at the saddle-bow; and was subsequently
perforated to form a pistol, and finally superseded by the pistol. In
the Middle Ages the mace became an emblem of office; and is so
still—usually surmounted by a crown. (See CLAVA, CLUB.)
=Macellarius=, R. (_macellum_, a market). A keeper of a shop for the
sale of fruit and cooked provisions. His shop was called _taverna
macellaria_.
=Macellum=, Gr. and R. (μάκελλον). A covered market in which were sold
all kinds of provisions, such as fish, poultry, and game; it was
distinct from the open market called FORUM (q.v.).
[Illustration: Fig. 438. Maceria.]
=Maceria=, R. (1) A rough wall formed of materials of every description,
and having no _facing_. (2) An enclosed place unroofed. (Fig. 438.)
=Machæra=, Gr. and R. (μάχαιρα). A sword with only one edge, made rather
for cutting than thrusting.
=Machærium=, Gr. and R. (μαχαίριον). Dimin. of _machæra_, a knife
employed chiefly by fishermen.
=Machærophorus=, Gr. and R. (μαχαιρο-φόρος). Literally, _armed with the
hunting-knife_, the _machærium_; an epithet of the so called _barbarous_
nations, such as the Egyptians, Persians, Medes, Thracians, and Gauls.
=Machicolated=, Arch. Furnished with machicolations.
=Machicolations= (Fr. _machicoulis_), Arch. Openings or grooves made
under the parapet of a fortified place, through which stones, pitch,
boiling water, or hot sand were thrown down.
=Macrochera=, Gr. (μακρό-χειρ, long-armed). A tunic with long sleeves,
called by the Romans CHIRIDOTA.
=Macrocolum=, =Macrocollum=, R. Paper of the largest size, that is to
say, in sheets formed of a number of pieces of parchment or papyrus
glued together.
=Macula=, R. The mesh of a net; in the plural _maculæ_.
=Madder.= The root of “rubia tinctoria” (Fr. _garance_), from which a
number of valuable pigments are made, which are transparent and
permanent, working equally well in oil and in water-colours. They vary
from the lightest and most delicate rose to the deepest purple, and are
known as _rose madder_, _pink madder_, _madder-carmine_, _purple
madder_, _brown madder_, _intense madder purple_, and _orange madder
lake_.
=Madonna=, It. The Virgin Mary. (See JOYS.)
=Mæander=, Gr. (Μαίανδρος). An ornamental design so called from the
numerous windings it described, like the river _Mæander_. Its proper
name is the GREEK FRET. (Figs. 334 to 336.)
=Mælium.= (See MELIUM.)
=Mæmacteria=, Gr. (μαιμακτήρια). Festivals held at Athens in honour of
the boisterous or stormy Zeus (Μαιμάκτης), with the object of obtaining
a mild winter.
=Mænad=, Gr. (μαινάς). Literally, a frenzied woman, and thence a
bacchante. (See BACCHA.)
=Mænhir.= (See MENHIR.)
=Mænia Columna=, R. A column situated in the Roman forum, near which
certain magistrates (_triumviri criminales_) judged criminals, slaves,
and vagrants.
=Mæniana=, =Mænianæ Scholæ=, R. Celebrated schools of Gaul founded by
Augustus at Autun (_Augustodunum_ or _Bibracte_), so called because the
buildings were furnished with balconies (_mæniana_). (See MÆNIANUM.)
=Mænianum=, R. A structure supported on corbels; a balcony projecting
from the wall of a house; in a theatre or amphitheatre, one range of
seats comprised between two landing-places (_præcinctiones_). Originally
a balcony erected round the Roman forum, B.C. 318, to give accommodation
to the spectators of gladiatorial contests. Afterwards balconies in
general were so called.
=Maes=, Celt. A Welsh word for a field of battle, common in
topographical nomenclature.
=Mafil.= (See MAHFIL.)
=Mafors= or =Mavors= (Gr. μαφώριον) was a short veil covering the head
and neck and flowing down on the shoulders, such as nuns wear in
imitation of the Virgin Mary.
=Magadis=, Gr. (μάγαδις). A musical instrument invented by the Lydians;
it was a kind of harp, which changed its form and was afterwards called
SAMBUCA (q.v.). (See LYRA.)
=Maghreb Pottery.= (See GARGOULETTE.)
=Magi.= The adoration of the Magi (commemorated on Christmas Day) is the
subject of some of the earliest specimens of Christian art. A fresco in
the catacomb of St. Agnes, representing the Magi before Herod, is
attributed to the 2nd century, and the mosaics of St. Maria Maggiore at
Rome, in which the same subject occurs, are of the 5th century.
=Magnase Black.= A colour which dries rapidly when mixed with oil, and
is of intense body.
=Mahfil=, Arab. A raised seat in a mosque, for the _imaum mocri_ who
reads the Koran, and for the _imaum khatib_, who recites prayer,
preaches, and acts as the minister of the services generally.
=Mahl-stick.= A stick with a pad at the end, upon which the painter
rests the wrist of his right arm while working.
=Mahogany.= Wood of the _Swietenia mahogoni_ of Jamaica and Honduras.
Satin-wood, or green mahogany, is the _Chloroxyllon_; mottled, or
African mahogany, is the _Khaya_; Indian mahogany is the _Cedrela
toona_.
=Mahoitres=, O. E. The name of a singular fashion of the 15th
century—“of prankyd gownes, and _shoulders up set_, moss and flocks
sewed within”—of padding up the shoulder to give a broad appearance to
the chest. (See Figs. 51, 355, and 469.)
=Mail= (from the Fr. _maille_, the meshes of a net). Applied to chain or
ringed armour. “Rich _mayles_ that ronke (_strong_) were and round.”
=Mainefaire=, O. E. The covering for a horse’s _mane_. It was made of
overlapping plates, like a lobster’s tail; and was fastened to the
_testière_ by buttons, and round the animal’s neck by straps.
(_Meyrick._)
=Maintenance, Cap of=, Her. (See CHAPEAU.)
[Illustration: Fig. 439. Majolica Plate (Urbino Ware).]
=Maiolica= or =Majolica=. The Italian name for the glazed earthenware
introduced by Moorish potters from the island of Majorca. Originally
these terms were only applied to “_lustre wares_,” but from the 16th
century they were generally applied to the _glazed earthenware_ of
Italy. A coarser lead-glazed lustred ware was known as mezza-majolica.
The distinguishing characteristics of the Majolica ware are “coarseness
of ware, intricacy of pattern, and occasionally prismatic glaze.” It is
also named FAIENCE, from the _botega_ at FAENZA, and, when decorated
with subjects after designs of Raphael, “Raffaelle-ware.” FAYENCE,
_terraglia_, as distinct from PORCELAIN, is formed of potter’s clay
(hence its English name Pottery) mixed with marl and sand, and is _soft_
or _hard_ according to the nature of the composition, and the degree of
heat under which it is fired in the kiln. English _earthenware_ is soft,
while _stone-ware_, _Queen’s ware_, &c., are hard. Soft wares are either
unglazed, or _lustrous_, or _glazed_, or enamelled. The Italian lustrous
ware is properly, and the glazed ware improperly, but generally called
MAJOLICA.
=Majesty= (It. _Maesta_), Chr. A conventional representation of the
Saviour in glory, on a throne, encompassed by a _nimbus_, and surrounded
by cherubim, and the four evangelistic symbols, and the letters Α and Ω.
“The only existing document relating to Cimabue shows that he was
employed in 1301 on a mosaic ‘Majesty’ in the tribune of the Duomo at
Pisa.” (_Eastlake._)
=Mala Pioba.= Irish (_mala_, a bag). The bagpipe.
=Malachite.= A native carbonate of copper, forming a beautiful and
permanent green pigment, used for oils and water-colours. _Incrusted_
upon other materials it is used for articles of ornament. _Blue_
malachite is pure carbonate of copper; _green_ malachite is green
carbonate of copper; _emerald_ or _royal_ malachite is dioptase of
copper, a still rarer green and the best of all, which is a mixture of
copper and silica; _false_ or _pseudo_-malachite is phosphate of copper,
soft and silky, and of a rich velvet green marred by black spots or
lines, and not so rich as the three kinds of true malachite.
=Malchus=, R. An old term for a confessional having only one stool for
penitents; it signified that which has only one ear, from the fact that
Malchus, Caïaphas’ servant, was deprived of his right ear by Peter.
