O.

=O= was used as a numeral by the ancients to represent 11, and with a

dash over it (Ō) to denote 11,000.

=O=, O. E. Anything circular. Shakspeare calls the stars “those fiery

O’s.”

=Oak-apple Day=, O. E. The 29th of May, in commemoration of the escape

of King Charles in the oak-tree.

=Oak-tree=, the emblem of virtue, force, and strength, is frequently

introduced in ancient sculpture. In Christian art an attribute of St.

Boniface, in allusion to his cutting down a Druidical oak.

=Oasis= (from the Coptic _ouah_, a resting-place). One of the verdant

spots that occur at intervals in the deserts of Africa; hence any

fertile spot in a desert, with the obvious symbolical application.

=Oast-house=, O. E. A kiln for drying hops.

=Oban.= The principal gold coin of Japan, worth about 4_l._ 2_s._

=Obba=, Gr. and R. (ἄμβιξ). A drinking-vessel of earthenware or wood,

probably funnel-shaped; hence—

=Obbatus=, Gr. and R. Made in the shape of an _obba_, that is,

terminating in a point. The term is often applied to the cap of the

Dioscuri.

[Illustration: Fig. 494. Egyptian Obelisk.]

=Obelisk= (ὀβελίσκος, lit. a small spit). Also called a needle. A tall,

rectangular, monolithic column, of slightly pyramidal shape, invented by

the Egyptians; in nearly every case they are covered from the base to

the top, and on all four sides, with hieroglyphic symbols. (Fig. 494.)

=Oberon.= The king of the fairies.

=Obex=, R. (_objicio_, to obstruct). Any contrivance to keep a door

closed, such as a bolt, lock, latch, iron bar, &c.

=Oblata=, Chr. The sacred bread. This word was more commonly applied to

the _unconsecrated_ loaf, and HOSTIA to the _consecrated_. (For

particulars respecting the preparation and the form of _oblates_, see

the article ELEMENTS in _Smith and Cheetham_, _Dict. of Christian

Antiquities_.) In the same manner OBLATI were lay-brothers in a

monastery who had not taken the vows.

=Oblate.= Flattened or shortened like the earth at the poles. The earth

is an _oblate_ spheroid.

=Oblationarium=, Chr. A small table placed near the high altar, or at

the end of one of the side aisles, on which the people laid their

offerings. It was also used, when in the choir, to hold the sacred

utensils in place of the _credence table_. In the Greek Church the

_oblationarium_ is still used for the bread, wine, and sacred vessels

required in the mass.

=Oble=, =Oblete= (Lat. _oblata_), O. E. The consecrated wafer

distributed to communicants at mass.

“Ne Jhesu was nat the _oble_

That reysed was at the sacre.”

(_Harl. MS._)

Hence, a wafer-cake, sweetened with honey, and made of the finest

wheaten bread.

=Oboe= or =Hautboy= (from Fr. _haut_, high, and _bois_, wood). A wind

instrument like a flute, sounded through a reed.

=Obolo=, Mod. A copper coin, worth about a halfpenny, circulated in the

Ionian Islands.

=Obolos=, Gr. (derived from ὀβολὸς, a brooch, originally). A small

copper coin worth the sixth part of a drachm. The obolos in later times

was of bronze; but in the best times of Athens it was of silver. Its

value in the Æginetan standard was 1·166 of a penny.

=Obscœna=, Chr. Obscene representations frequently met with in Christian

iconography, which, according to De Canmont, are “to warn the faithful

that they ought to enter the temple with pure hearts, leaving outside

all the passions that soil the soul.”

=Obsidian.= A volcanic glass found near volcanoes, used in antiquity for

the manufacture of mirrors, axes, knives, &c. (See GLASS.)

=Obstragulum=, R. A long leather strap (_amentum_) worn as a fastening

to the _crepida_.

=Obstrigillum=, R. A shoe, the sides of which were lengthened into a

lappet over the instep.

=Obturaculum=, =Obturamentum=, R. (_obturo_, to stop up). A stopper for

the neck of a bottle or the mouth of a vessel.

=Obverse.= Of a coin, the face, or side which bears the principal

symbol. The other side is the REVERSE.

=Ocal=, Span. Coarse silk.

=Occabus=, R. (ὄκκαβος). A kind of spoon.

=Occidental Diamond.= A precious stone of inferior hardness and beauty.

=Occultation.= The disappearance or eclipse of one heavenly body behind

another.

=Ocellata=, R. (lit. marked with _ocelli_ or spots). Marbles used as

playthings by children.

=Ocellated.= Full of eyes; said of a peacock’s tail. (See Fig. 398.)

=Ochre.= Argillaceous earth of different colours which, when finely

ground, is used as a pigment. _Red ochre_ is a form of specular iron

ore; _brown ochre_ is a variety of hæmatite. The _yellow ochres_ become

red when calcined, but the finest reds are made from those which are

brown in the bed. Native red ochre is called _red chalk_ or _reddle_ in

England. _Spanish Brown_, _Indian Red_, _Venetian Red_, and the yellow

ochres have nearly the same composition. The other ochres are known as

_Oxford_, _Roman_, and _stone ochres_, and as _terra di Sienna_ and

_umber_. They are all valuable and durable pigments for oil, water, or

enamel painting. (See AMATITA.)

