S.

=S=, as a _numeral_, was used to represent 7; as an _abbreviation_ it

generally means _socius_ or Fellow (of a society); S. P. Q. R., on Roman

monuments, stands for _senatus_, populusque Romanus.

=Sabanum=, R. (σάβανον). A kind of cloth, towel, or napkin.

=Sabaoth=, Heb. Armies; hosts of angels. It is also written _Zabaoth_.

=Sabatines=, O. E. (1) Steel armour for the feet; 16th century. (2)

Slippers, or clogs.

=Sabianism.= The worship of the heavenly bodies.

=Sable.= (1) The best and most costly brushes for painting are made from

this fur. (2) In Heraldry, the colour black, represented in engraving by

crossed lines. (See Fig. 375.)

=Sabre=, Fr. A curved sword with a broad and heavy blade.

=Sabretasche=, Fr. A pocket worn, suspended, from the sword-belt, by a

cavalry officer.

=Sac-friars.= (See SACCUS.)

=Sacciperium=, R. A large sackcloth bag. A pocket.

=Saccus=, R. (σάκκος). A large sack of coarse cloth for wheat, flour,

&c. (2) A beggar’s wallet. (3) Chr. (Angl. _sack_). A coarse upper

garment of sack or hair-cloth, worn by monks; hence called SAC-FRIARS.

(Cf. SACQUE.)

=Sacellum=, R. (dimin. of _sacrum_). A small precinct enclosing an

altar, and consecrated to a divinity. In Christian architecture, small

monumental chapels within churches.

=Sachem.= The chief of a tribe of North American Indians.

=Sackbut=, O. E. (9th century). A wind instrument resembling the

_trombone_.

[Illustration: Fig. 598. Sacque of the time of Louis XIV.]

=Sacque.= Part of a lady’s dress in the reign of Louis XIV. It was a

silk cloak, and hung from the shoulders, spreading over the dress to the

ground. In England it was worn in part of the reign of George III. (Fig.

598.)

=Sacrarium= (_sacrum_, holy). A place in which sacred things are kept;

the sacristy in a temple. In a private house a place used as a chapel or

oratory.

=Sacring Bell=, Chr. A hand-bell rung at the elevation of the Host.

“Her eye was as bright as the merry sunlight,

When it shines on the dewy grass;

And her voice was as clear as a _sacring bell_,

That is rung at the holy mass.”

(See also SANCTUS BELL.)

=Sacristy=, of a church, the apartment where the vestments and vessels

are kept.

=Sacro Catino=, It. An extraordinary hexagonal glass dish preserved in

the cathedral at Genoa, which was for a long time supposed to have been

formed of a single emerald; and to have been either, “a gift from the

Queen of Sheba to Solomon, or the dish which held the Paschal Lamb at

the Last Supper,” &c. It was obtained in the Crusades in 1101, and was

for many generations an object of superstitious reverence. Its principal

interest now is in the evidence it bears to the early perfection of the

art of making and colouring glass.

=Sadda=, Pers. (lit. a hundred gates). An abridgment of the Zend-Avesta

or sacred books of the ancient Persians.

=Saddle-bars.= Said of small iron bars, in glazing casements, to which

the lead panels are fastened.

=Saddle-roof=, Arch. A roof of two gables. (French, _en batière_.)

=Safety-arch=, Arch. An arch in a wall over a door or window, to keep

the weight of the wall above off the lintel.

=Safflower.= A delicate red colour obtained from the flower of that

name.

=Saffron= (It. _zafferano_). Produced from the flowers of the crocus; a

yellow pigment principally used as a glazing.

=Saga=, R. A woman skilled in religious mysteries; and thence a witch or

sorceress.

=Sagaris=, Orient. (σάγαρις). A two-edged axe, also called _bipennis_;

it was used by the Amazons, Massagetæ, and Persians. (See BIPENNIS.)

=Sagena=, Gr. and R. (σαγήνη). A large fishing-net; modern _seine_. It

was fitted with leaden weights at the bottom and corks at the top.

=Sagitta=, R. (1) An arrow; primitively with heads of flint, afterwards

of bronze and iron. The heads of the arrows of the Greeks and Romans

were oval; among other nations they were triangular and barbed, like

those carried by the SAGITTARIUS in Fig. 599. This kind of arrow was

called _sagitta hasta_ or _adunca_. (2) A lancet for bleeding animals.

[Illustration: Fig. 599. Sagittarius.]

=Sagittarius=, R. An archer; a sign of the zodiac, represented as a

centaur. (Fig. 599.) In Christian art, a symbol of Divine vengeance.

=Sagma=, R. (σάγμα). A wooden pack-saddle.

=Sagmarius=, R. A beast of burden carrying the _sagma_.

=Sagochlamys=, R. A military cloak which combined the Roman _sagus_ and

the Greek _chlamys_.

=Sagus= or =Sagum=, Celt. A woollen cloak with a long nap, worn folded

and fastened round the neck by a clasp, especially by soldiers on a

campaign (Fig. 44); hence _saga_ is a sign of war, as _toga_ is of

peace. At a later period the same name was given to a kind of blouse,

striped or checked in staring colours, and adorned with flowers and

other ornaments, and bordered with bands of purple and gold and silver

embroidery, worn by the Gauls in Artois and Flanders.

=Saic=, Turk. A sailing vessel common in the Levant.

=Saie=, O. E. A delicate serge or woollen cloth.

=Saints-bell=, O. E. for SACRING BELL.

=Salade=, =Sallet=. A light helmet resembling the KETTLE-HAT (Fig. 407),

introduced from Germany in the 15th century.

=Salam-stone.= A name given to the blue or oriental sapphire from

Ceylon.

[Illustration: Fig. 600. Salamander. Device of Francis I., the “Father

of Letters.”]

=Salamander=, Chr. In Christian art, a symbol of fire, and supposed to

live in fire; or, according to Pliny, “to quench it as if ice were put

into it.” In Heraldry it is either represented as a lizard, or as a kind

of dog breathing flames. Fig. 600 is the device of Francis I. of France,

with a motto implying that a good prince nourishes that which is good,

and expels the bad. At the meeting of the Field of the Cloth of Gold,

the king’s guard at the tournament was clothed in blue and yellow, with

the salamander embroidered thereon.

=Salamander’s Hair.= The variety of asbestos called _amianthus_.

=Salet=, O. E. A light helmet. (See SALADE.)

=Salic Dances.= (See SALII.)

=Salient=, Her. In the act of leaping or bounding, the hind-paws on the

ground, both the fore-paws elevated.

=Salinum=, R. (_sal_, salt). A salt-cellar.