=Malleability.= The property of extension under the hammer (_malleus_).
_Gold_ is the most malleable of metals. The art of rendering _glass_
malleable was discovered by an architect in the reign of Tiberius.
Buried treasures of glass vessels have been found to be malleable when
first disinterred, but to harden quickly on exposure to the air.
=Malleus=, R. (1) A hammer. (2) Med. The MAULE (Gothic _Miölner_),
Thor’s hammer; a military weapon.
=Malluvia, Malluvium.= R. A wash-hand basin.
[Illustration: Fig. 440. Malus of an Amphitheatre.]
=Malus=, R. (_malus_, an apple-tree). (1) The mast of a vessel. (2) In
theatres and amphitheatres (Fig. 440) _mali_ were the poles over which
the _velarium_ was stretched.
=Malveisin=, Med. (Fr. _malvoisin_, a disagreeable neighbour). A
military engine for projecting stones or arrows.
=Mama-quilla=, Peruv. One of the divisions of the temple of the Sun,
INTI (q.v.); so called because it was dedicated to the moon,
_Mama-quilla_.
=Mamillare=, R. (_mamilla_, the breast). (1) A broad band made of soft
leather, a kind of small stays, used by the Roman ladies to support the
breasts. (2) In Mediæval Latin, circular plates on the surcoat with
rings from which two chains depended, one of which was attached to the
sword and the other to the sheath. The fashion was introduced under
Edward I., and continued until Henry V.
=Mancop Oly=, Dutch. Poppy oil, “a very white oil used by the painters
in the Netherlands, who execute delicate works requiring lively colours,
such as the vases of flowers of De Ghein, &c.” (_Eastlake._)
=Mandorla=, Chr. (lit. an almond). (See AUREOLE and VESICA PISCIS.)
=Mandra=, Chr. (lit. _a fold_). A favourite appellation for monastic
establishments in the East.
=Manducus=, R. (_mando_, to chew). A comic masked character,
distinguished by his ugliness and _voracity_ (whence his name). (See
PERSONA.)
=Mandyas=, Chr. In the Greek Church, an outer garment worn by monks. It
is a long cloak, reaching almost to the feet, and fastened at the
throat. It is originally a Persian dress, and is frequently mentioned as
worn by emperors and kings.
=Manefaire=, O. E. A covering of armour for a horse’s _mane_.
=Manes=, R. The shades of the dead. (See LEMURES.)
=Manganese Brown.= A rich semi-opaque brown pigment, permanent and
drying well. (See CAPPAGH.)
=Manger=, Chr. The boards of the manger in which the Infant Saviour was
laid, are said to be preserved in the crypt of the church of St. Maria
Maggiore at Rome. They are called the _culla_, and are the object of a
solemn procession on Christmas Eve.
=Mangonell=, Med. A military machine for hurling stones; the spelling is
frequently varied:—
“Vous peussez bugles, mangoniaux
Veoir pardessus les carniaux.”
(_Roman de la Rose._)
=Manica=, R. (_manus_, a hand). (1) An armlet, or piece of armour which
protected the arm of the gladiator. (2) A leather glove worn by
barbarous nations. In the plural, _manicæ_ denotes (1) manacles; (2) a
grappling-iron called HARPAGA (q.v.).
[Illustration: Fig. 441. Manicore.]
=Manicora=, =Manicore=, Chr. In Christian iconography, the manicora is a
hybrid animal with a human head, and a globular body ending in a
serpent. It is a symbol of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. (Fig.
441.)
=Maniple=, Chr. A short stole held in the left hand, originally used as
a napkin by the officiating priest. Afterwards it was worn pendent from
the wrist, and richly decorated. (See FANON.) The word is derived from—
=Manipulus=, R. (lit. a handful). (1) A maniple, the earliest ensign of
the Roman legion; it consisted of a handful of hay attached to the end
of a pole. (2) A body of infantry in a legion, consisting of about 180
to 200 men.
=Mansard Roof=, Arch, (so called from _Mansard_, the French architect,
who introduced it), or =Curb Roof= (from the French _courber_, to bend).
A roof with two sets of rafters, of which the upper part is, as it were,
broken off, and not so steep as the lower. According to _Mesanges_,
Mansard took the idea of his roof from a frame composed by Segallo, and
Michael Angelo employed it in the construction of the dome of St.
Peter’s. The houses in Lower Brittany were covered with these roofs in
the end of the 15th century.
=Manse=, O. E. The parsonage-house.
=Mansio=, R. (_maneo_, to remain). Stations placed at intervals along
the high roads, to serve as halting-places for the troops on a march.
(See MUTATIO.)
=Mantapa=, Hind. A _porch_ to a temple.
=Mantel-piece=, Arch. (formerly _mantil_). A cloak or covering; hence
the slab which covers a part of the fireplace; the canopy over a shrine
(Latin _mandualis_).
=Mantelet= or =Mantlet=. A shed used for protecting soldiers from
missile weapons. (See PLUTEUS.)
=Mantica=, R. (_manus_, the hand). A double wallet serving as a
portmanteau for riders or pedestrians.
=Mantle.= A flowing robe worn over the armour, as shown in the costume
of the knights in the ivory mirror-case. (Fig. 463.)
=Mantling= or =Lambrequin=. A small mantle, of some rich materials,
attached to the helmet, and worn hanging down, and ending in tassels.
(See Fig. 177.) It is usually represented, in Heraldry, with jagged
ends, to represent the cuts it would be exposed to in actual battle.
=Manuale=, R. (_manus_, the hand). A wooden case for a book.
=Manuballista=, R. A hand-ballista. (See ARCUBALLISTA.)
=Manubrium=, R. (i. e. what is borne in the hand). A general term for a
handle of any kind. (See Fig. 377.)
=Manus Ferrea=, R. Literally, a _hand of iron_; an iron hook which
served as a grappling-iron, differing from the _harpaga_, as it was
launched at the end of a chain, while the _harpaga_ was fixed on a long
beam (_asser_).
=Marble.= The finest for statuary, from _Carrara_, is of a pure white;
that from _Paros_ is of a waxy cream colour; others coloured with
metallic oxides are available for ornamental purposes. Many cements have
been produced as “artificial marble.” (See SCAGLIOLA.)
=Marble Silk= had a weft of several colours so woven as to make the
whole web look like _marble_ stained with a variety of tints. On the 6th
of November, 1551, “the old qwyne of Schottes rod thrught London; then
cam the lord tresorer with a C. great horsse and ther cotes of
_marbull_.” Its use prevailed for three centuries.
=Marbling= “is an art which consists in the production of certain
patterns and effects by means of colours so prepared as to float on a
mucilaginous liquid. While so floating they form into patterns, which
are taken off on to a sheet of paper (for book-covers), or to the
smoothly cut edges of a book, by dipping.” (_Woolnough_, _The Whole Art
of Marbling_, 1881.)
=Marcus=, R. A blacksmith’s hammer; a sledge-hammer. (See MALLEUS.)
=Mardelles=, =Margelles=, or =Marges=, Celt. Excavations met with in
several parts of Europe, supposed to be Celtic.
=Mark=, O. E. An ancient coin, value 13_s._ 4_d._; formerly the
equivalent of 30 silver pennies.
=Marmouset=, Arch. Fr. (monkey). A grotesque figure introduced into
architectural decoration in the 13th century.
=Marouflage=, Fr. (_maroufler_, to line). A method of house-painting in
France, upon a lining of prepared canvas fixed upon the surface to be
decorated.
[Illustration: Fig. 442. Marquess’s coronet.]
=Marquess=, =Marquis=, Her. The second order of the British peerage, in
rank next to that of duke, was introduced into England in 1387 by
Richard II. The coronet, apparently contemporary in its present form
with that of the dukes, has its golden circlet heightened with four
strawberry-leaves and as many pearls arranged alternately.
[Illustration: Fig. 443. Shaft ornamented with Marquetry.]