=Ocrea=, R. A greave; a piece of armour which covered the shin-bone from

below the knee to the ankle. It was generally richly ornamented by

designs embossed or chased upon it. (Modern JAMBES.)

=Octagon.= A figure of eight equal sides, considered as an emblem of

regeneration; consequently the proper form for baptistries and fonts.

(_Fairholt._)

=Octahedron.= A solid contained by eight equal sides, which are

equilateral triangles.

=Octastyle=, R. (ὀκτά-στυλος). An _octastyle_ portico is a portico

having eight columns in front; _octastyle_ pediment, a pediment

supported by eight columns. The pediment of the Parthenon at Athens,

from which the Elgin Marbles come, is an _octastyle_.

=Octave.= (1) In Music, the longest interval in the diatonic scale; as

from _do_ to _do_, or C to C. (2) Chr. Eight days, or the eighth day

after a Church festival (the festival being included) kept as a

repetition or prolongation of the festival. It is a Western custom

unknown to the Eastern Church.

=October.= The eighth month of the old Roman year, but the tenth in the

calendar of Numa, Julius Cæsar, &c. It was sacred to Mars, and a horse

called the _October equus_ was annually sacrificed to Mars.

=Octofoil=, Her. A double _quatrefoil_; the _difference_ of a ninth son.

=Octophoron= or =Octaphoron=, Gr. and R. (ὀκτώφορον). A litter

(_lectica_) borne by eight slaves.

[Illustration: Fig. 495. Ocularium in a helmet.]

=Ocularium=, Med. Lat. The narrow slit or opening for the sight in a

helmet. (See Fig. 495.)

=Oculus=, Chr. A round window of frequent occurrence in the tympanum of

the pediment in Latin basilicas, and occasionally in certain churches of

the 11th century.

=Ode= (ᾠδὴ, a song). A short lyrical poem, intended to be sung to the

accompaniment of an instrument, especially the _lyre_; hence the

expression _lyric_ poetry.

[Illustration: Fig. 496. Ground-plan of the Odeon at Athens.]

=Odeon= (ᾠδεῖον; ᾠδὴ, a song). A small theatre at Athens, built by

Pericles for musical performances. By analogy, the name was applied to

any theatre built on a circular plan and covered with a roof, like that

of Athens, shown in Fig. 496.

[Illustration: Fig. 497. Ground-plan of a Greek house.]

=Œcos=, =Œcus=, Gr. (οἶκος). A Greek house; the term, however, denoted

rather a large apartment resembling the atrium, but entirely shut in,

that is to say, without impluvium. In Fig. 497, A is the œcus; B, C, two

rooms forming offices; D, a tablinum; E, a portico; G, the entrance to

the house; H, work-rooms; J, the triclinium. _Œcus tetrastylos_ was a

house in which four columns supported the roof; _œcus Corinthius_,

having one order of columns supporting an architrave, cornice, and an

arched roof; _œcus Egyptius_, in which the pillars supported a gallery

with a paved floor, forming a walk round the apartment; above these

pillars others were placed, one-fourth less in height; and between the

upper columns were placed windows; and the _œcus Cyzicenus_, which

looked to the north, and, if possible, faced gardens, to which it opened

by folding doors, was a summer-house. (See DOMUS.)

=Œil-de-bœuf=, Arch. A small round or oval window in a roof.

=Œillets.= (See OILLETS.)

[Illustration: Fig. 498. Œnochoê, decorated with _zoophori_, or bands of

animals.]

[Illustration: Fig. 498 a. Œnochoê, or Wine-jug, in black glazed

earthenware.]

=Œnochoê= (Gr. οἶνος, wine, and χέω, to pour). An earthen vase used to

take the wine out of the crater and distribute it into cups. It is the

vase carried by the goddesses, and used for libations. (Figs. 498, 498

a.)

=Œnophorum=, Gr. and R. (οἰνοφόρον). A light case or basket for carrying

wine.

=Œnopolium=, Gr. and R. (οἰνοπώλιον). The shop of a dealer who sold wine

to be carried away; distinct from the _taberna meritoria_ or

_deversoria_, which was a public tavern.

=Offendix=, R. A string by which the _apex_, or cap worn by the flamens,

Salians, or other members of priestly colleges, was fastened under the

chin.

=Offertoria=, Chr. (1) The anthems sung in a Christian church while the

oblations were received; mentioned by Isidorus, A. D. 595: “Offertoria

quæ in sacrificiorum honore canuntur.” (2) Large plates, which, in the

Christian churches of Gaul, served to collect the bread which the

Christians had just laid on the altar. A beautiful specimen of such

dishes, found in Siberia in 1867, and described by Rossi, is 6 inches in

diameter, and weighs 1½ lbs. It has a relief in _repoussé_ work,

consisting of a cross planted on a small globe studded with stars,

beneath which issue the four rivers of Paradise; and on either side

stand two nimbed angels, holding a rod in the left hand, and raising

their right hand towards the cross in token of adoration. De Rossi

regards this dish as the work of Byzantine goldsmiths of the 6th

century. (3) At Rome, acolytes went in and out among the people, and

collected the offerings in napkins of line linen or richer material

called also _offertoria_.

