=Nablia=, =Nablum=. A stringed musical instrument; a kind of _cithara_
in the shape of a semicircle.
=Nacre=, Fr. Mother-of-pearl, the iridescent inner lining of the pearl
mussel or oyster.
=Nacreous Shells.= Iridescent shells. Several kinds are used for
manufactures, as some species of _Meleagrina_, _Turbo_, _Nautili_, &c.
=Nadir= (Arab. _nadhir_, opposite). The part of the heavens directly
under our feet; opposite to the ZENITH.
=Nænia.= (See NENIA.)
=Naga=, Malay. Jars with the figure of a dragon traced on them.
=Naga Architecture= (Hind. _naga_, a poisonous snake). Temples dedicated
to the worship of the seven-headed snakes are found in Cashmere,
remarkable for their identity of style with the Grecian Doric, unlike
anything found in any other part of India. [Consult _Fergusson_,
_History of Architecture_, ii. 703–732.]
=Nagara.= A Hindoo name for a music-gallery in front of the Jain
temples.
=Nahinna.= A Persian manufacture of majolica. The Comte de Rochechouart
says that the ancient faience of Persia is as admirable as the modern is
detestable, though it retains a degree of oriental elegance.
=Naiad.= A water-nymph.
=Nail.= In cloth measure, 2¼ inches.
=Nail-head Moulding=, Arch. An ornament formed by a series of
projections resembling round or angular _nail-heads_.
=Nainsook=, Hind. A thick sort of jaconet muslin.
=Naipes=, Sp. Playing-cards. The word is supposed to be derived from the
initials of Nicolao Pepin, the inventor. (_Diccionario de la Lengua
Castellana._) Hence the Italian _naibi_.
=Naked Flooring=, Arch. The timber-work which supports a floor.
=Namby-pamby.= Affectedly pretty. The term originated in criticism of an
English poet of the 17th century—Ambrose Phillips.
=Nancy Biscuit.= A peculiar porcelain made at Nancy. The faïencerie was
established in 1774 by Nicolas Lelong.
=Nankeen.= A buff-coloured cotton cloth, introduced from the province of
Nankin, in China.
=Nân-mo=, Chinese. A beautiful wood, resembling cedar, used for temples,
palaces, and houses of state.
=Nantes.= Manufactories of white faience were established here in 1588
and 1625; and that of Le Roy de Montilliée and others in the 18th
century.
=Naology.= The science of temples. (See _Dudley’s Naology, or a Treatise
on the Origin, Progress, and Symbolical Import of the Sacred Structures
of the World_.)
=Naos=, Gr. The interior apartment of a Greek temple; the _cella_ of the
Roman temple.
=Napery.= A general term for made-up linen cloth.
=Naphthar=, Heb. (lit. _thick water_). The name given by Nehemiah to the
substance that they found in the pit where the sacred fire of the temple
had been hidden during the Captivity. This “thick water, which” (the
legend says) “being poured over the sacrifice and the wood, was kindled
by the great heat of the sun and then burnt with an exceedingly bright
and clear flame,” was the naphtha of modern commerce.
=Napiform= (Lat. _napus_, a turnip). Turnip-shaped.
=Napkin= (little _nape_). A pocket-handkerchief.
“Your napkin is too little.” (_Othello._)
=Napkin Pattern.= A decorative ornament very common in German
wood-carving of the 15th and 16th centuries. (See LINEN-SCROLL.)
=Naples Majolicas= were already celebrated early in the 16th century. M.
Jacquemart describes some vases of colossal size, evidently constructed
for “la grande décoration,” being painted on only one face; handles in
the form of caryatids add to the majestic appearance of these vases; the
subjects are scriptural, executed in blue camayeu picked out in black;
the design is free, elegant though rather straggling, and the touch is
bold and spirited.
=Naples Yellow= (It. _giallolino_). A compound of the oxides of lead and
antimony, having a rich, opaque, golden hue. As a pigment for oil
painting and for porcelain and enamel, it is now superseded by chromate
of lead. As a water-colour pigment it is liable to blacken upon exposure
to damp or bad air.
=Napron.= An apron used by mediæval masons. _Limas_ was another kind of
apron worn by them.
=Nard= (Lat. _nardus_). Ointment prepared from the spikenard shrub.