=Marquetry.= Inlaid-work of ornamental woods and stones of various
colours put together and mixed with metals. The art has existed from the
earliest ages; but no nation has brought it to a higher degree of
perfection than the Italians of the 15th century. The Florentines
especially have produced work of this kind which is unapproached; the
Medici chapel at Florence may be particularly instanced. Figs. 443 and
444 represent specimens of antique work. The Venetian marquetry, derived
from Persia and India, is a fine inlay of ivory, metal, and woods,
stained to vary the colour. This work is in geometric patterns only. In
France, in the early marquetry designs, picturesque landscapes, broken
architecture, and figures are represented. Colours are occasionally
stained on the wood. Ivory and ebony are the favourite materials. In
England, it is an art imported from Holland in the reign of William and
Mary. The older designs on Dutch marquetry represent tulips and other
flowers, foliage, birds, &c., all in gay colours, generally the self
colours of the wood used. Sometimes the eyes and other salient points
are in ivory and mother-of-pearl. (Compare BOULE, CERTOSINA WORK,
EMBLEMATA, MUSIVUM OPUS, REISNER-WORK, &c.)
[Illustration: Fig. 444. Marquetry.]
[Illustration: Fig. 445. Marra.]
=Marra=, R. A kind of hoe with indented teeth, used for tearing up
weeds. (Fig. 445.)
=Mars Brown.= A brown pigment.
=Mars= (=Reds=, &c.). Calcined earths of which the brightness of the
redness is regulated by the duration of the roasting.
[Illustration: Fig. 446. Teapot of Marseilles faience.]
=Marseilles Faience.= This ancient city has at all times been celebrated
in the ceramic arts. Fig. 446 gives a representative specimen of modern
polychrome work, decorated with flowers easily recognized by the
disposition of their long stalks. These flowers are, in other specimens,
accompanied by marine landscapes. Other polychrome services are called
from their designs “services aux insectes.”
=Marsupium=, R. (μαρσύπιον). A purse for containing money; it was made
of leather and shaped like a pear, being confined at the top with a
string. (Hence the adjective _marsupial_ applied to the kangaroo, &c.)
=Martel de Fer=, Med. A weapon which had at one end a pick, and at the
other a hammer, axe-blade, half-moon, mace-head, or other fanciful
termination. (_Meyrick._)
[Illustration: Fig. 447. Early Heraldic Martlet.]
[Illustration: Fig. 448. Heraldic Martlet.]
=Martlet=, Her. Bird, usually represented without feet. (Figs. 447,
448.)
=Martyrium=, Chr. An altar erected over the tomb of a martyr.
[Illustration: Fig. 449. Il Marzocco, the bronze Lion now in the
Bargello at Florence. By Donatello (about A. D. 1420).]
=Marzocco=, It. The Lion of Florence. The heraldic emblem of the city.
(Fig. 449.)
[Illustration: Fig. 450. Etruscan Mask in terra-cotta.]
=Mascaron=, Arch. Fr. A mask; the face of a man or animal employed as an
ornamentation for decorating the key-stones of arches or vaults, or the
stones of an arch, &c. (Fig. 450.)
=Mascle=, Her. The central _lozenge_ of a diapered surface; it is drawn
with right angles.
=Maser= or =Mazer=, O. E. A bowl of maple-wood. The name is applied to
similar bowls or goblets of other woods.
“The mazers four,
My noble fathers loved of yore,”
are mentioned by Scott in “The Lord of the Isles.” They were richly
ornamented, frequently with legends on the rim, such as
“In the name of the Trinitie
Fille the kup and drinke to me,”
and the rim was often covered with silver or gold.
=Massicot.= The name of an ancient pigment of a dull orange colour.
=Mastaba=, =Mastabê=, Egyp. An outer chapel attached to Egyptian
burial-places; it was generally a small quadrangular building, the door
of which faced the East.
=Master Arch=, O. E. The central or widest arch of a bridge.
=Mastic.= A resin used for varnish. (Dissolve one part of mastic resin
in two of oil of turpentine.) (See VARNISH.) In France, the term is
applied to a cement used to fill up joints in masonry; in _joinery_, to
a composition of wax, resin, and pounded brick, applied to fill up knots
and chinks in the wood. Putty is also so called.
=Mastigophorus=, Gr. and R. (μαστιγο-φόρος). A slavedriver, and thence
an officer who fulfilled the same functions as our policemen. The
mastigophori were so named because they carried a whip (μάστιγα φέρειν),
in order to put down any crowding or tumult; it was also part of their
duty to repress any infringement of the regulations at the public games.
=Match-lock.= A gun which was exploded by means of a match, before the
introduction of the flint and steel. (See FIRE-LOCK.)
=Materiatio=, R. (_materia_, materials). The timber-work of a roof,
consisting of two principal rafters (_canterii_), a tie-beam (_tignum_),
a ridgepiece (_calcimen_), beams (_trabes_), struts (_capreoli_),
purlines (_templa_), and common rafters (_asseres_).
=Materis=, R. A Celtic javelin with a broad head.
=Matralia=, R. (i. e. pertaining to a mother). The festival of _Matuta_
(the Ino of the Greeks), which was held at Rome every year on the third
of the ides of June (11th of June). Prayers were offered by the Roman
matrons on behalf of their nephews, they being afraid to pray for their
own children, since those of Matuta had turned out so unfortunately.
=Matronalia=, R. A festival of the Roman matrons held on the calends of
March, at which matrons offered sacrifices to Mars and Juno Lucina.
=Mattucashlash.= An ancient Scotch weapon, sometimes called the _armpit
dagger_, being worn on the arm ready to be used on coming to close
quarters.
=Maule.= (See MALLEUS.)
=Maunde=, O. E. A basket.
[Illustration: Fig. 451. Mausoleum of Hadrian at Rome. In its original
state.]
=Mausoleum=, R. The tomb of Mausolus, king of Caria, at Halicarnassus,
ranked among the seven wonders of the world. The name was afterwards
applied to tombs of an imposing size and splendour, such as the tomb of
Augustus in the Field of Mars, and that of Hadrian, on the banks of the
Tiber, now known as Fort St. Angelo. A representation of it, in its
original state, is shown in Fig. 451.
=Mauve= is the colour of a peach blossom; obtained as a dye from
_aniline_ found in gas tar.
=Maze=, Chr. Labyrinthine figures in the pavements of churches and on
the turf of greens. To trace the former kneeling was a species of
penance.
=Mazmorra=, Sp. A tank lined with cement, sunk in the ground and used
for storing grain. (See _Murray’s Handbook, Spain_, p. 361, _Granada_,
&c.)
=Mazonum=, Gr. (μαζο-νομεῖον; μᾶζα, barley-bread). A wooden platter for
domestic use, and thence a salver of bronze or gold on which perfumes
were burnt in the religious processions of Bacchus.
[Illustration: Fig. 452. Old Mechlin Lace, 17th century.]
[Illustration: Fig. 453. Mechlin Lace, 18th century.]
=Mechlin Lace= is fine, transparent, and effective. It is made in one
piece on the pillow; its distinguishing feature is the flat thread which
forms the flowers, and gives to the lace the character of embroidery. In
1699—when Charles II.’s prohibition to the introduction of Flanders lace
was removed—Mechlin lace became the fashion in England, and continued so
during the succeeding century. In the 17th century the Beguinage nuns
were celebrated for their lace-making, and they supported their house by
their work. Previous to 1665 the name of Mechlin was given to all pillow
lace, and much of it was made like our modern insertion. The engraving
shows a specimen of old Mechlin lace formerly in great favour as
head-dresses and other trimmings.
=Medallion.= (1) A medal of a larger size than the ordinary coinage. (2)
In Architecture, a circular or oval tablet on the face of a building.
=Mediæval.= (See MIDDLE AGES.)
=Medimnus=, Gr. (μέδιμνος). The principal Greek measure of capacity,
holding as much as six Roman _modii_. It was especially used for
measuring corn.
=Meditrinalia=, R. (_medeor_, to remedy). Roman festivals in honour of
Meditrina, the goddess of healing, celebrated on the 11th of October, at
which new wine was tasted, it being looked upon by the Romans as a
preservative of health.
=Medium.= The liquid in which pigments are ground. The best are linseed
oil and nut oil.
[Illustration: Fig. 454. Medusa Head on a shield.]
=Medusa Head= was frequently used as an ornament for the centre of a
shield. (Cf. GORGONEIA.)
=Megalartia=, Gr. (μεγαλάρτια). Festivals held at Delos in honour of
Ceres, who was called _Megalartos_ (Μεγάλαρτος) from her having bestowed
bread on mankind.