=Saltatio=, R. (_salto_, to dance). Dancing; applied to religious

dances, gymnastic or war dances, CORYBANTIC, SALIC, MIMETIC or

theatrical dances, &c.

[Illustration: Fig. 601. Argent a _saltire_ gules.]

=Saltire= or =Saltier=, Her. An ordinary in the form of St. Andrew’s

Cross. The illustration (Fig. 601) is “_argent_ a SALTIRE _gules_.”

=Salutatorium.= (See RECEPTORIUM.)

=Salute at Sea.= The English claim the right, formerly claimed by the

Venetians, of being saluted _first_ in all places, as sovereigns of the

seas. The naval salute to the British flag began in the reign of King

Alfred.

=Sambuca=, R. (σαμβύκη). (1) A stringed musical instrument, which varied

in form, but resembled a harp. (2) Military. A scaling-ladder.

=Sam-cloth=, O. E. (needlework). A sampler. “A _sam-cloth_, vulgarly a

sampler.”

=Samit=, for =Exsamit= (ἑξ, six; μίτοι, threads). A splendid tissue,

having six threads of silk in the warp, and the weft of flat gold

shreds.

=Sammaron-cloth=, O. E. A woven mixture of linen and hemp.

=Samnites.= Gladiators armed like the Samnite soldiers, with a close

helmet, shield, and greaves.

=Sampan.= A Chinese canoe or small boat.

=Sampler= (Lat. _exemplar_). A piece of ornamental needlework, done for

a sample or specimen.

=Sanctus Bell=, Chr. (1) A fixed bell rung at the elevation of the Host,

at the words “_sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Deus Sabaoth_.” It was fixed

outside the church, generally on the eastern gable of the nave. (See

SACRING BELL.) (2) In the absence of a fixed bell, small bells carried

by acolytes, often the subject of rich ornamentation, sometimes

consisting of a carillon of three small bells hidden within one large

one, thus blending their sounds.

=Sandal.= (See CENDAL.)

=Sandal-wood.= Ornamental wood highly valued for cabinet-work; when old

it becomes yellow and highly odoriferous.

=Sandalium=, Gr. and R. (σανδάλιον). A richly ornamented sandal worn

exclusively by women.

=Sandapila=, R. A rough kind of bier for the poor. (See LECTICA.)

=Sandarac.= A resin used for spirit varnishes.

=Sandyx=, Gr. (σάνδυξ). A Lydian tunic, of a fine and transparent

texture, dyed with the juice of the sandyx, which gave it a

flesh-coloured tint.

=Sang-réal= (Saint Graal). The Holy Grail said to have been brought to

England by Joseph of Arimathea. The legend is that it is an emerald cup,

or the cup used at the Last Supper, containing the real (or it may mean

“royal”) Blood (_sang-réel_ or _réal_).

“The cup, the cup itself, from which our Lord

Drank at the last sad supper with his own.”

(_Tennyson._)

=Sanglier=, Her. A wild boar.

=Sanguine.= A deep blood colour, prepared from oxide of iron.

=Sanguinolentæ= (sc. ampullæ). Glass vessels found in the catacombs at

Rome, containing a red sediment, ascertained by analysis to be _blood_;

and canonically pronounced by the Roman Church to be that of the early

Christian martyrs in whose tombs it has been found. (The subject is

discussed at length by _V. Schultze_: _die Katakomben_, Leipzig, 1882.)

=Sanhedrim=, Heb. The supreme council of the Jews, which sat at

Jerusalem in a circular hall, one half of which was within the temple,

and the other outside. (_Bosc._)

=Sap-green.= The only green vegetable pigment; used in water-colour

painting. Obtained by evaporating the juice of the berries of the

buckthorn, mixed with lime.

=Sap-wood.= The soft white wood immediately under the bark of a tree.

=Sapphire= (Syriac _saphilah_). The _oriental sapphire_ from Arabia,

which has been known from the earliest antiquity, was one of the stones

on the breastplate of Aaron, and was dedicated to Apollo by the Greeks,

by whom it was regarded as the gem of gems—the sacred stone _par

excellence_. The sapphires from Brazil are also called oriental

sapphires. The sapphires of Puy, found in a mountain in Central France,

vary from the deepest to the palest blue, passing sometimes to a reddish

blue or even to a yellowish green. The sapphire, although extremely

hard, has been engraved by the ancients. There is a beautiful sapphire

among the crown jewels of Russia, representing a draped female figure:

the stone is of two tints, and the artist has skilfully used the dark

tint for the woman and the light for the drapery. (_L. Dieulafait._)

=Sapphire=, in Christian art. (See BLUE.)

=Saraballa=, =Sarabara=, Gr. and R. (σαράβαλλα). Loose trousers, which

reached from the waist to the instep, worn by the Parthians, Medes, and

Persians.

=Saraband=, Sp. A slow dance derived from the Saracens; the music for

_sarabands_, by Corelli and other old masters, is interesting. (See

_Chappell’s History of Music_, &c.)

=Saracenic Architecture=. (See ALHAMBRAIC, MOORISH, MORESCO-SPANISH.)

=Sarapis=, Pers. (σάραπις). The tunic of the kings of Persia; it was

made of a fine purple-coloured cloth, with a white band in front

embroidered with gold.

=Sarcenet.= A fine thin woven silk. An improved _cendal_, introduced in

the 15th century by the Saracens of the south of Spain; hence its name.

(See CENDAL.)

=Sarcilis=, Chr. A woollen garment—not described.

=Sarcoline= (Gr. σὰρξ, flesh). Flesh-coloured.

=Sarcolite.= A stone of a rose-flesh colour.

=Sarcophagus=, Gen. (σαρκοφάγος; σὰρξ, flesh, and φαγεῖν, to eat). A

coffin of a limestone called Lapis Assius, in which the corpse was

rapidly consumed. The great sarcophagus called “of Alexander the Great,”

in the British Museum, is a celebrated specimen. (See BISOMUS,

QUADRISOMUS, and TRISOMUS.)

=Sard= or =Carnelian=. A brownish-red variety of chalcedony.

=Sard-achates.= A name given by the ancients to varieties of _agate_,

which contained layers of _Sard_ or carnelian.

=Sardonic Laughter.= A distortion of the features of the dying, the

closing symptom of several fatal diseases; named from the poisonous herb

Sardonia.

=Sard-onyx.= A precious stone composed of alternate layers of carnelian

and _chalcedony_; extensively used for gem-engraving.

=Sardel=, =Sardine=, =Sardius=. A precious stone mentioned in Scripture

in the description of Aaron’s breastplate.