=Nares=, Lat. (the nostrils). (1) The perforations in the register-table
of an organ, which admit air to the openings of the pipes. (2) The issue
of a conduit.
[Illustration: Fig. 477. Narghilly—Persian.]
=Nargilé= or =Narghilly=, Persian. A tobacco-pipe with an arrangement
for passing the smoke through water. The illustration is the bowl of a
Persian pipe of this description, in Chinese porcelain. (Fig. 477.)
=Nariform= (Lat. _naris_, the nostril). Nose-shaped.
=Narthex=, Chr. The vestibule of a church; sometimes within the church,
sometimes without, but always further from the altar than the part where
the “faithful” were assembled. Hence it was a place for the catechumens.
The narthex communicated with the _nave_ by the “beautiful gates,” and
with the outside by the “great gates.” In monastic churches the narthex
was the place for the general public.
=Nasal=, O. E. The bar of a helmet which protected the nose.
=Nask=, Hind. A _quoin_, or coin-stone.
=Natalitii Ludi=, R. Games in the circus in honour of an emperor’s
birthday.
=Natatorium.= A cold swimming-pool in the baths. That at Pompeii is of
white marble twelve feet ten inches in diameter, and about three feet
deep, with three marble steps, and a seat round it raised about ten
inches from the bottom. There is a platform or _ambulatory_ round the
bath, also of marble. (See SIGMA.) The ceiling is vaulted, with a window
in the centre. (See BAPTISTERIUM.)
=Natatorium=, Chr. A baptismal font; Gr. κολυμβήθρα (_piscina probata_).
=Natinz.= A Persian manufacture of majolica. (See NAHINNA.)
=Nativity.= While the Adoration of the Magi is one of the commonest
subjects of early Christian art, the Nativity is one of the rarest. It
is not found in any catacomb frescoes, or the mosaics of any basilicas
or churches. The only examples are sculptural, and this on ivories,
gems, &c. On these generally the Child is seen wrapped in swaddling
clothes as the central object, the star appears above, the Virgin on a
rude couch, and sometimes St. Joseph rapt in thought, his head resting
on his hand; the ox and the ass appear behind, and shepherds with curved
staves stand by adoring.
=Natural.= In Music, a character marked ♮ used to correct the power of a
previous _sharp_ or _flat_. A _natural scale_ is a scale written without
sharps or flats.
=Naturalisti=, It. Artists who work on the principle of a close
adherence to the forms and colours actually combined in natural objects.
The epithet was particularly applied as a term of reproach to the
founders of the modern Dutch school of painting. (See IDEAL.)
[Illustration: Fig. 478. Naumachia, from a coin of Domitian.]
=Naumachia= (ναῦς, a ship, and μάχη, a battle). (1) A spectacle
representing a sea-fight, a subject frequently represented on coins and
sculptures. (2) A building erected for such shows. Napoleon I. had a
theatre at Milan filled with water for a sea-fight.
[Illustration: Fig. 479. Nautilus. Device of the Affidati Academy.]
=Nautilus.= A shell-fish that sails on the surface of the sea in its
shell. Its spiral univalve shell is a common motive in ornamental
design.
“Learn of the little nautilus to sail,
Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.”
(_Pope._)
The illustration is the device of the Affidati, an Italian literary
Academy, with the motto “Safe above and below.”
[Illustration: Fig. 480. Naval crown.]
=Navalis Corona.= (See CORONA NAVALIS.) (Fig. 480.)
=Nave=, Arch. (so called from its vaulted roof resembling in shape an
inverted ship (_navis_); or from _nave_, the centre of anything). The
middle part or body of a church between the aisles, extending from the
_choir_ to the principal entrance. The Germans call this part of a
church “Schiff.”
=Navette=, =Navicula=, Chr. The vessel, in the shape of a boat, in which
incense is placed for the supply of the thurible.
=Navicella=, Chr. A celebrated mosaic, at Rome, of a ship tossed by
storms and assailed by demons; emblematic of the Church.
=Neanderthal.= A valley near Dusseldorf, in which bones and skulls were
found of men asserted to have been _præadamite_.
=Neat-house=, O. E. A cattle-shed.