=Megalesian= (games), R. (_Ludi megalenses_). Festivals celebrated
annually on the 4th of April in honour of Cybelê, who was called the
Great (Μεγαλεῖα), in which the people went in procession to the Field of
Mars to witness scenic spectacles. The magistrates attended these
spectacles in a purple toga, or “toga prætexta;” hence the expression
“Purpura Megalensis.”
=Megylp.= A vehicle used by some oil-painters, condemned as tending to
destroy the permanency of the picture.
=Melides=, Gr. Nymphs of fruit-trees. (Cf. HAMADRYADES.)
=Melina=, R. A pouch made out of the skin of a marten (or a badger,
_meles_).
=Melium=, R. A collar for sporting-dogs, studded with nails and iron
spikes (_clavulis_, _capitatis_).
=Mell.= (See MALLEUS.)
=Melotte=, O. E. A garment worn by monks during laborious occupation.
(_Halliwell._)
=Membrana=, R. (_membrum_, skin). Parchment for writing on was
introduced as a substitute for the Egyptian papyrus by Eumenes II., king
of Pergamus. It was usually written over on one side, and the back was
stained with saffron. The writings were frequently erased, and the paper
or parchment used again. It was then called a _palimpsest_. All the
sheets used for one work were joined together into a long scroll, which
was folded round a staff, and then called _volumen_; usually there were
ornamental balls or bosses, projecting from the ends of the staff,
called _umbilici_ or _cornua_. The ends of the roll were carefully cut
and blackened; they were called _geminæ frontes_. The roll itself was
kept in a parchment case, which was stained purple or yellow. (See also
LIBER.)
=Membranula=, R. (dimin. of _membrana_). A small strip of parchment on
which the title or contents of a volume were inscribed in minium.
=Menat=, Egyp. An Egyptian amulet worn on a necklace. The menat
evidently formed some symbol, the meaning of which has hitherto not been
discovered.
=Menehis= or =Minihis=, Fr. This term, derived from the Celtic
_menech-ti_ (house of a monk), or _manach-li_ (free spot of earth), was
formerly used in Brittany to denote a place of asylum which had been
consecrated in any way.
=Menhir=, Celt. A Celtic monument consisting of a huge stone fixed
upright in the ground. Menhirs are found associated with _dolmens_,
_tumuli_, and circles of stones. (Consult _Bertrand_, _Archéologie
Celtique et Gauloise_, p. 84.)
=Menis=, =Meniscus=, Gr. and R. (μηνίσκος; μήνη, the moon). A
crescent-shaped piece of metal which was placed on statues of the gods
to hinder birds from settling on them. The same term was used to denote
an ornament, likewise in the shape of a crescent, placed by the Romans
at the beginning of their books; hence the expression a _menide_, from
the beginning. (Cf. LUNA.)
=Mensa=, R. (Gr. τράπεζα). A board, tablet, or table; _mensa escaria_,
or _mensa_ simply, a dining-table; _mensa prima_, _secunda_, the first,
second course of a meal; _mensa tripes_, a table with three feet, in
contradistinction to _monopodium_, a table with a single leg; _mensa
vinaria_, a drinking-table (see DELPHICA); _mensa sacra_, an
altar-table; _mensa vasaria_, a table for holding vessels; _mensa
publica_, a public bank; hence _mensarii_, bankers.
=Mensao=, Celt. A Celtic monument more usually called MENHIR (q.v.).
=Mensole=, Arch. A term denoting the key-stone of an arch.
=Menzil=, Orient. Houses in the East for the reception of travellers, in
places where there are neither caravanserais nor _khans_.
=Mereack=, Hind. A sort of thick black varnish employed by the Khmers to
coat over statues made of any soft stone, which are exposed to the
changes of the weather. This varnish was, in many instances, itself
covered with gold leaf.
=Merkins=, O. E. A name given to ringlets of false hair, much worn by
ladies _temp._ Charles I.
=Merlons=, Arch. The Cops or raised parts of a battlement. Figures of
warriors or animals are sometimes carved on the tops. (See BATTLEMENT.)
[Illustration: Fig. 455. Mermaid and Pillars of Hercules. Arms of the
Colonna family.]
=Mermaid.= An ancient device of the Colonna family was the mermaid
between the pillars of Hercules, with the motto _Contemnit tuta
procellas_.
=Mesaulæ= (μέσ-αυλα). (1) The narrow passage or corridor which, in a
Greek house, connected the _andron_ with the _gynæceum_. (2) The door in
this passage.
=Mese= (the middle, sc. χορδή). The central note of the seven-stringed
lyre. The Greeks had no names to distinguish musical notes. They were
expressed by the names of the strings of the lyre. Thus, NETE, _d_;
PARANETE, _c_; PARAMESE, _b_ flat; and MESE, _a_, in the treble or upper
tetrachord; and LICHANOS, _g_; PARHYPATE, _f_; and HYPATE, _e_, in the
base or lower tetrachord.
=Mesjid=, Arab. A small mosque. These exist in great numbers. The Sultan
Mohamet II. alone consecrated 170 _mesjids_ in Constantinople.
=Messe=, A.S. The Mass.
=Messle-house= or =Meselle-house=, O. E. (from the obsolete word
_measle_, a leper). A hospital or lazar-house.
[Illustration: Fig. 456. Meta of a Roman race-course.]
=Meta=, R. (_metior_, to measure). Any object with a circular base and
of conical shape; in a circus the term _meta_, or rather _metæ_ (for
there were two sets of goals), was applied to a set of three cones
placed together upon a pedestal, as shown in Fig. 456, to mark the
turning-points of the race-course. In a mill for grinding corn the name
of _meta_ was applied to the lower part of the mill, which was hewn into
the form of a cone. (See CIRCUS, OVUM, SPINA, &c.)
=Metal=, Tech. (1) A mass of glass in the state of paste, adherent to
the pipe and already blown; it may be regarded as the first stage in the
production of a piece. (2) Broken glass. (3) Broken stones for repairing
roads.
=Metal=, Her. The tinctures _or_ and _argent_.
=Metallic Canvas.= A combination of metal and canvas; waterproof for
various uses.
=Metallic Lava.= A composition of gravel, pounded chalk, tar, and wax,
forming an artificial stone to be cast into ornamental shapes in moulds.
The vestibule of the Euston Station is paved with this preparation.
(_Builder_, vi. 502.)
=Metallurgy.= It was at a comparatively late period of human
civilization that the art of working in iron was brought to perfection.
The ancient Egyptians, probably aware of its resources, had a
superstitious objection to its use; but they hardened bronze to a degree
unknown to later ages, and their bronze statuary of the most ancient
period is worthy of any age. The bronze-work of Britain and Ireland is
as ancient as any; and, in beauty of form and perfection of casting,
rivals the best modern work. Of the work in Greece we are told that
Athens alone contained 3000 bronze statues in the year 130 B.C., and
vast treasures of metallurgy have been discovered in Herculaneum and
Pompeii. In mediæval times Ireland was famous for metallurgy, and of its
admirable copper-works of the 11th century many splendid relics remain,
especially the so called Bell of St. Patrick. Oriental bronzes, of
characteristic design, are plentiful from all ages; especially beautiful
and perfect in execution are those of China and Japan. The best period
of workmanship in _Iron_ is the Middle Ages; gates and hinges, keys, and
especially weapons and defensive armour being the chief objects
produced. (Consult _Pugin_, _Digby Wyatt_.) (See also BRONZE, COPPER,
DAMASCENING, GOLD, &c.)
[Illustration: Fig. 457. One of the carved Metopes of the Parthenon,
representing the War of the Centaurs and the Lapithæ.]
=Metope=, Arch. (μετ-όπη, i. e. the space between the ὀπαί). A kind of
panel between the triglyphs in the Doric frieze (Fig. 458); in some
Greek examples quite plain, in others ornamented with sculpture. The
metopes of the Parthenon in the British Museum are carved with
representations of the war of the Centaurs and Lapithæ. (Fig. 457.) (See
ELGIN MARBLES.) In Roman buildings the metopes are usually carved, and
are exact squares; but in the Greek Doric this was not necessary.
[Illustration: Fig. 458. Metopes and Triglyphs (Doric).]
=Metreta=, Gr. (μετρητὴς, i. e. measurer). The unit in the Greek
measures of capacity; it held two _cotylæ_, or about eight gallons.