=Sarissa=, Gr. (σάρισσα). The longest and heaviest spear of the Greeks

peculiar to the Macedonian phalanx.

=Sarrazinois Carpets.= Embroidered stuffs resembling tapestry, made in

the 10th and 11th centuries, doubtless imitated from work by the

Saracens.

=Sarsen-stones.= Boulders of sandstone found on the Chalk downs in

Wiltshire.

=Sarsnet.= (See SARCENET.)

=Sartago=, R. A frying-pan; in the patois of Languedoc, _sartan_.

=Satin.= This fine silk, originally imported from China, was first known

in England in the 14th century. It is thicker than ordinary silk, and

remarkable for its smooth glossy surface, not exhibiting the marks of

the reticulations of the threads.

=Satin-spar.= An ornamental stone, having a soft _satiny_ surface when

polished.

=Satin-wood.= An ornamental yellow wood much used in cabinet-making.

=Satinet.= A thin kind of satin.

=Saturn=, Her. The black colour in the arms of sovereign princes.

=Saturnalia=, R. Festivals of Saturn, held on the seventh of the calends

of January (14th of December), instituted by Numa. During the four or

five days that this festival lasted, both public and private business

was interrupted; and banquets and festivities were held, in which

masters and slaves met on a temporary footing of equality. In the feasts

at rustic places, the hollow statue of Saturn was filled with oil; he

held a pruning knife in his hand, and his feet were surrounded with a

band of wool.

=Satyrs.= Greek deities of the wooded plains, as the Roman _fauns_ were

of the fields. They are usually represented as the attendants of

Bacchus, or the lovers of the Nymphs, with goat’s legs and horns, and

human bodies covered with short hair; often with LACINIA on the neck.

=Saunders’ Blue= (=Green=) (from the French _cendres’ bleu_). The blue

ashes of calcined _lapis lazuli_. (See CARBONATES OF COPPER.)

=Saurians.= Animals of the lizard tribe, crocodiles, &c., antediluvian

and other.

[Illustration: Fig. 602. Device of Charles d’Amboise, Sieur de

Chaumont.]

=Savage-man= or =Wood-man=, Her. A wild man, naked, or clothed in skins

or leaves, and carrying a club. The illustration is the device of De

Chaumont, Marshal of France (+ 1510), with the motto, “_Mitem animum

agresti sub tegmine scabro_,” which he bore embroidered on the pennon of

his company.

=Savonnerie.= (See TURKEY-STITCH.)

=Saxon Blue.= Sulphate of indigo used as a dye-stuff.

=Saxon Gold-work= of elegant design and skilful workmanship, may be

attributed to the 5th and 6th centuries. The art was doubtless imported

by Roman colonists. Specimens may be studied in the South Kensington

Museum. (See METALLURGY.)

=Scabellum=, R. (dimin. from SCAMNUM, q.v.) (1) A stool or step to get

into bed with. (2) A shoe with a castanet in the sole, with which the

wearer beat time, as an accompaniment to music.

=Scagliola= (It. _scaglia_, a chip of marble). Artificial marble made of

gypsum, glue, &c., of variegated colours, in imitation of marble,

applied in ornamental work like _stucco_, but admitting a fine polish.

=Scalæ=, R. (_scando_, to climb). A ladder or staircase.

=Scald=, Scand. A poet or bard.

=Scaldino=, It. A copper.

=Scale=, in Music (It. _scala_, a ladder). (See TONES.)

=Scalmus=, R. (σκαλμός). The thole, or strong peg with a thong, with

which an oar was attached to the side of a ship.

=Scalper=, =Scalprum=, R. (_scalpo_, to cut). A general term for all

kinds of cutting tools, such as chisels, knives, &c.

=Scalptura.= Engraving in precious stones. (See INTAGLIO, CAMEO.)

=Scamnum=, R. (_scando_, to climb). A stool for a bed or arm-chair, or a

stone bench with a step.

=Scandula=, R. A wooden shingle used for tiles (_tegulæ_).

=Scansoria Machina= or =Scansorium=, R. (_scando_, to mount). A

scaffolding, such as a tower, which enables work to be carried on at

various heights from the ground.

=Scantling.= In _Masonry_, the size of a stone, in length, breadth, and

thickness. In _Carpentry_, the dimensions of a timber in breadth and

thickness only. Any piece of timber less than five inches square is

called _scantling_.

=Scapha=, R. (σκάφη, i. e. dug out). A long-boat or cutter attached to a

larger vessel; obviously, from the etymology, a sort of canoe in its

origin; our “skiff.”

=Scaphium=, R. (σκάφιον). A vessel of Greek origin and of small size,

and in the form of a boat (_scapha_), which, though used as a

drinking-cup, is especially to be classed among sacrificial utensils.

=Scapple.= In Masonry, to reduce a stone to a straight surface, without

making it smooth.

=Scapulary=, Chr. A part of the monastic dress, worn by both sexes over

the shoulders (_scapula_). It is generally a narrow strip of cloth

contrasting with the colour of the dress, reaching almost to the feet.

=Scapus=, Gr. and R. (σκᾶπος). A shaft or stem. This term is applied to

several distinct things, which all, however, imply an idea of use in

support of some other thing; as, for instance, the shaft of a column,

which supports a capital, and occasionally an entablature; the central

shaft or newel which supports the staircase of a column; the stem of a

candelabrum or lamp-rest, and so on.

[Illustration: Fig. 603. Scarabæus, sacred.]

=Scarabæus= (Egyp.), or sacred ateuchus, is an attribute of Phtha, and

the symbol of creation. Under the name of _Kheper_ (creator), the

scarabæus was given to the soldiers in exchange for their oath of

fidelity, and worn by them as a finger-ring. With wings extended (as in

Fig. 603) it is a funereal ornament.

=Scarlet.= (See IODINE SCARLET.)

=Scarlet Ochre.= (See VENETIAN RED.)

=Scarpe=, =Escarpe=, Her. A diminutive of a bend sinister.

=Scauper.= A tool used by engravers; a kind of gouge. (Angl. _scooper_.)

=Scena=, Gr. and R. (σκηνή). (1) The stage of a theatre, including not

only the part so called at the present day, but the wall at the back,

which was provided with three doors, one in the centre (_valvæ regiæ_),

and two lateral ones (_valvæ hospitales_). (2) A double-edged axe, used

in the sacrifices; one of the iron sides of this axe had the broad blade

of the _securis_, and the other that of the _dolabra_. In the sense of

“an axe,” _scena_ is the contracted form of an old Latin word _sacena_.

=Scene-painting= was invented by Inigo Jones, about 1610.

=Scenographia=, R. (σκηνο-γραφία). The drawing of a building in

_perspective_. A _geometrical_ plan is called _orthographia_.