=Offertories=, in Egyptian archæology, are offerings made to the gods,

of various shapes; such as outstretched hands supporting a cup, or

spoons of ivory, wood, or bronze, the handle of which is formed by a

human figure.

=Officina=, R. A workshop, in contradistinction to _taberna_, a store,

and _apotheca_, a shop; thus, _officina ærariorum_ was a goldsmith’s

workshop; _officina fullonum_, a fuller’s establishment.

[Illustration: Fig. 499. Device of the Offuscati Academy.]

=Offuscati.= One of the Italian literary academies. They bore for their

device a bear, roused from his natural heaviness by the stings of bees,

with the motto, “Stings (or points) will sharpen steel.” (Fig. 499.)

=Ogam=, Celtic. The sacred writing of the Druids. (Cf. OGHAM.)

=Ogee Arch= or =Contrasted Arch= or =Moulding=, Arch. An arch or

moulding described by means of four centres, so as to be alternately

concave and convex. It was frequently employed in fifteenth-century

monuments, and its constant recurrence in the _later Gothic_ or

_flamboyant_ architecture has given rise to its French name of _ogival_.

=Ogham.= A kind of shorthand writing or cipher in use among the ancient

Irish. (_S._)

=Ogivale=, Fr. A French architectural term of constant occurrence,

applied to the architecture of the mediæval period in France, during

which the _pointed arch_ was used.

=Ogive=, Fr. Arch. A _pointed_ arch; _not_ the OGEE.

=Ogivette=, Arch. A small ogee.

=Ogress=, Her. A pellet or black roundle.

=Oil Painting= was introduced in Flanders by the brothers Van Eyck in

1410, and in Italy by Antonello da Messina in or about 1455.

=Oillets= or =Oylets=. Loopholes.

=Oils.= The fixed oils used in painting are _linseed_, _walnut_, and

_poppy_, purified and rendered drying by the addition of _litharge_.

They should be pale in colour, limpid, and transparent, and should dry

quickly: _nut oil_ in a few hours, _linseed_ in a day, and _poppy oil_

in thirty-six to forty hours. The essential oils used in painting are

_turpentine_, for diluting the pigments ground in oil, and _spike_, or

_lavender_, for wax and enamel painting.

=Oinerusis=, Gr. (οἰν-ήρυσις). (See ARYSTICHOS.)

=Ointment-box=, in Christian art, is the attribute of St. Mary

Magdalene, St. Joseph of Arimathæa, and other saints.

[Illustration: Fig. 500. Covered Tazza; Faience of Oiron. In the

Louvre.]

=Oiron=, a small town in France (so named from the flocks of geese which

circle round it _Oi-rond_ in winter), is the place where the fine

faiences, usually called Henri II. ware, were made. “Here is France,”

says M. Jacquemart, “in the 16th century in possession of a pottery, the

discovery of which is attributed 200 years later to England.” There are

only about fifty pieces known, five of which may be seen in the South

Kensington Museum.

=Okel=, Egyp. A caravanserai. A large covered court surrounded by two

stories of galleries, of which the lower is used as shops, &c., and the

upper one as lodging-rooms.

=Oldham.= A coarse kind of cloth originated at Oldham in Norfolk,

_temp._ Richard II.

=Olibanum.= A gum-resin used for incense.

=Oliphant=, A.S. An elephant; hence a hunting-horn of ivory.

=Olive.= A blue-grey colour; violet mixed with green.

=Olive=(-tree). (1) In Christian art, the emblem of peace and concord,

and frequent on early Christian tombs in the catacombs, with or without

the dove. (2) Arch. Its leaf was introduced into sculpture by the

ancients, in wreaths or garlands. The Corinthian order is enriched with

_olive_-leaves, as are almost all the antiques at Rome of this order.

(3) R. The _corona oleagina_, an honorary wreath made of olive-leaves,

was conferred by the Romans on soldiers and commanders through whose

instrumentality a triumph had been obtained when they were not

personally present in the action. (4) Gr. It was the _olive_-tree that

Minerva caused to spring from the ground in the citadel at Athens. (5)

The colour and grain of the wood, and of the root portion especially,

are very beautiful, and valuable for decorative and cabinet-work.

=Olivette.= A Flemish name for _poppy oil_.

=Olivine.= A variety of _chrysolite_ of a dark green, commonly called

bottle-green colour.

=Olla=, R. An earthenware vessel of very common make. It resembled our

flower-pots, but had swelling sides, and was covered with a lid. It was

used for cooking meat and vegetables and for preserving grapes (_uva

ollaria_), and as a cinerary urn (_olla ossuaria_ or _cineraria_).