=Meurtrière=, O. E. “A black knot, that unties and ties the curles of
the hair.” (_Ladies’ Dict._, 1694.)
=Mews=, O. E. Originally a courtyard for “mewing” (i. e. moulting)
hawks.
[Illustration: Fig. 458 a. Mexican temple—_Teocalli_.]
=Mexican Architecture.= The principal monuments of the valley of Mexico
are situated in a small tract in the centre of the table-land of
Anahuac. These consist of pyramidal temples (_teocallis_) formed in
terraces, with flat tops, and always surmounted by a chamber or cell,
which is the temple itself. In _Yucatan_ there are more architectural
remains than anywhere in the world, with palaces of all dates, generally
pyramidal, and often rich with elaborate carvings. (See _Stephens’s
Incidents of Travel in Yucatan_.) (Fig. 458 a.)
=Mezza-majolica= was the coarser majolica ware formed of potter’s earth,
covered with a white “slip,” upon which the subject was painted, then
glazed with the common lead glaze, over which the lustre pigments were
applied; the _majolica_, on the other hand, being the tin-enamelled ware
similarly lustred. (See MAJOLICA.)
=Mezzanine=, =Entresole=, =Half-story=, Arch. A small story intermediate
between two others of larger size. A mezzanine or Flemish window was a
window either square or broader than it was long, made in an attic, or
in a lower story lying between two higher stories.
=Mezzo-relievo=, It. Sculpture in relief, in which one half of the
figure projects; sometimes called DEMI-RELIEVO.
=Mias=, Hind. A commemorative monument.
=Mica=, =Micatio=, R. (_mico_, to move quickly). A game called by the
Italians of the present day _mora_; two players simultaneously
stretching out one or more fingers, and each guessing the number held up
by his adversary.
=Middle Ages.= The mediæval period—of transition between ancient and
modern times—between the 10th and the 15th centuries is one of the
grandest periods in art. It begins with the decay of Rome, and merges
into the _Renaissance_.
=Middle Distance=, in a landscape:—between the foreground and the
background. Great skill is displayed in the expression of distance by
the effects of intervening atmospheres, and by the design of
intermediate _plans_ carrying the eye onward and suggesting space.
=Middle Ground= in a landscape. (See MIDDLE DISTANCE.)
=Middle Pointed Period= of Architecture is a name given to that period
of Gothic architecture in England, which is generally described as “_the
Decorated Period_.”
=Middle Post.= The KING-POST in the truss of a roof.
[Illustration: Fig. 459. Jardinière—Milan Faience.]
=Milan Faience.= Fig. 459 is an illustration of the Oriental imitations
for which Milan was famous. “It is,” says M. Jacquemart, “of such
beautiful enamel that it might be taken for porcelain. The upper and
lower edges are decorated with shells, scrolls, and rocailles in relief,
heightened with gold; the whole surface has a decoration of peonies and
sprigs in blue, red, and gold, which rival in beauty the richest
specimens of old Delft.”
[Illustration: Fig. 460. Milan Reticella Lace.]
=Milan Lace.= The engraving shows a specimen of Old Milan Point or
Reticella from the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in that city.
(See RETICELLA.) (Fig. 460.)
=Miliarium=, R. (1) A tall narrow copper vessel employed in baths for
heating the water. (2) The column of an olive-press (_trapetum_), which
rose from the centre of the mortar (_mortarium_).
=Military Architecture.= The science of building fortresses and
fortifying town walls, &c. [See _Viollet le Duc_, “_Essai sur
l’Architecture militaire au Moyen Age_.”]
=Milled Money=, with grooved edges, was first coined in this country in
1561.
=Millefiori.= Mosaic glass. (See GLASS.)
[Illustration: Fig. 461. Roman Mile-stone at Nic-sur-Aisne in France.]
=Milliarium=, R. (_mille_, a thousand, sc. paces). A column placed at
intervals of a mile (1618 English yards) along a Roman road to indicate
the distance. (Fig. 461.) It was also called _lapis_. _Milliarium
aureum_ was the name given to the golden mile-stone erected by Augustus
in the Forum, where the principal roads of the Empire terminated. A
stone, called the “London Stone,” in Cannon Street, E.C., is supposed to
have marked the centre of the Roman roads in Britain.
=Mill-rind=, =Fer-de-Moline=, Her. The iron fixed to the centre of a
millstone.
=Millstone-grit.= The name of a good building stone, plentiful in the
north of England. It is supposed to be formed by a re-aggregation of the
disintegrated materials of granite. (See the _Builder_, vol. ix. 639.)
=Millus=, R. (See MELIUM.)
=Mimbar=, Arabic. A pulpit in a mosque. A finely-carved mimbar is in the
South Kensington Museum.
=Minah=, =Minar=, Hind. A tower or pillar. The _Surkh Minar_ and _Minar
Chakri_, among the topes at Cabul, are almost the only _pillars_
existing in India. They are generally ascribed to Alexander the Great,
but are probably Buddhist monuments of the 3rd or 4th century of our
era.
=Minaret= (Arabic _menarah_, a lantern). A feature peculiar to
Mohammedan architecture. A tall, slender shaft or turret, rising high
above all surrounding buildings of the _mosque_ to which it is attached;
in several stories, with or without external galleries, but usually
having three. From these galleries the _muezzin_ summon the faithful to
prayer. Blind men are generally selected for this duty, because the
minaret commands a view of the house-tops used as sleeping-chambers in
the East.
=Mineral Black.= A native oxide of carbon.
=Mineral Blue.= A native carbonate of copper which is liable to change
its tint to green, if mixed with oil. (_Fairholt._)
=Mineral Brown.= (See CAPPAGH.)
=Mineral Green.= MALACHITE (q.v.). (See CARBONATES OF COPPER.)
=Mineral Lake= is a French pigment, a kind of orange chrome.
=Mineral Yellow.= A pigment of chloride of lead, which becomes paler by
time. The name has also been applied to YELLOW OCHRE and YELLOW ARSENIC
(q.v.).
=Minerval=, R. A present or fee which Roman scholars took to their
masters every year, on the fourteenth of the calends of April (19th of
March), that is, on occasion of the festivals of Minerva.
=Minever=, O. E. (1) Either the pure white fur with which the robes of
peers and judges are trimmed—“_minever pure_;” or (2) the ermine with
minute spots of black in it—_minutus varius_—in lieu of the complete
tails; or (3) the fur of the ermine mixed with that of the small weasel.
(Consult _Planché’s Cyclopædia_; see also VAIR.)
=Miniature.= Literally, a painting executed in _minium_ (vermilion). Now
used for any small picture, and especially for a small portrait.
=Ministerium=, Chr. All the sacred ornaments and utensils of a church
taken collectively.
=Minium.= A kind of _red lead_ obtained by exposing lead or its
protoxide to heat, till it is converted to a red oxide. It is a fine
orange pigment, but fugitive and liable to decomposition when mixed with
other pigments. The ancient _minium_ was _cinnabar_, or vermilion. (See
ILLUMINATING.)
=Minnim=, Heb. Stringed musical instruments of the lute or guitar kind.
[Illustration: Fig. 462. Minotaur. Device of Gonzalvo Perez.]
=Minotaur=, R. A monster, half man, half bull, confined in the labyrinth
constructed by Dædalus in Crete. It was assumed as a device by Gonzalvo
Perez, with the motto from Isaiah xxx. 15. (Fig. 462.)
=Minster=, =Abbey-church=, O. E. (Germ. _Münster_). A church to which a
monastery was attached; a cathedral. The name survives in
“West-_minster_.”
=Minstrel Gallery=, O. E. The LOFT in a church was so called.
=Minuscule.= (See SEMI-UNCIALS.)
=Minute=, It. A subdivision of the _module_ in the measurement of
architectural proportion. It is the twelfth, the eighteenth, or the
thirtieth part of the MODULE.
=Mirador=, Sp. A belvedere, or overhanging bow-window.
[Illustration: Fig. 463. Mirror-case of carved ivory—14th cent.]
=Mirror.= In the Middle Ages mirrors were often enclosed in cases of
metal or carved ivory. The example (Fig. 463) gives a representation of
the Siege of the Castle of Love from one of the romances of the period.
(See GLASS.)
=Mirror=, Arch. A small oval ornament cut into the deep mouldings, and
separated by wreaths of flowers.