=Sceptre=, Gr. and R. (σκῆπτρον). Originally, in early antiquity, a long

staff similar to the shaft of a spear, which was carried by great

persons to lean on when walking. Afterwards it became the _truncheon_,

and a weapon of offence and defence. Later on, an ornament was added to

the upper end of this staff, and it became the insignia of power and

authority. The ivory sceptre of the kings and consuls of Rome was

surmounted by an eagle. The sceptre was an attribute of Jupiter and

Juno, as sovereigns of the gods.

=Schafte=, O. E. (See SHAFT.)

=Scheele’s Green.= A green pigment; an arsenite of copper; arsenite of

potash mixed with sulphate of copper; used in oil and water-colours.

=Scherzo=, It. (_playful_). A lively style in music; faster than the

minuet (such as in _Beethoven’s_ Second Symphony, op. 36, in D major).

[Illustration: Fig. 604. Schleswig Lace.]

=Schleswig Lace.= North Schleswig (or South Jutland) is the only

province of Denmark in which there was a regular manufacture of lace.

The art itself is supposed to have been introduced, in 1515, by Queen

Elizabeth (sister of the Emperor Charles V., and wife of Christian II.

of Denmark). About 1712 lace-making was much improved by Brabant women.

The earlier specimens are all of Flemish character, made on the pillow

in the same way, occasionally imitating the Mechlin ground with the

pattern apparently run in with the needle. All Schleswig laces are

remarkable for their fine quality and excellent workmanship. The

engraving shows part of a shirt-collar of Christian IV., of a Brabant

pattern to be seen in his portrait in Hampton Court Palace.

=Schmeltz=, Germ. Glass ornament; produced by fusing lumps of coloured

glass together to imitate marble, cornelian, and other stones. (See

GLASS.)

=Schweinfurth’s Green.= A brilliant sea-green pigment.

=Scimitar.= (See SCYMETAR.)

=Scimpodium=, Gr. and R. (σκιμπόδιον, lit. footprop). A couch or long

chair for an invalid.

=Scintillant=, Her. Emitting sparks. (See Fig. 342.)

=Sciolist= (from σκιὸς, a shadow). A man of superficial acquirements,

who sees only the _shadows_ of things.

=Scioptics= (σκιὰ, a shadow). The branch of the science of optics

applied in the construction of the _camera obscura_.

=Sciothericon= (σκιοθηρικόν). A sun-dial.

=Scipio.= An official staff. (See SCEPTRE.)

=Scirophoria.= Athenian festivals held in the month Scirophorion or

June.

=Scirpea=, R. A waggon formed of basket-work of plaited rushes

(_scirpus_), and used principally for agricultural operations.

=Scobina=, R. (_scabo_, to scrape). A rasp for wood; distinct from

_lima_, a file for metals.

=Scobs.= Shreds of ivory, metals, &c., turned off the lathe or rasp, &c.

=Sconces.= Brackets projecting from the wall, supporting candlesticks:

originated in the 15th century, and from that date form an important

branch of metallurgical art-work.

=Scopæ=, R. A broom made of small twigs of wood. This term survives in

the Languedoc _escoube_.

=Scopulæ=, R. A little broom.

=Scorpers.= In wood-engraving, tools used for cutting away large spaces

after outlining or engraving, so as to leave only the drawing in relief.

=Scorpio=, Gr. and R. (lit. a scorpion). (1) A kind of cross-bow. (2) A

pyramid of stones raised for a landmark in country places.

[Illustration: Fig. 605. Scotia or Trochilus.]

=Scotia= or =Trochilus=, Arch. (σκοτία, τροχίλος). A concave moulding

employed especially in the decoration of the bases of columns or

pilasters, between the fillets of the tori. In plain bases the _scotiæ_

are smooth, and in decorated bases they are ornamented with sculptures,

as shown in Fig. 605.

=Scourge.= (See FLAGELLUM and FLAGRUM.)

=Scraper.= An engraver’s tool for removing BURRS (q.v.).

=Screen=, Chr. An open barrier of wood-work or stone enclosing the choir

or chancel of a church, chapel, or tomb; generally highly enriched by

carving and gilding, and the lower panels decorated with painting. (See

ROOD-LOFT.)

=Scrinium=, =Scrinia=, Chr. and R. (1) Chr. A chest which held chiefly

liturgical writings; according to the writings they contained, these

cases were variously distinguished as _scrinia epistolarum_, _scrinia

dispositionum_, _scrinia libellorum_, _scrinia memoriæ_, _scrinia

sacra_, &c. _Scrinia_ were generally kept in the _diaconicum_ or

_scevophylacium_. (2) Cylindrical boxes or cases used for carrying

volumes (i. e. rolls) and papers (cf. HANAPER). (3) _Scrinia

unguentaria_ were used to contain phials of oils and perfumes, &c., for

the toilette.

=Scriptorium=, Chr. An apartment in large monasteries where manuscripts

were transcribed.

=Scripulum.= (See SCRUPULUM.)

=Scrupulum=, R. (_scrupus_, lit. a small stone). A scruple, the smallest

Roman gold coin; it weighed a third of the _denarius aureus_. (See

DENARIUS.)

=Scrutoire=, Fr. An old way of spelling _escritoire_.

=Scudo=, It. A silver coin worth about 4_s._ In Rome the gold scudo is

worth 65_s._

=Sculponeæ=, R. A common kind of boot, with a wooden sole; it was worn

by the _familia rustica_, or slaves who worked in the country.

=Sculpture= (from _sculpo_, to carve) includes all carved work, in wood,

ivory, stone, marble, metal, or other material; and also those works

formed in a softer material not requiring carving, such as wax or clay.

It includes STATUARY, carved ornament, and GLYPTICS or incised gems and

cameos. From the practice of preparing the model in clay, sculpture is

also called _the plastic art_. A most remarkable incident in the history

of sculpture, is the fact that the most ancient specimens are carved of

the hardest stones, such as basalt, granite, and porphyry; and that this

work was done at a period antecedent to the introduction of steel tools.

(Consult _Redford’s Ancient Sculpture_.)

=Scumbling.= The process of going over a painting with a nearly dry

brush, to soften and blend the tints.

=Scutage=, O. E. (from _scutum_, a shield). A tax upon lands held by

_knight-service_.

=Scutale=, R. (from _scutum_, i. e. shield-shaped). The hollow in the

thongs of a sling in which the missile is laid.

=Scutarius=, Med. An esquire or shield-bearer.

=Scutcheon=, for ESCUTCHEON (q.v.).

=Scutella.= Diminutive of SCUTRA (q.v.).