Hence—

=Olla-podrida=, Sp. A stew of meat and vegetables mixed, common in

Spain. The word is used to describe any other incongruous mixture.

=Ollarium=, R. A niche in a sepulchral chamber, in which the _olla

ossuaria_ was placed. (See CINERARIUM, Fig. 160.)

=Olpê=, Gr. (ὄλπη). A kind of _aryballos_ with a curved handle, but no

spout (originally a leather oil-flask).

=Olympiad=, Gr. (Ὀλυμπίας). The period of four years between two

consecutive celebrations of the Olympic games. The first Olympiad began

B.C. 776.

=Olympic Games=, Gr. Games instituted by Hercules in honour of Jupiter

Olympius; they were the most ancient and celebrated in all Greece. They

derived their name from Olympia, in Greece, where they were celebrated.

They were finally suppressed by Theodosius, A. D. 394.

=Ombre.= A kind of damask.

=Ombros.= The name for a particular quality of _madder_.

=Omophagi=, Gr. (ὠμο-φάγοι, sc. δαῖτες, i. e. flesh-eating banquets).

Festivals held at Chio and Tenedos in honour of Bacchus.

=Omophorion.= (1) An article of female dress, worn on the _shoulders_.

(2) A vestment of the Greek Church, consisting of a long woollen band

with embroidered crosses. It is typical of the lost sheep borne home on

the shoulders of the Shepherd.

=Onager=, =Onagrus=, R. An engine for hurling stones of great size.

=Onicolo= or =Nicolo=. A variety of the onyx, with a deep-brown ground,

on which is a band of bluish white, used for making cameos.

=Onocentaurs.= Fabulous animals, half man, half ass.

=Onychomancy= (_onyx_, a nail). Divination by means of the marks on the

nails of the hands.

=Onyx= (ὄνυξ, a finger-nail). (1) A general name for the varieties of

the agate which consist of alternate layers of white, brown, or black,

greatly valued by the ancients for cameos. In the Christian symbolism

the onyx typifies innocence and candour. (See ONICOLO.) (2) The name has

also been applied by the ancients to Oriental alabaster. (3) Onyx marble

was a name given to Algerian marble from Oran, of which “pure white,

brilliant red, golden yellow, and hues of green, with every variety of

striation and flocculence, exist.” [See the _Building News_, xiv. 489.]

=Opa=, =Opê=, Gr. Arch. (ὀπή). A cavity in which a tie-beam (_tignum_)

rests; whence the space included between two ὀπαὶ or _tigna_ was called

_metopa_ or _intertignum_.

=Opacity.= Want of transparency.

=Opaion=, Gr. Arch. The panels on a ceiling formed by the intersection

of its beams.

=Opal.= A semi-transparent stone, remarkable for the play of colours

that it exhibits. Three varieties are, the _oriental opal_, called also

the _noble_ opal and the _harlequin_ opal, remarkable for its flashes of

brilliant colours having a triangular disposition. The affection that

the ancients entertained for this beautiful gem was unbounded. The Roman

senator Nonnius preferred exile to parting with a brilliant opal the

size of a filbert which Marc Antony coveted. The _fire opal_ is

furnished principally by Mexico. Its colour, more pronounced than that

of the _oriental_ opal, and the carmine or vinous red tint of its fires,

permit it to be easily recognized. The _common opal_ displays very

little fire; its colour is milk-white, which, joined to a texture

extremely homogeneous, renders it semi-transparent. [_L. Dieulafait._]

=Opal Glass=, called also Milk-white Glass; prepared for globes to

lamps, &c.

=Opales=, =Opalia=, R. Festivals of Ops, the wife of Saturn, which were

held every year on the fourteenth of the calends of January (19th of

December).

=Opalescent.= Having a play of colours like the _opal_.

=Open-tide=, O. E. The season between Epiphany and Ash-Wednesday, when

marriages were publicly solemnized.

=Opera.= A lyrical drama set to music; originated at Florence in the

16th century. [Consult _Doni_ (passim), _Arteaga Manfredini_,

_Signorelli_, &c.; also _Dr. Burney’s Tours and Correspondence_, and

_Grimm’s Correspondence_.]

=Operculum=, R. A cover for any kind of earthenware vessel.

=Ophicleide= (ὄφις, a serpent, and κλεὶς, a key). A wind instrument of

brass or copper made in the form of a serpent. Generally, the bass of a

military band.

=Ophiomancy=, Gr. Divination by snakes.

=Ophiomorphous.= Snake-shaped.

=Ophite= or =Ophiolite=. Green porphyry or SERPENTINE.

=Ophites=, Chr. A sect which arose in the 2nd century in the Christian

Church. They believed that the Serpent who tempted Eve was Christ

himself. They are also called SERPENTINIANS. (_S._)

[Illustration: Fig. 501. Opima Spolia. Trophy of Gallic Ensigns.]

=Opima Spolia=, R. The “spoils of honour,” consisting of armour set up

as a trophy and dedicated in the temple of Jupiter Feretrius at Rome.