=Nebris=, Gr. (from νεβρὸς, a fawn). A fawn’s skin, worn originally by
hunters; an attribute of Dionysus, and assumed by his votaries. It is
represented in ancient art as worn not only by male and female
_bacchanals_, but also by Pans and Satyrs. It was commonly put on in the
same manner as the _ægis_, or goat’s skin, by tying the two fore-legs
over the right shoulder, so as to allow the body of the skin to cover
the left side of the wearer.
=Nebular= (Lat. _nebula_, a mist). Belonging to the nebulæ, or clusters
of stars only visible as a light, gauzy appearance or mist in the skies.
[Illustration: Fig. 481. Nebule Moulding.]
=Nebule Moulding.= A decorated moulding of Norman architecture, so
called from the edge forming an undulating or waving line. (See Fig.
481.)
[Illustration: Fig. 482. Nebulée.]
=Nebulée=, Her. A dividing and border line, as represented in Fig. 482.
=Nebulous.= Cloudy or hazy.
=Nebuly=, Her. Ornamented with light wavy lines.
=Neck=, Arch. The plain part at the bottom of a Roman Doric or other
capital, between the mouldings and the top of the shaft. (See
HYPOTRACHELIUM.)
[Illustration: Fig. 483. Necklace. Costume of a Roman lady of the 16th
century.]
=Necklaces.= An ornament common to all ages and nations. The ancient
EGYPTIANS of both sexes wore them of gold or beads, generally with a
large drop or figure in the centre, and strung of the various religious
emblems; amethysts, pearls, gold or cornelian bottles, imitations of
fish, shell, and leaves; finally, an infinite variety of devices. (See
_Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians_, ii. 343.) An illustration of a common
form of GREEK necklaces is given under _Crotalium_. The BRITISH women of
the earliest ages wore necklaces of jet, ivory, and amber, beads,
shells, &c., besides gold links hooked together. (See also MONILE,
TORQUE.) The Anglo-Norman ladies do not appear to have worn necklaces,
and no mediæval examples are found earlier than the 15th century. (See
Figs. 303, 304, 483.)
=Neck-mouldings=, Arch. The mouldings at the bottom of the capital, in
Gothic architecture.
=Necrodeipnon=, Gr. A feast after a funeral; a common subject on tombs.
A horse’s head is usually placed in one corner of the representation, as
an emblem of death as a journey.
=Necrologium=, Chr. A book kept in religious houses for the names of the
founders and benefactors to be mentioned in the prayers.
=Necromancy= (Gr. νεκρὸς, the dead, and μαντεία, prophecy). Calling up
the spirits of the dead for divination; hence generally applied to
conjuring. Necromancy was practised in two ways: by inspection of the
entrails, and by invoking the dead.
=Necropolis=, Gr. A city of the dead; a cemetery.
=Nectar=, Gr. The drink of the gods.
=Necysia=, Gr. Offerings of garlands of flowers and other objects made
at the tombs of deceased relatives on the anniversary of the day of
death, or, as some suppose, on their birthdays. (See GENESIA.)
=Needfire=, or Fire of St. John Baptist (Old Germ. _Nodfyr, Niedfyr_). A
superstitious practice of the ancients, derived from a pagan source, of
celebrating the birthday of St. John Baptist at the midsummer solstice
(St. John’s Eve) by lighting fires, carrying about firebrands, or
rolling a burning wheel. The practice is one of many examples of the
caution with which the evangelizing ecclesiastics of the Middle Ages
refrained from abruptly disturbing the deeply-rooted superstitions of
the ancient Germans. [Consult _Grimm’s German Mythology_; _Brand_,
_Popular Antiquities_.]
=Needle=, Arch. An _obelisk_ (q.v.)
[Illustration: Fig. 484. Needle Point Lace.]
=Needle Point in relief.= To Venice belongs the invention of the two
most perfect productions of the needle—“Point coupé,” and Venetian point
in relief. Various other wonderful products of the needle are included
under the general name of Venetian point, all of exquisite workmanship.
The needle point in relief is made by means of cotton placed as thick as
may be required to raise the pattern; an infinity of beautiful stitches
are introduced into the flowers, which are surrounded by a pearl of
geometric regularity. The engraving is an exquisite specimen of the fine
raised needle point.