=Scutica=, Gr. and R. A whip made with a leather thong (σκυτικός).

=Scutiform.= Shaped like a shield.

=Scutra=, R. (from _scutum_, i. e. shield-shaped). Diminutive

_scutella_. A square wooden tray for plates, dishes, and cups.

=Scutum=, R. and Egyp. The large oblong shield of the Roman infantry, in

contradistinction to _clipeus_, a round shield. (See SHIELDS.)

=Scymetar.= A sword of oriental origin, with a curved blade, very sharp.

=Scyphus=, Gr. and R. (σκύφος). A drinking-cup of wood or silver, of

smaller capacity than the BROMIAS (q.v.). It was sacred to Hercules.

=Seals.= Ancient porcelain seals, to which the Chinese attribute an

antiquity of from 1000 to 2000 years, are met with in collections; and

precisely identical specimens have been found in the bogs of _Ireland_.

They are of a peculiar white or cream-coloured porcelain, such as has

not been made in China for several hundred years. It is believed that

the Irish specimens must have lain buried there from a period anterior

to history. (_Fortune._) (See SIGILLUM, RINGS.)

=Seax.= A Saxon sword.

=Secco=, It. Fresco-painting _in secco_ is that kind which absorbs the

colours into the plaster, and gives them a dry sunken appearance.

(_Fairholt._)

=Second Distance.= In a picture, the part of the _middle distance_ next

the foreground.

=Secondary Colours.= The three _primary colours_ (containing nothing of

any other colour)—blue, red, and yellow—when mixed in _equal_

proportions produce three _secondary_ colours:—blue and yellow produce

_green_; blue and red, _violet_; and yellow and red, _orange_. Mixed in

_unequal_ proportions they produce what are called TONES (q.v.).

=Secos=, Egyp. (σηκός). The name for the NAOS in an Egyptian temple.

=Secretarium=, Chr. (_secretum_, secret). A _sacristy_ (not a

_tabernacle_, as maintained by some authors) in the apse, at the side of

the altar. In the ancient basilicas there were two such recesses, one on

each side of the altar.

=Sectilis.= (See PAVIMENTUM.)

=Securicula= (diminutive of _securis_). In Architecture, a dove-tail

mortise.

=Securis=, R. (_seco_, to cut). An axe or hatchet of any kind; but esp.

that borne by the lictors in the FASCES. (See DOLABRA, BIPENNIS, FASCIS,

&c.)

=Securis Dannica=, Med. (See BIPENNIS.)

=Secutores=, R. Gladiators appointed to fight with the _Retiarii_ (whom

they were constantly _pursuing_ round the circus); or those who replaced

others killed were so called.

=Sedes=, =Sedile= (dimin. _sedicula_). Any kind of seat.

=Sedilia.= (1) R. The rows of seats in the amphitheatre. (2) Chr. In a

Catholic church, the stone seats on the south side of the altar, for the

use of the clergy in the intervals of the services.

=Segestrium=, R. (lit. of straw). A coarse wrapper made of skins or

straw-matting.

=Segmenta=, R. (_seco_, to cut off). Strips of rich cloth or tissues of

gold or silver worn as a border to the dresses of wealthy Roman ladies.

=Segno.= In Music, a direction to repeat:—_al segno_, as far as the

sign; _dal segno_, from the sign.

=Segreant=, Her. A griffin or wyvern rampant. (See Fig. 369.)

[Illustration: Fig. 606. Sejant.]

=Sejant=, Her. Sitting:—of a lion, at rest with his fore-legs stretched

on the ground, but awake, and his head and tail elevated.

[Illustration: Fig. 607. Sejant Rampant.]

=Sejant Rampant.= Seated like a cat, with his fore-legs erect.

=Sejugis=, R. (_sex_, six, and _jungo_, to join). A chariot drawn by six

horses abreast.

=Seliquastrum=, Chr. A seat of highly archaic character met with on

certain monuments of Christian art.

=Sella=, R. (_sedeo_, to sit). A low seat without back, a stool; _sella

curulis_, a curule chair; its feet were of ivory, and took the form of

an X, and it folded like a camp-stool; _sella castrensis_, a real

camp-stool; _sella balnearis_, a bath-seat, we possess a specimen in

ancient red marble of the greatest beauty, another name for it was

_sella pertusa_; _sella tonsoria_, a barber’s chair. Again, the term

_sella_ was applied to a sedan-chair (_sella portatoria_, _gestatoria_,

_fertoria_), and a pack-saddle for beasts of burden (_sella

bajulatoria_), and to a riding-saddle (_sella equestris_).

=Sellaria=, R. A large reception-room, so called because it was

furnished with a number of _sellæ_.

=Sellaris= (sc. _equus_), R. A saddle horse.

=Sellula=, R. (dimin. of SELLA). A small sedan-chair.

=Sembella=, R. A nominal subdivision of the _denarius_, of which it was

worth a twentieth part, or about fivepence.

[Illustration: Fig. 608. _Fleur-de-lis_ (_semée_). Ancient France.]

=Semée= or =Aspersed=, Her. Sown broadcast, or scattered, without any

fixed number, over the field. (Fig. 608.)

=Sementivæ=, R. (_sementis_, a sowing). A festival which took place at

seed-time in honour of Ceres and Tellus.

=Semi-= (ἡμι-), as an adjunct, is the Greek form of _demi_ = half.

=Semibreve.= In Music, half a breve; the longest note in modern music,

marked [Semibreve symbol].

=Semicinctium=, R. (_semi_, half, and _cingo_, to gird). A short kilt

worn by men when going through violent exercises or severe bodily

labour; it reached from the waist to the knees.

=Semidiapason.= In Music, an octave lessened by a semitone.

=Semiquaver.= A sixteenth of a semibreve—[Semiquaver symbol].

=Semis=, =Semissis=. The half of an As, or six ounces; hence _Semisses_

= six per cent. interest.

=Semita=, R. (_se_ and _meo_, i. e. going aside). A pathway in a field;

a narrow lane in a town.

=Semitarge=, Med. Fr. A scimitar. (See TARGE.)

=Semitone.= In Music; the smallest interval in modern music; the

ancients had _quarter-tones_ (q.v.).

=Semi-uncials.= During the 6th and 7th centuries, a transition style of

illuminating prevailed, the letters of which have been termed

_semi-uncials_. This, in a further transition, became more like the old

Roman cursive, which was called then _minuscule_; it began to prevail

over _uncials_ about the 8th century, and in the 10th its use was

established. (See UNCIAL LETTERS.)

=Semuncia.= Half an ounce.