These were spoils taken from the chief of a hostile army, who had been

killed by the hand of a Roman general. Plutarch asserts that the _spolia

opima_ were actually taken only three times.

=Opinicus=, Her. A fabulous heraldic monster; a dragon before and a lion

behind, with a camel’s tail.

=Opisthodomos=, Gr. (ὀπισθό-δομος). Latin, =Posticum=. A small chamber

placed at the back of a temple, to which the priests alone had access.

=Oporotheca=, Gr. (ὀπωρο-θήκη). A storehouse for fruits.

=Oppidan.= At Eton College, a boy who is not a king’s scholar, and

boards in the town.

[Illustration: Fig. 502. Oppidum and carceres of the circus of

Caracalla.]

=Oppidum=, R. A fortified town, and thence the mass of buildings

occupying the extremity of a circus, in which were the stalls for the

chariots and horses (_carceres_). Fig. 502 gives a representation of the

_oppidum_ in the circus of Caracalla.

=Optical Correction= is a name given to the task of adapting art

objects, or architectural proportions and ornaments, to the

circumstances of distance or comparison in which they are to be

exhibited. Belzoni observes that the heads of colossal Egyptian statues

are proportionally larger than the lower members. (For numerous examples

of this contrivance, see the article in the _Architectural Publication

Society’s Dictionary_.)

=Optics= (Gr. ὄπτομαι, to see). The science of the nature and properties

of light; of its changes as it penetrates or is reflected or absorbed by

bodies; of the structure of the eye, and the laws of vision; and of

instruments in connexion with sight. It is thus closely connected with

the science of colour, and the arts in general. The earliest treatise

extant on this science is Euclid’s _Optica et Catoptrica_. (Cf. _Dr.

Smith’s Optics_, &c.)

=Optigraph.= A telescope for copying landscapes. (See CLAUDE GLASS.)

=Optostratum=, R. (ὀπτὸς, brick, and στρωτὸν, strewn). A brick pavement,

often arranged in a herring-boned pattern, as in the OPUS SPICATUM.

(Fig. 509.)

=Opus Albarium.= (See STUCCO.)

[Illustration: Fig. 503. Alexandrinum opus.]

=Opus Alexandrinum.= A mosaic flooring much used by the Romans,

consisting of geometric figures, and generally of only two kinds of

tessera, red and black on a white ground. (See MUSIVUM OPUS.)

=Opus Araneum= (spider-work). A kind of embroidery, 13th century; modern

“guipure d’art.”

=Opus Consutum.= Appliqué work in embroidery. (See APPLIQUÉ.)

=Opus Filatorium.= A kind of embroidery, 14th century; modern “filet

brodé.”

=Opus Græcum=, R. Inlaid pavement. (See MUSIVUM OPUS.)

=Opus Incertum=, R. A Roman method of building; the construction of

walls of very small rough stones, not laid in courses, but held together

by the mortar.

[Illustration: Fig. 504. Pseud-iso-domum opus, with a course of opus

insertum.]

=Opus Insertum=, R. A Roman method of building, of courses of flat

tiles, the most durable of all. Such courses were also introduced in the

other kinds of stone and brick walls, in which they served as

bond-courses, and also kept the damp from rising from the ground.

[Illustration: Fig. 505. Musivum opus.]

=Opus Musivum.= Mosaic. (See MUSIVUM.)

=Opus Pectineum= (comb-wrought). Woven work imitating embroidery.

=Opus Phrygianum=, R. Fine embroidery. (See ORPHREY.)

=Opus Plumarium= (feather-stitch). Embroidery of which the stitches

overlap one another like the feathers of a bird.

[Illustration: Fig. 506. Pseud-iso-domum opus.]

=Opus Pseud-iso-domum=, Gr. (lit. _quasi-equal_ structure). A Greek

method of building in which the courses are (1) parallel and unequal,

but regular among themselves, as in Fig. 506; or (2) irregular

altogether, as in the Gate of Lions at Mycenæ, Fig. 507 (or in Fig.

504).

[Illustration: Fig. 507. Gate of Lions at Mycenæ. Pseud-iso-domum opus.]

=Opus Pulvinarium= (cushion-style). Embroidery like modern Berlin work,

generally used for cushions.

[Illustration: Fig. 508. Structura reticulata.]

=Opus Reticulatum=, R. A Roman method of construction, with an

ornamental surface resembling the meshes of a _net_.

[Illustration: Fig. 509. Spicatum opus.]

=Opus Spicatum=, R. Herring-bone masonry.

=Or=, Her. The metal gold, expressed in engraving by small dots, as on

Fig. 375.

=Or basané=, Fr. Leather stamped in gold, used as hangings in the 16th

and 17th centuries.

=Ora=, R. The cable which fastened the stern of a ship to the shore,

while the ANCORALE kept her head out to sea.

=Ora.= An old Saxon coin of 16 or 20 pence in value.

=Orange.= The colour formed by the mixture of 5 parts of red and 3 parts

of yellow. It is the complementary of blue. The nearest pigment is

_cadmium yellow_.