=Nef= or =Ship=. A costly and curious piece of plate for the table, used
as an épergne in the Middle Ages. In the 16th century they were perfect
models of actual ships, with masts, yards, shrouds, and sailors climbing
in the rigging. They were filled with sweetmeats, and were sometimes put
on wheels; and there is one at Emden in Hanover from the hull of which
wine was drunk.
=Negative.= In Photography, a picture on glass having the lights and
shadows reversed, from which _positives_ may be printed.
=Neginoth=, Heb. A general term for stringed musical instruments.
=Nehiloth=, Heb. (root _chalal_, to perforate). A general term for
perforated wind instruments of music.
=Nelumbo=, Chinese. A fruit-tree closely connected with the Buddhist
legends, and from its symbolical significance and adaptability to
ornamentation, commonly represented on porcelain. (See _Jacquemart_,
_Hist. de la Céramique_.)
=Nenia=, R. The funeral song which the hired mourners sang at a Roman
funeral, in praise of the deceased. _Lessus_ was their wailing or cry of
lamentation.
=Nenuphar= (It. _nenufar_). The great white water-lily of Europe.
=Neocori=, Gr. and R. (1) Originally sweepers of the temple. (2) In
early times applied to the priests in charge of temples. (3) Under the
Roman emperors, to all Asiatic cities which had temples dedicated to an
emperor; it occurs in this sense (Νεωκόρος) on the coins of Ephesus,
Smyrna, and other cities.
=Neoteric=, Gr. Of recent origin; modern.
=Nepaul Paper.= A strong unsized paper, made in Nepaul from the
pulverized bark of the _Daphne papyracea_. Sheets of this paper are
sometimes made many yards square.
=Nephrite.= A mineral. (See JADE.)
=Neptunalia.= Festivals celebrated at Rome on the 23rd of July, in
honour of Neptune. The people built huts of branches and foliage about
the streets.
=Nereids=, Gr. Nymphs of the sea, who were the constant attendants of
Neptune.
=Nero Antico=, It. Antique marble of Egyptian and other ancient
statuary, of an intense black, probably the result of ages of exposure,
as no marble of the same intensity of blackness is found in any
quarries. Marble, called also _nero antico_, of two degrees of beauty,
is quarried at Aubert (Girons) in France; and the mausoleum of Napoleon
I. is constructed of this stone.
=Nerved=, Her. Having fibres, as leaves.
=Nerves=, Arch. The name is sometimes applied to the ribs and mouldings
on the side surface of a vault.
=Nessotrophium=, Gr. A place in a Roman villa for breeding domestic
ducks. It was surrounded by a high wall, on which was a high ledge with
nests for the birds. A pond was dug in the middle of the enclosure,
which was planted with shrubs.
=Net Tracery=, Arch. A simple and beautiful form of tracery of the
_Decorated_ period, consisting of a series of loops resembling the
meshes of a net, each loop being quatrefoiled. An example occurs in the
east cloister of Westminster Abbey.
=Nete=, Gr. The shortest string, or highest note, of the seven-stringed
lyre. (See MESE.)
=Netherstocks=, O. E. The name given to _stockings_ in the 16th century,
as continuations of the trunk-hose or _upper stocks_.
=Nethinim=, Heb. (from _nathan_, to give). The servants of the priests
and Levites about the Temple.
=Nettle-cloth.= A material made in Germany of very thick cotton, used as
a substitute for japanned leather, on the peaks of caps, &c.
=Network= (_filatorium opus_). An ancient method of embroidery in
England, used for church use or household furniture, by darning or
working the subject upon linen netting. This method chiefly prevailed in
the 14th century.
=Neuma= or =Pneuma= (lit. a breath). A musical passage consisting of a
number of notes sung to one syllable, or simply to a sound, as “āh”
prolonged. “In hujus fine _neumatizamus_, id est jubilamus, dum finem
protrahimus, et ei velut caudam accingimus.”
=Neutral Colour= is that resulting from a combination of blue, red, and
yellow, resulting in grey.
=Neutral Tint.= An artificial pigment used in water-colours, composed of
sepia, and indigo and other blues, with madder and other lakes;
producing a scale of _neutral colours_.
=Neuvaines=, Fr. Chr. Set prayers repeated for _nine_ consecutive days.