=Senaculum=, R. A place in which the senate used to meet. There were at

Rome three _senacula_; one between the Capitol and the Forum, a second

near the Porta Capena, and a third near the temple of Bellona.

=Senio=, R. The number _six_ inscribed on the face of dice, and thence

the throw when all the sixes turned up.

=Sentina=, R. The well or hold of a ship.

=Sentinaculum=, R. A ship’s pump.

=Sepia.= A warm, brown, water-colour pigment obtained from the ink-bag

of the cuttlefish. (See ROMAN SEPIA.)

=Sept-foil=, Chr. A figure of _seven_ foils, typical of the seven

sacraments of the Church, and other mysteries of religion linked to the

number seven.

=Septilateral.= Having seven sides.

=Septimontium=, R. A festival of the seven hills, celebrated at Rome in

December.

=Septizonium=, =Septemzonium=, R. A building of great magnificence,

which had seven stories of columns one above the other; each set

supported an entablature and cornice running right round the building

(_zona_), whence the name Septizonium.

=Septum=, R. and Chr. (_sepio_, to fence in). In general, any enclosure

shut in by walls, palisades, barriers, hedges, &c. In Christian

archæology, _septum_ was the name given to a barrier, which, in the

ancient Roman basilicas, separated the nave from the absides.

=Septunx=, R. (_septem_ and _uncia_). Seven-twelfths of any quantity,

whatever its nature.

=Sepulchre=, Chr. The Holy Sepulchre is a favourite subject of

architectural sculpture, in cathedrals and continental churches. It is

generally found on the north side of the chancel near the altar.

=Sepulcrum=, R. (_sepelio_, to bury). A sepulchre, the general term for

any kind of tomb in which the dead were buried, or in which their ashes

were deposited in urns. _Sepulcrum familiare_, a sepulchre erected for a

single person, or for the members of a family. The _sepulcrum commune_

was a tomb held in common by a number of persons belonging either to a

single family, or several families, or a group of individuals, such as

that given in Fig. 182, which represents the tomb of the freedmen of

Octavia.

=Sequin= (It. _zecchino_). A gold coin in Italy, worth about 9_s._

6_d._; and in Turkey worth about 3_s._ 6_d._

=Sera=, R. (_sero_, to fasten). A padlock or movable lock to a door.

=Serapeum=, Egyp. (σαραπεῖον). A general term for sepulchral monuments

in Egypt, but more especially that of Memphis. (_Bosc._)

=Seraph=; pl. =Seraphim=, Heb. (See ANGELS, CHERUBIM.) “They are usually

represented with wings and a flaming heart, to typify spiritual emotion

and divine affection; or covered all over with eyes, to denote their

knowledge of all human events as counsellors of the Most High. The

Seraph’s head in Heraldry, is usually delineated with six wings, two

above and two below, which cross each other, and one on each side of the

head.” (_Fairholt._)

=Serges=, Chr. Fr. The large wax candles used in churches. They are

often covered with texts and devices.

=Seria=, R. An earthenware vessel used chiefly for holding wine and oil;

it was larger than the amphora, and smaller than the _dolium_.

=Serpent.= A musical wind instrument, of a powerful bass; invented by a

French priest at Auxerre in 1590.

=Serpent.= (1) In Christian archæology an emblem of the principle of

evil; the Virgin Mary is frequently represented trampling on the head of

the serpent. It is especially a symbol of cunning, lying, and envy. (2)

Generally. The serpent with its tail in its mouth describes a circle

which is the symbol of eternity. In Classic Art it is an attribute of

Æsculapius, and of Apollo; and a symbol of the _Genius Loci_ (esp. of

temples, &c.).

=Serpentine Verses= begin and end with the same word:

“Ambo florentes ætatibus, Arcades ambo.”

=Serrated.= Having an edge like the teeth of a saw (_serra_).

=Set-offs=, Arch. The mouldings and slopes on _buttresses_, dividing

them into stages.

=Setting= drawings in pencil or crayon is done by simply passing them

through a dish of milk, or by washing the surface with a weak solution

of isinglass.

=Severey=, Arch. A bay, or compartment in a vaulted ceiling.

[Illustration: Fig. 609. Sèvres Vase, with jewelled ornament.]

=Sèvres Porcelain.= The celebrated manufactory at Sèvres was established

in 1756. Soon afterwards it became the property of the king, Louis XV.,

and was much patronized both by him and Madame de Pompadour. Some of the

first artists of France were employed to decorate the plaques and vases,

and the productions of this factory are more highly prized than any

others in the world. In 1870 three _jardinières_ were sold by auction in

London for over 10,000_l._ The finest colours of this porcelain were the

_bleu du roi_ and the _rose de Pompadour_.

=Sewer.= (See CLOACA.)

=Sextans=, R. (_sextus_, sixth). A copper coin worth the tenth of an as,

in weight about two ounces (_unciæ_).

=Sextant.= The sixth part of a circle; an arc of 60 degrees.

=Sextarius=, R. (_sextus_). A measure of capacity used for liquids,

grain, &c.; it held the tenth of a CONGIUS (q.v.).

=Sextertius=, R. A coin originally of silver, and afterwards of fine

copper (_aurichalcum_); it was worth two ases and a half.

=Sextula=, R. The sixth part of the ounce (_uncia_); the smallest

denomination of Roman money.

=Sforzato= (It.). In Music; with force, louder than the rest.

=Sfregazzi= or =Sfregature=, It. By this term is meant a peculiar thin

kind of glazing, which is executed by dipping the finger into the

colour, and drawing it once lightly and evenly along the part of the

picture on which it is to be applied—such as the shade on the cheek, the

limbs, &c., or wherever it is wished to lay a soft thin shadow. (Consult

_Mrs. Merrifield_, _Ancient Practice of Painting_, vol. ii. p. 879.)

=Sgraffito=, It. (lit. scratched). A method of painting on stucco, in

which a ground of dark stucco is covered with a coat of white, and the

design is formed by scraping this away for the shadows. (Consult an

article by _Mr. Alan Cole_ in the _House Furnisher and Decorator_, May

10, 1873.)

[Illustration: Fig. 610. Shackle.]

=Shackle= and =Padlock=, Her. A badge of the Yorkist party during the

wars of the Roses; called also a FETTER-LOCK.

=Shades.= (See UMBRÆ.)

=Shaft=, Arch. The part of the column comprised between the base and the

capital.

=Shaft=, O. E. The May-pole. May-poles seem to have existed in most

villages until the Civil War. They were abolished by an ordinance of the

Long Parliament, April 6, 1644, as heathenish vanities “generally abused

to superstition and wickednesse.”