=Orange Chrome.= A sub-chromate of lead, which yields a beautiful orange

pigment.

=Orange Madder lake.= (See MADDER.)

=Orange Minium.= (See MINIUM.)

=Orange Vermilion.= A durable pigment for oil and water-colours, in

colour resembling _red lead_.

=Orange Yellow.= A yellow inclining to red, represented by molybdate of

lead. (_Ansted_, _Elementary Course_.)

=Orange tree.= In Christian art, symbol of the “Heavenly Bride.”

=Oranti=, It. The name given to certain male and female figures found in

the catacomb frescoes at Rome, represented with the hands spread in the

Eastern attitude of prayer.

=Orarium=, R. A scarf or handkerchief thrown to the crowd in a circus,

to wave to the chariot-drivers. In Christian archæology, (1) A scarf

affixed to the pastoral staff; as early as the 13th century. (2) The

stole. (3) The border of an ecclesiastical vestment. (_Planché._) (See

=Stole=, =Sudarium=.)

=Orb.= One of the emblems of sovereignty with which kings are solemnly

invested at their coronation. It is a globe surmounted by a cross, and

is held in the palm of the left hand. In Art it is a common attribute of

the Infant Saviour.

=Orca=, Gr. and R. (ὄρκη or ὕρχα). An earthenware vessel of large size,

but smaller than the amphora; it was used for holding salted fish. The

diminutive is _orcula_; the modern Italian _orcio_.

=Orchestra=, Gr. and R. (ὀρχήστρα, i. e. dancing-place). The lowest part

of the Greek and Roman theatres; usually occupied by the chorus. It

contained an altar, on which sacrifices to Bacchus were sometimes made.

=Orchestrino.= A modern musical instrument invented by Poulleau. It was

shaped like a pianoforte with similar finger-keys, and the sounds were

produced by the friction of a bow upon strings.

=Orchestrion.= A modern portable organ, invented by the Abbé Vogler

about 1789. A similarly-named instrument invented in 1796 by Kunz, a

Bohemian, consisted of a pianoforte combined with some organ-stops.

=Orcula.= Diminutive of _orca_.

=Order.= In classical architecture, a column entire; i. e. base, shaft,

capital, and entablature. There are usually said to be five _orders_:

the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite.

=Orders of Knighthood.= (See KNIGHTHOOD.)

=Ordinary=, Her. An early principal charge of a simple character.

=Oread.= A mountain-nymph.

=Oreæ=, R. (_ora_, the mouth). A snaffle-bit for horses.

=Oreiller=, Her. A cushion or pillow.

=Oreillettes=, Fr. Ear-pieces on helmets; 15th and 16th centuries.

=Orfrays.= The gold, silver, or silk embroidery on rich garments,

chiefly sacerdotal ornaments. The term has two derivations; some derive

it from _aurum Phrygium_, because the Phrygians, who were excellent

embroiderers, were considered to have invented the style; others take it

to be from _aurum fractum_ (broken). In mediæval Latin the term for

orfrays was _aurifrigia_, _aurifrisa_, _aurifrisus_, and _aurifrixus_.

[Illustration: Fig. 510. Regals or Portable Organ.]

=Organ.= Organs are said to have been first introduced into France, A.

D. 289, from Greece. A large organ existed in Westminster Abbey in the

10th century. Portable organs called also REGALS were also common. The

antique organs had no key-boards, which were introduced in the 11th

century, simultaneously with the invention of the musical _stave_. (Cf.

HYDRAULA.) The REGALS or portable organ is an attribute of St. Cecilia.

(Fig. 510.)

=Organdi.= A kind of muslin.

=Organistrum=, O. E. A musical instrument, resembling the modern

hurdy-gurdy, played by two persons, of whom one turned the handle, while

the other played the keys.

=Organolyricon.= A musical instrument invented in Paris in 1810 by M. de

St. Pern. It consists of a pianoforte with two rows of keys, and

contains twelve different wind instruments, viz. three flutes, an oboe,

a clarionet, a bassoon, horns, trumpet, and fife.

=Organzine.= Thrown silk of a very fine texture. (_S._)

=Orgies=, Gr. (ὄργια). Festivals of Bacchus at which all who were

present were carried away by frenzy. The same term was also used to

denote the festivals of Ceres and those of the CABIRI.

=Orgues=, Fr. Med. (1) Pieces of timber, pointed and shod with iron,

hung like a portcullis over a gateway, to be let down in case of attack.

(2) An arrangement of gun-barrels, the precursor of the mitrailleuse.

(_S._)

=Orgyia= (from ὀρέγω, to extend). A Greek measure of length,

representing the distance from end to end of the _outstretched_ arms, or

the height of the human figure. It was equal to four cubits or six feet,

and was one-hundredth of a stadium.

=Orichalcum= (from ὄρος and χαλκὸς, i. e. _mountain bronze_). A metallic

compound, akin to copper and bronze, which was highly prized by the

ancients. It was probably _brass_.