=Nevers Faience.= (See NIVERNAIS.)
=Newcastle Glass.= A _crown_ glass, held the best for windows from 1728
to 1830, when it was superseded by the improved make of _sheet_ glass.
It was of an ash colour, subject to specks, streaks, and other
blemishes, and frequently warped.
=Newel=, Arch. The upright central pillar supporting a geometrical
staircase.
=Newel Stairs=, Arch. Where the steps are _pinned_ into the wall, and
there is no central pillar, the staircase is said to have an open or
hollow newel. (See JOINERY.)
[Illustration: Fig. 485. _Niche_ in the _Sigma_ of the _Caldarium_.]
=Niche=, Arch. (It. _nicchia_, a sea-shell). A recess in a wall for a
statue or bust. (Fig. 485.)
=Niche-vaulting=, Arch. (Germ. _Muschelgewölbe_). A form of roofing in a
semi-cupola design, common in the choirs of churches.
=Nick=, =Old Nick=, O. E. (Icelandic _nikr_; A.S. _nicor_, a water-god).
The devil.
=Nickel= (contraction of _Kupfernickel_, or Nick’s copper, a term of
derision given to it by the German miners). A white or reddish-white
metal, from which nickel-silver is made. It is used to a large extent in
the arts, being remarkable for the peculiar whiteness and silver-like
lustre which it communicates to other metals when alloyed with them.
=Nickel-silver.= German silver, or white metal, a compound of tin and
nickel.
=Niello.= The art of chasing out lines or forms, and inlaying a black
composition called _nigellum_ or niello, was probably well known to the
Greeks. The Byzantines compounded for this purpose silver, lead,
sulphur, and copper, and laid it on the silver in a powder; being then
passed through the furnace, it melted and incorporated with the solid
metal. A process producing a similar result of black tracery is
practised in porcelain painting, and called NIELLO-ENAMEL.
=Nigged Ashlar=, O. E. Stone hewn with a pick or a pointed hammer,
presenting a gnawed or nibbled surface: from the Swedish _nagga_, to
gnaw.
=Nilometer.= A building erected, A. D. 847, in the island of Rhoda,
opposite to Cairo, for recording the annual rise of the Nile (i. e. 16
cubits). It is a slender octagonal shaft about 20 feet in height, with a
Corinthian capital. (See the _Builder_, xvii. 255.)
=Nimbed=, Her. Having the head encircled with a _nimbus_; usually
represented by a circular line.
=Nimbus= (Lat. _nimbus_, a bright or black cloud). In Christian art, a
disc or plate, commonly golden, sometimes red, blue, or green, or banded
like a rainbow, placed vertically behind the heads of persons of special
dignity or sanctity as a symbol of honour. After the 8th century living
persons were, in Italy, distinguished by a square nimbus, which
sometimes assumed the form of a scroll partly unrolled. The nimbus is of
heathen origin. Virgil describes Juno as “nimbo succincta.” The heads of
the statues of the gods, and the Roman emperors, after they began to
claim divine honours, were decorated with a crown of rays. On medals of
the Christian emperors also the nimbus is found, e.g. Constantine. In
illuminated MSS. it is found on Pharaoh, Ahab, and other kings. It is a
familiar symbol of dignity or power in the East, but does not appear as
a Christian emblem before the 6th century. [See the article NIMBUS in
the _Dict. of Christian Antiquities_.] (See AUREOLE, GLORY, VESICA
PISCIS, &c.)
=Nincompoop=, O. E. A corruption of the Latin _non compos_; a fool.
=Ninth.= In Music, an interval consisting of an octave and a tone, or
semitone.
=Nisan=, Heb. The month in the Jewish calendar answering to our April.
=Nitrate of Silver=, used in photography, is silver dissolved in nitric
acid.
=Nivarius= (saccus), R. A bag of snow used as a wine-cooler. (See COLLUM
VINARIUM.)
[Illustration: Fig. 486. Jar. Nivernais Faience.]
=Nivernais Faience.= An important branch of the ceramic art, established
in 1608 at Nevers in France by the brothers Conrade. (Fig. 486.)
=Nobbled Stone=, Arch. Stone roughly rounded at the quarry to diminish
its bulk for transport.
[Illustration: Fig. 487. Noble of Henry V.]