=Miserere.= A projecting bracket, on the _sellette_ of a church stall,
on which, when the seat was turned up, there was a leaning-space,
available to the infirm during the parts of the service required to be
performed standing. (See SELLETTE.)
=Misericorde.= The narrow-bladed dagger used to put the victory with
sword or lance to the test, by obliging a fallen antagonist to cry for
_mercy_, or by despatching him.
=Mis’rha=, Hind. Hindoo temples built with two kinds of materials;
whence their name of mixed (_mis’rha_). (See SUD’HA, VIMANA, and
SANCIRA.)
=Missilia=, R. (i. e. things thrown). Presents of cheques or tickets
thrown by the emperor and wealthy persons among the people. The cheques
were payable to the bearer at the magazine of the donor. (See
CONGIARIUM.)
=Mistarius=, =Mixtarius=, R. Any vessel of large size used for mixing
water with wine.
=Mitella=, Gr. (dimin. of _mitra_). (1) A head-band or coif of peaked
form worn by Greek women. (2) A scarf used as a bandage or support for a
broken arm.
=Mithriatic= (Festivals), Pers. and R. Festivals held in honour of
Mithras, the Persian sun-god.
=Mitis Green.= (See EMERALD GREEN.)
=Mitra=, Gr. and R. (μίτρα). (1) A mitre or head-dress of the Galli or
priests of Cybelê; it was a Phrygian cap of felt, which was tied under
the chin by lappets; it was also called a _Phrygian tiara_. (2) A cable
fastened round the hull of a vessel to strengthen the timbers.
[Illustration: Fig. 464. Mitre. Arms of St. Alban’s Abbey.]
=Mitre=, Chr. Her. The ensign of archiepiscopal and episcopal rank,
placed above the arms of prelates of the Church of England, sometimes
borne as a charge, and adopted by the Berkeleys as their crest. The
contour of the mitre has varied considerably at various times, growing
continually higher and more pointed. It was first worn by bishops about
the close of the 10th century. Bishops had three kinds of mitres: the
_simplex_, of plain white linen; the _aurifrigata_, ornamented with gold
orphreys; and the _pretiosa_, enriched with gold and jewels, for use at
high festivals. (Fig. 464.) In Architecture, the corner line formed by
the meeting of mouldings intercepting each other at an angle.
=Mitten=, =Mitaine=, Anglo-Norman. A glove; not restricted to gloves
without fingers. “Gloves made of linnen or woollen, whether knit or
stytched: sometimes also they call so gloves made of leather without
fingers.” (_Ray._) (See MUFFETEE.)
=Moat=, =Mote=. (1) Originally a heap or hillock; the _dune_ on which a
tower was built, forming the original castle. The Saxons assembled on
such _moats_ or mounds to make laws and administer justice; hence their
word _witten-mote_ for parliament. (2) Mod. Usually applied to the fosse
of a rampart, the side next the fortress being the _scarp_, and the
opposite the _counterscarp_.
=Mobcap=, O. E. A cap tying under a woman’ chin by an excessively broad
band, generally made of the same material as the cap itself. (_H._)
=Moccinigo.= A small Venetian coin, worth about 9_d._ (_H._)
=Mochado=, =Mokkado=, O. E. (1) A silk stuff, commonly called “mock
velvet,” much used in the 16th and 17th centuries. (_Fairholt._) (2) A
woollen stuff of the same kind. (_Halliwell._) It was probably a mixture
of silk and wool. (_Planché._)
=Modena Pottery.= The antique pottery of Modena is referred to by Pliny
and Livy, but there is no exact record or marked example of wares
produced there during the Renaissance. The manufacture flourishes now at
_Sassuolo_, a town ten miles south of Modena.
=Modesty Bit= or =Piece=, O. E. “A narrow lace which runs along the
upper part of the stays, before, being a part of the tucker, is called
the modesty piece.” (_Guardian._) “Modesty bits—out of fashion” is an
announcement in the _London Chronicle_, vol. xi. 1762.
[Illustration: Fig. 465. Modillion.]
=Modillions=, Arch. Small brackets under the coronæ of cornices; when
_square_ they are called MUTULES. In the Corinthian order they have
carved leaves spread under them. Fig. 465 is taken from the temple of
Mars the Avenger, at Rome.
=Modius=, R. (_modus_, a measure or standard). The largest Roman measure
of capacity.
=Module=, Arch. A measure adopted by architects to determine by the
column the proportions of the different parts of a work of architecture.
It is usually the diameter or the semi-diameter of the shaft of the
column.
=Mœnia=, R. A term synonymous with MURUS (q.v.); but more comprehensive,
in that it implies not merely the idea of walls, but also of the
buildings attached to them.
“_Mœnia_ lata videt, triplici circumdata _muro_.” (_Virgil._)
=Mogul Architecture= is that of the buildings erected in the reigns of
the Mogul emperors, kings of Delhi, from A. D. 1531 to the present
century.
=Moilon= (Fr. _moellon_), Arch. Rubble-masonry.
=Mokador=, =Mocket=, O. E. A napkin, handkerchief, or bib.
“Goo hom, lytyl babe, and sytt on thi moderes lap,
And put a _mokador_ aforn thi brest,
And pray thi modyr to fede the with the pappe.”
(_Twentieth Coventry Mystery._)
[Illustration: Fig. 466. Mola versatilis.]
=Mola=, R. (_molo_, to grind). A mill; _mola manuaria_, a hand-mill;
_mola buxea_, a box-wood mill, or mill for grinding pepper; _mola
aquaria_, a water-mill; _mola asinaria_, a mill worked by a beast of
burden; _mola versatilis_, a grindstone (Fig. 466 represents Love
sharpening his arrows, from an engraved gem); _mola olearia_, a mill for
crushing olives.
=Mold=, O. E. (for _mould_). Earth; ground. The word is constantly
applied to the _ground_ in works of art. (See _Degrevant_, 1039;
_Halliwell_.)
=Moline=, Her. A cross terminating like the MILL-RIND. In modern cadency
it is the difference of the eighth son.
=Mollicina=, =Molochina= (sc. _vestis_), R. (μολόχινα, i. e.
mallow-coloured). A garment made from the fibres of a mallow
(_hibiscus_).
=Mona Marble=. A beautiful marble of a greenish colour, obtained in the
Isle of Anglesea.
=Monastic Orders= consisted of Benedictine or black monks, and
Cistercian or white monks. There were the _Regular Orders_, the
_Military Orders_, the _Conventual Orders_, _Colleges_, &c.
=Monaulos=, Gr. and R. (μόν-αυλος, single-flute). A Greek pipe made of a
reed, of Egyptian origin, blown at the end without a reed mouthpiece,
and remarkable for the sweetness of its tone.
=Monelle=, =Monial=, =Moynel=, Arch. (See MULLIONS.)
=Moneris=, Gr. (μον-ήρης, single). A galley or ship with a single bench
of rowers.
[Illustration: Fig. 468. Monile. A Gaulish collar.]
[Illustration: Fig. 467. Monile. Details of ornament.]
=Monile=, Gr. and R. A necklace or collar. Fig. 468 represents a bronze
necklace belonging to the Gaulish period, and Fig. 467 a part of the
same necklace on a larger scale. By analogy the term was applied to the
ornaments worn by horses about the neck. (See NECKLACES.)
=Monks=, Chr. In the religious iconography of the Gothic period,
especially the 14th and 15th centuries, there frequently occur grotesque
representations of monks. (See Fig. 351.)
=Monmouth Cap=, O. E. A cap worn by soldiers and sailors.
=Monochord.= A one-stringed musical instrument, much used for measuring
the proportions of length which yield the various sounds within an
octave.
=Monochrome Painting.= (1) Painting in a single colour, as, for
instance, red upon a black ground, or white upon a red ground. The most
numerous class of specimens of this kind of painting are upon
terra-cotta, as the Etruscan vases. (2) The term is applied to paintings
in tints of one colour, in imitation of bas-reliefs.
=Monogram.= A combination of two or more letters into one design,
illustrated especially in ecclesiastical decoration of the 14th and 15th
centuries, &c. The abbreviation IHS is said to have been invented by St.
Bernardino of Siena about 1437. For _Artists’ monograms_, see
_Stellway_, _Heller_, _Brulliot_ (_Dictionaries of Monograms_).