=Oriel= or =Oriole=, Chr. (_oriolum_, a little entrance). A projecting

angular window, generally triangular or pentagonal in shape. A large bay

or recessed window in a church or in an apartment. The word has been

used in many senses, with the general meaning of a recess within or a

projection from a building. A small oratory.

=Orientation=, Chr. The arrangement of a church by which a worshipper

faces the _east_ at prayers.

=Oriflamme.= The ancient royal banner of France, coloured purple-azure

and gold. It was split into five points, and sometimes bore upon it a

_saltire_ wavy, from the centre of which golden rays diverged.

=Orillon=, Fr. A mass of earth lined with a wall on the shoulder of a

bastion, for the protection of a gun.

[Illustration: Fig. 511. Orle or crest-wreath.]

=Orle.= (1) Arch. A fillet or listel placed beneath the ovolo of a

capital. (2) In Heraldry, a subordinary formed of a border of a shield

which is charged upon another and a larger shield. (3) The wreath or

torse which encircled the crest, composed ordinarily of silk of two

colours twisted together, and representing the principal metal and

tincture in the wearer’s armorial bearings. (_Planché._)

=Orleans.= A cloth made of worsted and cotton.

=Orlo.= A Spanish musical instrument.

=Orlop-deck= of a ship. That over the hold, on which the cables are

stowed.

=Ormolu=, Fr. (_or_, gold, and _moulu_, ground). 72·43 copper, 25·2

zinc, and 2·65 tin; used for cheap jewellery, &c. _Mosaic gold_, another

name for such a metal, is composed of 65 copper and 35 zinc.

=Ormolu Varnish.= A copper, bronze, or imitation-gold varnish.

=Ornithon=, R. (ὀρνιθών). A poultry-yard or aviary.

=Orpharion=, O. E. A kind of lute. (_Halliwell._)

=Orpheon.= A musical instrument.

=Orphrey.= An old English word for gold embroidery, from the Latin

_auriphrygium_. (See ORFRAYS.)

=Orpiment= (Lat. _auripigmentum_; Ang. _king’s yellow_). A yellow

pigment of arsenic with sulphur, or, when the arsenic predominates, an

orange colour. The finest native orpiment comes from Persia, and is

called _golden orpiment_.

=Orpin=, O. E., contraction of =Orpiment=. Yellow arsenic.

=Orrery.= A machine for representing in a model the motions and relative

positions of the heavenly bodies.

=Orrice= or =Orris=. A peculiar pattern in which gold or silver lace is

worked. The edges are ornamented with conical figures, placed at equal

distances, with spots between them.

[Illustration: Fig. 512. Orthostata. Facing of a Greek wall.]

=Orthostata=, Gr. (ὀρθόστατα, i. e. standing upright). (1) The facings

of a wall, consisting of different materials from the internal part of

it. (Fig. 512.) (2) An anta or pilaster.

=Orthron.= (See HOURS OF PRAYER.)

=Oscen=, _plur._ =Oscines=, R. (_os_, mouth, and _cano_, to predict). A

bird or birds from whose singing it was possible to draw auguries.

=Oschophoria=, Gr. (ὀσχο-φόρια, i. e. vine-branch-bearing). Athenian

vintage festivals, instituted in honour of Bacchus and Ariadne by

Theseus, or according to other authorities, in honour of Dionysus and

Athena, in which those who took part carried vine-boughs loaded with

grapes. The festival was concluded by a race on the seashore from the

temple of Bacchus to that of Minerva. The victor’s prize was a cup

called PENTAPLOA, because it contained _five_ ingredients: wine, honey,

cheese, meal, and oil.

=Oscillatio=, R. A swing. The Roman swings are represented having legs

like a chair.

=Oscilla=, R. (dimin. of _os_, mouth or face). Small images or masks,

generally of Bacchus, hung up in vineyards to ensure a good crop, and

practically useful to scare off birds from the grapes.

=Osculare=, =Osculatorium=, Chr. (See PAX.)

=Ossarium= and =Ossuarium=, R. (_os_, a bone). A sarcophagus of

earthenware, stone, or marble, in which the vessel containing the

cremated ashes of the dead was placed.

=Ossature=, Arch. (from the Italian _ossatura_, skeleton). The skeleton

or framework of a Gothic roof or a window. In the roof, the ossature

comprises the nerves, the transverse or longitudinal arches, the

diagonal rib, &c.; in a window, the iron framing.

=Osteau=, Arch. An old term used to denote the rose placed in the upper

part of a mullioned window; it was also applied to a rosace and a

medallion.

=Ostinati.= An Italian literary academy, whose device was a pyramid

blown from all quarters by the winds, with the _obstinate_ motto,

“_Frustra_” (in vain).

=Ostium=, R. A lobby inside the entrance door of a Roman house, deep

enough to contain a small porter’s lodge on one side, and leading to an

inner door which opened on the ATRIUM. The street door was called JANUA.

(See DOMUS.)

=Ostrich Eggs=, Chr. The practice of suspending eggs of ostriches in

churches was probably introduced from the East by Crusaders.