=Shaftman=, O. E. A measure roughly six inches; “the measure of the fist

with the thumb set up.” (_Ray_, 1674.)

=Shagreen.= A grained leather prepared from the skin of a species of

shark, and stained green. A close imitation is made from horses’ or

asses’ skins, in Russia, and dyed red, blue, or black.

=Shalm= or =Shawm=. A musical instrument, a pipe with a reed in the

mouth-hole.

=Shamrock=, Her. A trefoil plant or leaf, the badge of Ireland.

=Shard=, O. E. A piece of broken pottery. (It has other meanings.

Consult _Halliwell_.)

=Shay-le=, Chin. A relic of Buddha.

[Illustration: Fig. 611. Sheaf. Device of Alphonso d’Avalos.]

=Sheaf.= (1) A bundle of ripe corn bound up in the field; the device

assumed by Alfonso d’Avalos, when he was made captain-general of the

army of Charles V., with the motto implying incessant devotion to his

work,—that, as soon as one harvest is reaped, its successor must be

sown. (2) A bunch of twenty-four arrows, enough to fill a quiver.

=Sheep.= In Christian art, the twelve apostles occur in early mosaics as

twelve sheep, and our Lord in the midst as their Shepherd.

=Shekel.= A Jewish coin, value about 2_s._ 6_d._

=Shell=, Chr. In Gallic as in Christian tombs shells are of frequent

occurrence; there is no doubt that they symbolize the resurrection, the

body of man being looked upon as a shell which he leaves behind him at

death. Different kinds of shell are met with, but that of most frequent

occurrence is the common snail-shell (_helix pomatia_). (See ESCALLOP.)

=Shell-cameos.= Cameos carved on shells. These are certain conch shells

or strombs, the substance of which consists of two distinct layers of

different colours. The black conch offers the most decided contrast in

the colours.

=Shell-lac.= Crude lac-resin melted into plates or _shales_. (See LAC.)

=Shenti=, Egyp. A short pair of drawers, fastened round the hips by a

belt, worn by the ancient Egyptians.

=Shepherd’s Crook.= (See PEDUM.)

=Shepherds.= (See HYCSOS.)

=Shingles.= Wooden tiles; frequently used for church spires.

=Ship.= A symbol of the Church. (See NAVETTE.)

=Shoes.= The shoes worn by the Greeks generally reached to the middle of

the leg; the ROMANS had the _calceus_ and the _solea_ or sandal; the

former was worn with the toga on ordinary occasions; the sandal on a

journey or at a feast; but it was considered effeminate to appear in

public with them. Black shoes were worn by the citizens of ordinary rank

(see ATRAMENTUM, CHALCANTHUM), and white ones (sometimes red) by the

women; on ceremonial occasions the magistrates wore red shoes.

Patricians and their children wore a crescent shoe-buckle (see LUNA).

Slaves went barefooted. The Jews had shoes of leather, wood, &c., tied

with thongs passed under the soles of the feet; to “untie the latchets”

of a man’s shoes was a sign of deep subservience. In ancient as in

modern times the Oriental peoples put off their shoes as we uncover the

head. (Consult _Herbert Spencer on Ceremonies_.)

=Shop.= (See TABERNA.)

[Illustration: Fig. 612. Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral.

13th century.]

=Shrine.= A repository for relics; either fixed, as a tomb; or movable,

as a _feretory_. (See Fig. 307.) The Shrine of the Three Kings in

Cologne Cathedral is one of the most celebrated and costly in the world.

(Fig. 612.)

=Sibina=, =Sibyna=, Gr. and R. (σιβύνη). A kind of boar-spear employed

in hunting.

=Sibylline= (Books), R. The Sibylline books were a series of oracles of

the destiny of the Roman Empire; they were three in number, and were

placed by Tarquin in a vault of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, and

were consulted in cases of difficulty by an order of the senate. They

perished in 670 A.U.C., when the Capitol was burnt. A set of Sibylline

oracles in existence, which predict very clearly the establishment of

the Christian religion, have been ascertained to be a forgery of the 2nd

century of the Christian era.

=Sibyls=, Gr. and R. (Σίβυλλα). Prophetesses of antiquity recognized by

the ancient Christian Church, and a common object of symbolical

ecclesiastical sculpture, with reference to their foreknowledge of the

fulfilment of inspired prophecy; they are twelve in number, having each

a proper emblem. (Cf. _Smith and Cheetham_.)

=Sica=, R. (dimin. _sicilla_). A curved dagger or scimitar; distinct

from PUGIO, a straight dagger. It was the weapon preferred by thieves

and assassins on account of the convenience of its shape for

concealment. (From this word our English _sickle_ is derived.)

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

=Sicilis=, R. A sickle.

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

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

=Sigilla=, R. (dimin. of _signum_, an image), (1) A seal or signet. (2)

Small sculptured or moulded bosses, used to decorate vases or

architecture. (3) Small statuettes, called also SIGILLARIA.

=Sigillaria=, R. (1) The last days of the festival of the Saturnalia,

when _sigilla_, or statuettes of gold and silver or terra-cotta, were

offered to Saturn, and amongst the people, as presents to each other.

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

=Sigla=, It. (contraction of _sigilla_). A conventional sign used

instead of a word or phrase; such as = for _equal to_, and + for _plus_;

A.U.C. for _ab urbe conditâ_, &c.

=Sigma=, R. A semicircular couch, so called because it assumed the form

of the Greek Σ, which was originally written like our C. Hence, the seat

which ran round the walls of the PISCINA in a bath. (See STIBADIUM.)

=Signa Militaria.= (See ENSIGNS.)

=Signature=, in printing, is a letter put at the bottom of the first

page in every sheet, as a direction to the binder in collating them.

=Signets.= (See RINGS.)

=Signinum= (opus), R. A kind of concrete for floorings, invented at

_Signia_, and formed of broken tiles consolidated with mortar, and

levelled with a pavior’s beetle.

=Signum=, R. A general term for any kind of sign or mark by which

anything can be recognized; such as an image or figure, the intaglio on

a ring, the sign of a shop, or a military standard or ensign (_signa

militaria_), as represented in Fig. 665.

[Illustration: Fig. 613. Wall of Silex.]

=Silex=, R. In general a flint or flint-stone, and thence, by extension,

any kind of hard stone hewn into polygonal blocks, as shown in Fig. 613.

=Silhouette=, Fr. A profile portrait, or representation of the shape

contained in the outline of an object, with no attempt to fill in the

parts.

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

=Silicious Wares.= (See POTTERY.)

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

[Illustration: Fig. 614. Silver-gilt dish and ewer; the property of St.

John’s College, Cambridge. (Work of the late 17th century.)]