=Monolith= (μονό-λιθος). An object formed of a single block of stone.
=Monolium=, =Monolinum=, R. A necklace formed with a single string of
pearls. (See MONILE.)
=Monoloris=, R. (Gr. μόνος, one, and Lat. _lorum_, a thong. A hybrid
word). Decorated with a single band of purple and gold, like the
PARAGAUDA (q.v.).
=Monopodium= (sc. _mensa_), R. (μονο-πόδιον). A table with a single
foot.
=Monopteral=, Arch. (μονό-πτερος). With a single wing; a circular temple
or shrine, consisting of a roof supported on columns, without any
_cella_.
=Monostyle=, Arch. (1) Piers of a single shaft are sometimes
distinguished by this name from _compound piers_, then called for
distinction _polystyle_. (2) A building which is of one _style_ of
architecture throughout; or (3) surrounded by a single row of pillars.
=Monota=, Gr. A vase with one _ear_ (or handle).
=Monotriglyph=, Arch. The intercolumniation in the Doric order, which
embraces one triglyph and two metopes in the entablature. (_Parker’s
Glossary of Architecture._)
=Monoxylos=, =Monoxylus=, Gr. and R. (μονόξυλος). Literally, hewn or
made out of a single piece of wood.
=Monsters=, in Architecture. (See CENTAUR, GRIFFIN, GROTESQUES, SPHINX,
&c.)
=Monstrance=, =Expositorium=, Chr. (_monstrare_, to show). An ornamental
vessel of gold, silver, silver-gilt, or gilded or silvered copper,
representing usually a sun with rays, in the centre of which is a
_lunule_ or glass box in which the consecrated wafer is carried and
exposed on the altars of churches. The earliest monstrances, which are
now called _expositories_, do not date beyond the 12th century. Very
ancient specimens exist at Rheims, Namur, &c.
=Montem.= An annual custom at Eton; a procession of boats _ad montem_.
(See _Brand_, i. 237.)
=Montero.= “A close hood wherewith travellers preserve their faces and
heads from frostbiting and weather-beating in winter.” (_Cotgrave._)
=Monteth=, O. E. A vessel used for cooling wine-glasses in.
(_Halliwell._)
=Mont-la-haut.= “A certain wier (wire) that raises the head-dress by
degrees or stories.” (_Ladies’ Dict._, 1694.)
=Montmorency Escutcheon.= (See the illustration to HUNTING FLASK.)
=Monumentum=, R. (_moneo_, to remind). In general, any token,
statue, or monument intended to perpetuate the memory of anything.
_Monumentum sepulchri_ is the name given to a tomb. The Monument of
the Great Fire of London, erected by Sir Christopher Wren, is of the
Italo-Vitruvian-Doric order, of Portland stone, and consists of a
_pedestal_ about 21 feet square, with a _plinth_ 27 feet, and a
fluted shaft 15 feet at the base; on the _abacus_ is a balcony
encompassing a moulded cylinder, which supports a flaming vase of
gilt bronze, indicative of its commemoration of the Great Fire.
Defoe describes it as “built in the form of a _candle_ with a
handsome gilt frame.” Its entire height is 202 feet, and it is the
loftiest isolated column in the world. Its interior contains a
spiral staircase of 345 black marble steps. (See COCHLIS.)
=Monyal=, O. E. for MULLION (q.v.).
=Moorish Architecture=, or Arabian or Mohammedan architecture, arose at
the beginning of the 7th century in the East, and in Spain, Sicily, and
Byzantium in Europe. The style originated in a free adaptation of
different features of Christian architecture, and their earliest mosques
were built by Christian architects. The horse-shoe arch is a very early
characteristic of their style, and the pointed arch appears at Cairo and
elsewhere three centuries earlier than in Europe. The most perfect
specimen of the luxury of decoration of which this style is capable is
found in the Alhambra. (See ALHAMBRAIC ARCHITECTURE; consult the _Essai
sur l’Architecture des Arabes et des Mores_, by _Girault de Prangy_,
1841.)
=Moor-stone.= A very coarse granite found in Cornwall and some other
parts of England, and of great value for the coarser parts of building;
it is also found in immense strata in Ireland. Its colours are chiefly
black and white.
=Moot-hall=, O. E. A public assembly-house; a town hall, &c. (See MOAT.)
=Mora=, R. (_mora_, an obstacle). A projection or cross-bar on a spear
to prevent its penetrating too far.
=Mordaunt=, Fr. The catch for the tongue of the buckle of a belt.
=Moresco-Spanish=, or Saracenic =Textiles= wrought in Spain, are
remarkable for an ingenious imitation of gold, produced by shreds of
gilded parchment cut up into narrow flat strips and woven with the silk.
=Moresque= or =Moresco-Spanish Architecture= is the work of Moorish
workmen, executed for their Christian masters in Spain. The most
remarkable examples are in the city of Toledo (described by _Street_,
_Gothic Architecture in Spain_).
=Morion.= A head-piece of the 16th century, introduced by the Spaniards,
who had copied it from the Moors, to the rest of Europe about 1550. It
was worn as late as the reign of Charles I. There were peaked morions,
coming to a point at the top; and high combed morions, surmounted by a
kind of crest or ridge.
=Moriones=, R. (1) Idiots, dwarfs, or deformed persons, used as slaves,
to afford amusement in the houses of the great. (2) A dark-brown gem;
perhaps the smoky topaz.
=Morisco=, O. E. (See MORRIS DANCE.)
=Moristan=, Arab. A hospital.
=Morne=, =Mornette=. The head of a blunted tilting-lance, the point
being turned back.
=Morning Star=, O. E. A club called also a HOLY WATER SPRINKLER (q.v.).
=Morris Dance=, O. E. (or Moorish). A very ancient dance, of masked and
costumed performers, with bells, &c.
=Morris Pike=, O. E. (for Moorish). Long pikes copied from those of the
Moors, the staves of which were covered with little nails.
=Morse=, Chr. (Fr. _mordre_, to bite). The clasp or brooch which
fastened the cope on the breast. (See the illustration to POPE.)
=Mort=, O. E. (death). The notes blown on the horn at the death of a
deer.
=Mortuary Palls=, in the Middle Ages, for the covering of the biers of
dead people were richly decorated. One at Amiens is decorated, upon
white stripes on a black ground, with skulls and bones and the words
“memento mori” interspersed.
=Mosaic=, or more correctly =Musaic Work=. OPUS MUSIVUM, glass mosaic;
OPUS TESSELATUM, clay mosaic; OPUS LITHOSTROTUM, stone mosaic.
=Mosaic Glass=, =Millefiori=. (See GLASS.)
=Mose.= (1) Probably a dish (“Dyschmete” made of apples was called
“Appulmoce”). (2) For MORSE (q.v.).
=Moton=, O. E. A piece of armour intended to protect the right armpit,
used in the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III.
=Mottoes=, in Heraldry, are words, or very short sentences, sometimes
placed above the crest, but generally below the shield. Mottoes are
sometimes emblematical or allusive, and frequently punning, as the “Set
on” of the Setons, the “Tight on” of the Tittons, and the “Est hic” of
the Eastwicks. (See LABELS [2].)
=Mould.= (See MOLD.)
=Mouldings.= A general term for the varieties of outline given to
subordinate parts of architecture, such as _cornices_, _capitals_,
_bases_, &c. These (described in their places) are principally: the
FILLET or LIST, the ASTRAGAL or BEAD, the CYMA REVERSA or OGEE, the CYMA
RECTA or CYMA, the CAVETTO or _hollow moulding_, the OVOLO or _quarter
round_, the SCOTIA or TROCHILUS. These are frequently enriched by
_foliage_, _egg and tongue_ and other ornaments, &c. (See the article in
_Parker’s Glossary of Architecture_ for a history of the diversities of
the mouldings in the different styles.)
=Moulinet.= A machine for winding up a cross-bow.
=Mound=, Her. A globe encircled and arched over with rich bands, and
surmounted by a cross-patée; an ensign of the royal estate. (See CROWN,
ORB, REGALIA.)
=Mountain= or =Mineral Blue= (=Green=). (See CARBONATES OF COPPER.)
[Illustration: Fig. 469. Mug of Moustiers make.]
=Moustiers Faience.= Moustiers in Provence is one of the most important
of the French ceramic centres. The mug represented in Fig. 469 is
coloured with varied enamels, and ornamented with medallion and wreaths.