=Noble.= A gold coin worth 6_s._ 8_d._ (Fig. 487.)
=Nodes.= In Astronomy, the two points where the orbit of a heavenly body
intersects the ecliptic.
=Nodus=, Arch. The Latin name for a key-stone, or a _boss_ in vaulting.
=Nog=, O. E. Timbers built into walls to strengthen the structure. They
show on the plastering of houses in ornamental patterns. In Kent these
houses are called “wood noggen” houses.
=Noggin=, O. E. “A mug or pot of earth with a large belly and narrower
mouth.”
=Nogging=, Arch. Brickwork in panels carried between quarters.
=Nome=, Egyp. (νομός). A division or district of Egypt; there were
forty-four in all. Each nome was placed under the protection of a
special divinity, and ruled by a resident military governor.
=Nonagon.= A nine-sided polygon.
=Nones.= (1) R. One of the three divisions of the Roman month; the ninth
days before the IDES of each month. (2) Chr. One of the HOURS OF PRAYER
(q.v.).
=Nonunia=, O. E. A quick time in music, containing nine crotchets
between the bars. (_Halliwell._)
[Illustration: Fig. 488. Norman Architecture. The Round Church,
Cambridge.]
=Norman Architecture.= It was introduced into England at the Conquest,
A. D. 1066, and was superseded in the 12th century by the Early English
style. Solid massive masonry, round-headed doors and windows, and low
square central tower are (broadly) its characteristics. Among details
the zigzag and the billet mouldings are the most noticeable. (Fig. 488.)
[Illustration: Fig. 489. Incrusted Tile. Norman. Middle Ages.]
=Norman Pottery=, Mediæval. The illustration is from a pavement of a
church of the 12th century. “Nothing,” says Jacquemart, “is more curious
than the study of these tiles, in which, with rudimentary means, art
already begins to manifest its power. There, in a graceful chequer-work,
the fleur-de-lis of France heightens at intervals a semé of trefoils and
rosettes; scrolls of notched leaves combine in graceful borders; circles
divided crossways receive in their sections stars and heraldic suns;
here are armour-clad warriors, mounted upon horses richly caparisoned,
&c.—all that picturesque fancy assisted by the resources of heraldry
could invent to animate the cold compartments of the pavement, and give
a meaning to the vast naves trodden every day by the Christian
multitude.” (_Histoire de l’Art Céramique._) (Fig. 489.)
=Norns=, =Nornas=, Icelandic. The three Fates, whose names signify the
Past, the Present, and the Future.
=Norroy King at Arms.= The third of the kings at arms, whose
jurisdiction lies to the north of the Trent.
=North Side= of a church “was regarded as the source of the cold wind,
and the haunt of Satan. In some Cornish churches there is an entrance
called the devil’s door, adjoining the font, which was only opened at
the time of the renunciation made in baptism, for the escape of the
fiend. In consequence of these superstitions, and its sunless aspect,
the northern parts of churchyards are usually devoid of graves.”
(_Wallcott_, _Sacred Archæology_.)
=Norwegian Architecture.= The timber-built churches are of great
interest, and exhibit the wonderful durability of the Norwegian pine.
They are generally in the form of a cross, with a tower in the centre
ending in a cupola or spire, and with high pitched roofs. The ornamental
details are elaborate and richly carved. The whole is often painted of a
rich brown colour; sometimes of a bright red. Some of these churches
date from the 11th or 12th century, and are an imitation in wood of the
masonic style of the period.
=Nosocomium=, R. (νοσο-κομεῖον). A hospital.
=Notatus=, R. (_noto_, to mark). A slave branded with a hot iron.
=Note of a Room.= The vibrations of the air in a chamber or vaulted
space produce a musical _note_ proper to the dimensions and other
conditions of the place, which a good musical ear can recognize and
identify. [See _T. R. Smith’s Acoustics_, pp. 83–87.]
=Nottingham White.= White lead. (See CARBONATE OF LEAD.)
=November= (Lat. _novem_, nine). The _ninth_ month of the Roman year,
which began with March. It consisted originally of thirty days, but
Julius Cæsar added one to it. Augustus, however, reduced it to its
original number.
[Illustration: Fig. 490. Nowed. Device of the House of Savoy.]