“In some churches two eggs of ostriches, and other things which cause

admiration, and which are rarely seen, are accustomed to be suspended:

that by their means the people may be drawn to church, and have their

minds the more affected.” (_Durandus on Symbolism._)

=Ostrum=, R. A purple colour used by the ancients, produced from the

juice of the _murex_ fish.

=Othone=, Chr. (See STOLE.)

=Ottone=, It. Brass.

=Oubliettes=, Fr. Subterranean dungeons, into which prisoners were

thrown to be _oubliés_ (forgotten). The side walls were in some cases

armed with strong sharp blades, which cut the victims to pieces as they

fell. It should be mentioned that in many cases cesspools have been

mistaken for oubliettes.

=Ouch= or =Nouche=, O. E. An ornament of the brooch kind; a jewel.

(Mod.) The setting of a precious stone.

=Oudenardes.= Tapestry landscapes first made at that place; called also

“_tapisseries de verdure_.”

=Ourania=, Gr. (οὐρανια, i. e. in the air). A game at catch-ball.

=Outline=, which has no real existence in nature, is defined by

Aristotle as πέρας στερεοῦ, “the boundary of solid form.” The only light

and shade used in outlines is the greater lightness or darkness of the

lines.

=Outré=, Fr. Exaggerated, fantastic, absurd.

=Oval= (Lat. _ovum_, an egg). The oval, formed of a continuous curve,

differs from the ELLIPSE, which is equally broad at both ends, in having

one end narrower than the other, and is sometimes called a false

ellipse. _Ovals_ in windows, arches, and other parts of architecture

exist, but are rare.

=Ovatio.= A lesser triumph distinguished from TRIUMPHUS. The general

entered the city _on foot_, and dressed in the toga prætexta of a

magistrate, attended only by musicians, and knights and plebeians; and

the sacrifice by which the ceremony concluded was a _sheep_ (ovis)

instead of a bull; hence the word _ovation_.

=Overstory=, Arch. The CLERESTORY.

=Overture= (Fr. _ouverture_, an opening; It. _sinfonia_). Instrumental

music preceding an opera, &c.

=Ovile=, R. Literally, a _sheep-fold_, and thence an enclosure in the

Campus Martius in which each century assembled before proceeding to

place its votes (_tabellæ_) in the urn (_cista_). It was divided into

compartments approached through narrow passages called _pontes_ of

_ponticuli_. On entering, the citizens received their voting-tablets

(_tabellæ_), and when they had consulted within the enclosure, they

passed out by another _pons_, at which they threw their votes into the

chest (_cista_).

[Illustration: Fig. 513. Ovolo or Quarter-round.]

=Ovolo=, Arch. (from the Latin _ovum_). (1) A convex moulding showing

the quarter of a circle, and thence called quarter-round. (2) The

echinus of the Doric capital. (3) An ornament composed of eggs,

separated either by tongues (Fig. 277) or by darts (Fig. 514). (See

ECHINUS.)

[Illustration: Fig. 514. Egg and dart moulding.]

[Illustration: Fig. 515. Ovum. Egg-shaped balls.]

=Ovum=, =Egg=, R. Conical egg-shaped balls which were placed upon the

_spina_ of a circus, on a stone table supported by four columns. (Fig.

515.) There was a second table at the other end of the _spina_, on which

were placed small marble dolphins. _Ovum Orphicum_, or Orphic egg, was

the mysterious symbol employed by Orpheus to denote the procreative

principle with which the whole earth is pervaded. _Ovum anguinum_ was an

oval ball of glass worn by the Druids round their neck; so named

because, as was asserted, it was produced from the mingled saliva of two

serpents (_angues_).

=Owl.= With the Athenians the owl was the emblem of prudence and wisdom;

the bird of Athenê. In Christian art it symbolizes darkness and

solitude, and hence unbelief.

=Ox.= In Christian art the attribute of St. Luke; the emblem of the

priesthood and of sacrifice. In representations of the Nativity an ox

and an ass are commonly introduced.

=Ox-gall.= The bile or bitter fluid secreted by the liver of the ox;

when refined it is used in oil and water-colour painting to fix and

thicken the colours. (See GALL.)

=Oxford Ochre.= An oxide of iron used as a pigment of a brownish yellow

in oil and water-colours. (See OCHRE.)

=Oxide of Zinc.= A _white_ pigment which is more permanent in resisting

gases than the white lead.

=Oxides of Copper.= The pigments derived from these were well known to

the ancients. Modern pigments are _Blue Verditer_, _Brunswick Green_,

_Verdigris_, and _Emerald_ or _Scheele’s Green_ (q.v.).

=Oxybaphoi=, Gr. Small cymbals in the shape of vinegar-saucers.

=Oxybaphon= (ὀξυβάφον). A Greek term applied to a bell-shaped vase with

a plain foot and a moulded rim, synonymous with the Latin ACETABULUM

(q.v.).

=Oyelet=, =Oylet=. (See OILLETS.)

=Oyer= and =Terminer=. Ancient law-French. The words mean _to hear and

to determine_, and express the authority or commission given to an

appointed court of justice.