=Muckinder=, =Muckinger=, O. E. A pocket-handkerchief (sc. dirty).
=Mueta=, Med. Lat. (Old Fr. _muette_). A watch-tower.
=Muffler.= A handkerchief covering the chin and throat, and sometimes
used to cover the face (_muffle_ or _muzzle_).
“I spy a great peard under her _muffler_.” (_Shakspeare._)
=Muffs= were introduced into England from France in the reign of Charles
II. They were previously known in England, but were subsequently more
common, and used by both sexes. Very little variation has occurred in
their manufacture.
=Muglias=, Arab. A kind of pastilles; a substance employed in the Middle
Ages for making odoriferous beads; they were burnt for fumigations.
=Mulctra=, =Mulctrale=, =Mulctrum=, R. and Chr. (_mulgeo_, to milk). A
milk-pail for milking cows. In Christian archæology it is a pastoral
vessel which is a eucharistic symbol.
[Illustration: Fig. 470.]
[Illustration: Fig. 471.]
=Mullets=, Her. Stars generally of five, but sometimes of six or more
rays. Fig. 470 is of the date 1295, and Fig. 471 its development in
1431.
=Mulleus=, =Mule=, R. (_mullus_, a red mullet). A red half-boot, which
only certain magistrates had the right of wearing, viz. the ancient
dictators, consuls, prætors, censors, and ædiles.
=Mullions= or =Munnions=, Arch. The slender piers which separate a
window into several compartments.
=Multifoiled=, Arch. Having many FOILS (q.v.). This term is synonymous
with POLYFOILED.
=Mummy.= This pigment _should_ be made of the pure Egyptian asphaltum,
ground up with drying oil or with amber varnish.
=Mummy-cloths= (=Egyptian=) were of fine unmixed flaxen linen,
beautifully woven, of yarns of nearly 100 hanks in the pound, with 140
threads in an inch in the warp, and about 64 in the woof.
=Muniment-rooms=, to be strong and fire-proof, were erected over
porches, gateways, &c. They contained charters, archives, &c. (See
CHARTER-HOUSE.)
=Munnions=, Arch., for MULLIONS (q.v.).
=Mural.= Generally, on a wall; as—
=Mural Arch.= An arch against a wall, frequent in the aisles of mediæval
buildings.
[Illustration: Fig. 472. Mural crown.]
=Mural Crown= (Her.) represents masonry, and is embattled. (See CORONA.)
=Mural Monument.= A tablet fixed to a wall, &c.
=Mural Painting.= (See FRESCO, TEMPERA, &c.)
=Murex=, R. (1) A Triton’s horn or conch; (2) _murex ferreus_, a
caltrap, thrown down to hinder the advance of cavalry, its long spikes
being so arranged as to pierce into the horses’ feet, and so disable
them. (See CALTRAPS.)
=Murrey=, O. E. A reddish purple or mulberry colour. The livery of the
House of York.
=Murrhina=, =Murrhea=, and =Myrrhina=, R. Murrhine vases; they are
spoken of by Pliny, and have given rise to interminable treatises and
discussions, with the sole result that no light whatever has been thrown
on the nature of these vases.
=Murrhine Glass.= (See GLASS.)
[Illustration: Fig. 473. Walls of Megalopolis.]
=Murus=, R. Walls as defences and fortifications, in contradistinction
to _paries_, the wall of a building. Fig. 473 represents a portion of
the walls of Megalopolis. (See MŒNIA.)
=Muscarium=, R. (_musca_, a fly). (1) A fly-flap. Hence (2) The tail of
a horse. (3) A case in which papers were shut up in order to preserve
them from fly-stains.
=Muses=, the personifications of the liberal arts, are represented
conventionally as follows:—
Calliope. The Muse of epic poetry; a tablet and stylus, sometimes a
roll.
Cleio. The Muse of history; seated in an arm-chair with an open roll of
paper, sometimes with a sun-dial.
Euterpe. The Muse of lyric poetry; with a double flute.
Melpomene. The Muse of tragedy; with a tragic mask, the club of
Hercules, and sword; crowned with the vine-leaves of Bacchus, and shod
in the _cothurnus_; often heroically posed with one foot on a fragment
of rock.
Terpsichore. The Muse of choral dance and religious song; with lyra and
_plectrum_. As the Muse of religious poetry, her expression is dignified
and earnest.
Erato. The Muse of erotic poetry and soft Lydian music; sometimes has
the lyre, sometimes is represented dancing, always gentle and _feminine_
in expression.
Polyhymnia. The Muse of the sublime hymn and divine tradition; usually
appears without any attribute, in an attitude of meditation; sometimes
the inscription ΜΥΘΟΥΣ (_of the myth_).
Urania. The Muse of astronomy; points with a staff to a celestial globe.
(Lachesis, one of the Parcæ, has the same attributes.)
Thaleia. The Muse of pastoral life, of comedy, and of idyllic poetry;
appears with the comic mask, a shepherd’s staff, and a wreath of ivy, or
basket; sometimes dressed in a sheepskin.
The Muses are sometimes represented with feathers on their heads,
alluding to their contest with the Sirens, whom they stripped of their
wing feathers, which they wore as ornaments. (_Hirt. Mythologisches
Bilderbuch_, p. 203.)
=Museum=, Gr. and R. (Μουσεῖον). Literally, a temple of the Muses. The
term was afterwards applied to an establishment founded by Ptolemy I.,
called Soter, at Alexandria in Egypt, in which scholars and literary men
were maintained at the public expense. In a villa, it was a grotto or
retreat to which people retired for meditation.
[Illustration: Fig. 475. Opus musivum.]
[Illustration: Fig. 474. Opus musivum.]
=Musivum= (opus), R. (μουσεῖον). This term was used by the Romans to
denote a mosaic of small cubes of coloured glass or enamel, in
contradistinction to LITHOSTROTUM (q.v.), which was a pavement made of
real stones and marbles of different colours; but in a more extended
sense, the term Musivum denotes any kind of mosaic. Figs. 474 and 475
show examples of various kinds. Fig. 476 is a mosaic forming a border.
[Illustration: Fig. 476. Opus musivum—bordering.]
=Muslin=, originally esteemed for the beauty with which gold was woven
in its warp, took its name from the city of Mousull in Turkey in Asia.
=Musquet.= A long heavy match-lock gun, introduced from Spain in the
Dutch wars of the 16th century, which eventually displaced the
harquebus. (See SNAPHAUNCE and WHEEL-LOCK.)
=Musquet-rest.= A staff with a forked head required to support the
musquet. It was trailed by a string from the wrist.
=Mustarde Villars=, O. E. Either (1) a kind of cloth, probably so named
from Moustier de Villiers, near Harfleur; or else (2) (as Stowe says) “a
colour, now out of use.” _Mustard_ was a favourite colour for liveries
and official dresses in the 15th century.
=Mutatio=, R. Literally, _change_. The Romans gave the name of
_mutationes_ to the posthouses for relays of horses established along
the high roads for the service of the state.
=Mutch=, O. E. An old woman’s close cap. (_Fairholt_.)
=Mute=, Fr. This term, derived from the Latin _muta_, is employed by
ancient authors as a synonym for _belfry_, _turret_, or _bell-tower_.
=Mutule=, Arch. In a general sense, any stone or wooden projection which
stands out beyond the surface of a wall, such as a rafter, for instance.
In a more restricted sense, it denotes an architectural ornament
characteristic of the Doric order, consisting of a square block placed
at equal intervals above the triglyphs and metopes in a Doric cornice.
In the Corinthian order _mutules_ are replaced by modillions.
=Mynchery=, A.S. A nunnery. The word survives in local dialects, and is
applied to the ruins; e. g. of the ancient _mynchery_ at Littlemore,
near Oxford.
=Myrtle Crown= for bloodless victors. The _myrtle_ was sacred to Venus.
It flourished on the sea-coast of Italy and Greece. The wood is very
hard, and is used for furniture, marquetry, and turning. Another myrtle
wood from Van Diemen’s Land is beautifully veined for cabinet-work.
=Myth=, Gen. (μῦθος, lit. that which is spoken). The name given to
obscure traditions handed down from remote antiquity, antecedent to
written or precise history; opposed to _legendary_ record (which can be
_read_).