=Nowed=, Her. Coiled in a knot, as a snake. The illustration (Fig. 490)
is the ordinary device of the house of Savoy—the “true lovers’ knot;”
with the Latin motto, “It binds but constrains not.”
=Nowel=, O. E. (Fr. _noel_, from _natalis_). A cry of joy; properly that
at Christmas, of joy for the birth of the Saviour. It originally
signified the feast of Christmas.
=Nubilarium=, R. A shed used as a barn; it was situated close to the
threshing-floor.
=Numella=, =Numellus=, R. A kind of pillory for keeping men and animals
in a fixed position. It was made use of in surgical operations, and as
an instrument of torture.
=Numismatics= (_numisma_, coined money). The science of coins and
medals. The earliest known coins were issued by the Greeks, probably in
the 8th century B.C. (See the Article in the _Encyclopædia Britan._, 8th
edition, from which reference can be taken to exhaustive treatises on
the various ramifications of this science.)
=Nummud=, Persian. A carpet of felt much used in Persia.
=Nun’s Thread.= A kind of thread formerly made to a large extent in
Paisley.
=Nun’s Work= (Fr. _œuvre de nonnain_). As early as the 14th century
needlework was generally so described. Ancient lace is still so called
in many parts of the country.
=Nundinæ= (_novemdinæ_; from _novem_, nine, and _dies_, days). Roman
weeks; the nomenclature including the day before and that after the
seven days. The name was given to the weekly _market_-days at Rome.
=Nupta=, R.(_nubo_, to wed). A married woman.
[Illustration: Fig. 491. Nuremberg Vase, enamelled in relief.]
=Nuremberg Vase.= Fig. 491 is one of the gems, of the Renaissance
period, issued from Nuremberg; a vase with portraits heightened with
enamels and gold. (_Jacquemart_.)
=Nurhag= (Sardinian _Noraga_). Primitive buildings in the island of
Sardinia, of remote antiquity, having turrets as high as 30 to 60 feet,
and containing stones of 100 cubic feet each in their structure. [See
_Waring_, _Stone Monuments_.]
=Nurspell.= An old English game like trap, bat, and ball. It is played
with a _kibble_, a _nur_, and a _spell_. When the end of the _spell_ is
struck with the _kibble_, the _nur_ rises into the air, &c.
=Nut.= In Christian symbolism, an emblem of the Divinity of Christ
hidden in His manhood. St. Augustine has a long treatise on the
symbolism of the husk, shell, and kernel of the nut. (_Serm. de temp.
Dominic. ante Nativ._)
=Nut Oil.= This medium for colour-grinding is derived from the walnut;
as a vehicle it is preferred to linseed oil, and is the quickest dryer.
(See MEDIUMS, OILS.)
=Nutmeg Ornament=, Arch. A common feature in Early English work in the
_north_ of England, but not in the south. It resembles half a nutmeg,
and is carved at certain distances apart in the hollow of a dripstone at
St. Mary’s Church, Nunmonkton, Yorkshire.
=Nuttoo=, Hind. A nose-stud or ornament worn by Indian women, often set
with brilliants, rubies, emeralds, and pearls.
[Illustration: Fig. 492. Nymphæum of Egeria, near Rome.]
=Nymphæum=, =Nympheum= (νύμφαιον and νυμφεῖον). Literally, _a building
consecrated to the nymphs_. It was a large and richly-decorated chamber,
with columns, niches, and statues, and a fountain in the centre. Nymphæa
were often erected near the head of a spring, and formed cool and
agreeable retreats. Fig. 492 represents a portion of the ruins of the
nymphæum of Egeria, near Rome; and Fig. 493 the interior of the nymphæum
at Nismes, restored. In Christian times the fountains or cisterns common
at the doors of churches were called _nymphæa_.
[Illustration: Fig. 493. Nymphæum at Nismes (restored).]
=Nymphs.= Inferior goddesses of the mountains, forests, waters, or
meadows. Those presiding over rivers, &c., were OCEANIDES, NAIADS,
NEREIDS; those over mountains, OREIADS; those over woods and trees,
DRYADS and HAMADRYADS; those over valleys, NAPÆÆ, &c. They were
represented in art as beautiful young women. The waters of Hades had
their presiding nymphs, the AVERNALES.