=Silver.= The history of working in silver is identical with that of

Goldsmiths’ work in general. (See GOLD.) _Pollen_ remarks that though

Phidias and his contemporaries made great statues of gold, many artists

who devoted themselves mainly and altogether to working in the precious

metals executed their best work in silver. Silver was also largely used

for the surfaces of mirrors, which were hung on the walls of temples.

The best collection of antique silver plate was found at Hildesheim, in

Germany, in 1869, and is now in the Berlin Museum. The silver stoup

(Fig. 615) belonging to the Corporation of Norwich, is of the time of

Elizabeth. The illustration (Fig. 614) of the silver dish and ewer at

St. John’s College (1670), is representative of the change that the

goldsmiths’ style underwent about the middle of the 17th century, after

which time the light and graceful leaf work gave way to heavier designs.

(Consult _Pollen_, _Gold and Silversmiths’ Work_.)

[Illustration: Fig. 615. Silver tankard of the 16th century. (Belonging

to the Norwich Corporation.)]

=Silver.= In Christian art, an emblem of purity. (See WHITE.) As one of

the two _metals_ among the _tinctures_ of Heraldry, represented by a

white space. (See ARGENT.)

=Silver, Cloth of.= Josephus tells us that the royal robe of Herod

Agrippa was a tunic made of silver. In the Middle Ages it was woven,

like gold, in long narrow shreds unmixed with anything else, into a web

for garments.

=Sima=, Arch. (See CYMA.)

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

thirty-five strings.

=Simpulum= or =Simpuvium=, R. A small cup used for libations. It was in

the form of a ladle with a long handle.

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

=Sindon= (σινδών). (See CORPORAL.)

=Singing-bread=, Chr. The larger altar breads used in the mass were

called _singing-bread_; the smaller ones consecrated for the people were

known as _houseling bread_. (See also HOLY BREAD.)

=Sinister=, Her. The left side of a shield (considered from the back, or

wearer’s point of view). The _bendlet_ or _baton sinister_ is generally

(not rigorously) regarded in modern Heraldry as the most appropriate

_difference_ of illegitimacy. (Consult _Boutell’s English Heraldry_, p.

194.)

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

=Sinum= or =Sinus=, R. A vessel of small dimensions, but tolerably wide

and deep, which was used for holding wine or milk.

=Siparium=, R. The curtain of a theatre. It was divided in the middle

and withdrawn to the sides to disclose the stage.

=Sipho=, Gr. (σίφων, a hollow body). A siphon for exhausting liquids

from a vessel by the pressure of the atmosphere. A painting at Thebes

shows that the principle of the siphon was known to the Egyptians as

early as the eighteenth dynasty. The same name was applied to a suction

and forcing pump, which was generally employed as a fire-engine.

=Sirens= (Gr. Σειρῆνες [probably from σειρὰ, a _chain_, to signify their

attractive power]). These mythical representatives of the evil side of

the seductive power of music, are represented in art as lovely women to

the waist, and fishes or birds below. Sometimes they have wings, which

the Muses are said to have plucked (see MUSES) of their feathers; as

Orpheus, by opening their minds to the unattainable higher music, drove

them to suicide in the end. In Christian symbolism the sirens typify the

three carnal lusts. (See Fig. 455.)

=Sirpea.= (See SCIRPEA.)

=Sispa-sastra=, Hind. A Hindoo work, the title of which means literally

the science of manual art. It was a kind of encyclopædia, and comprised

about thirty treatises on the manual arts, and included a treatise on

architecture written by a Hindoo whose name has not come down to us; but

a sage or mage called Dupayana compiled, abridged, and edited, about

1500 B.C., the lost treatise of the Hindoo architect. (_Bosc._)

=Sistrum=, Egyp. (σεῖστρον; σείω, to shake). A kind of rattle formed by

a certain number of metallic rods which passed through a framework also

of metal; this was attached to a short handle ending in a head of Athor.

By shaking the instrument by the handle the metallic rods and the

movable rings suspended from them were made to give out a sharp rattling

sound. The Egyptians made use of the sistrum in the ceremonial worship

of Isis and at funerals. Roman coins of Hadrian present a

personification of Egypt as a female figure seated with the sacred ibis

at her feet, and a _sistrum_ in her hand. The instrument is still in use

on the Nile.

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

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

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

[Illustration: Fig. 616. Sixfoil.]

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

=Size= is used to prepare paper for printing upon, and as a _vehicle_ in

oil painting. (See DISTEMPER.)

=Skeens=, Celtic. Long sharp knives; “_sheen dubh_,” black knife, the

Highlander’s _dernier ressort_.

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

=Skirophorion.= (See SCIROPHORIUM.)

=Sling.= (See BALEA, FUNDA.)

=Slipped=, Her. Pulled or torn off.

=Smalt.= A vitreous substance coloured by cobalt, used for painting on

china, not being affected by fire. It makes also a bad pigment in

water-colour painting, and is largely used for giving a blue tinge to

writing-paper, linen, &c. (See COBALT.)

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

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

and of the resurrection.

=Snood= (A.S. _snôd_). A head-band for ladies, of the Anglo-Saxon

period, similar to that now used by young unmarried women in Scotland.

=Soapstone.= (See STEATITE.)

=Socculus.= Diminutive of _soccus_.

=Soccus=, Gr. and R. A slipper worn in Greece both by men and women, but

at Rome by women only. It was worn by actors upon the stage.

=Socle=, Arch. A plain block or plinth forming a low pedestal to a

column; or a plinth round the bottom of a wall.

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

cornice.

=Solarium=, R. (_sol_, the sun). (1) A sun-dial; (2) a water-clock or

clepsydra (_solarium ex aquâ_); (3) a terrace constructed on the top of

a house or portico.

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

chief.

=Solea=, R. and Chr. (_solum_, sole of the foot). A sandal of the

simplest kind, consisting of a sole fastened on with straps over the

instep. _Solea ferrea_, a horse-shoe, or _soccus_ of iron; _solea

sparta_, a sock of Spanish broom for the feet of beasts of burden or of

cattle; _solea lignea_, wooden clogs fastened to the feet of criminals.

Lastly the term denoted a machine for crushing olives, the nature and

shape of which are entirely unknown. In Christian archæology, the term

_solea_ was used to denote, in the early basilicas, a space in front of

the choir.

=Soler= (Lat. _solarium_; A.S. _up-flor_). The upper floor of a house,

approached by a _staeger_ (Ang. stair) outside.

=Soles of the Feet=, Egyp. and Chr. On a great number of Christian tombs

there occur representations of the soles of the feet. This symbol has

been variously explained. In our opinion, one which has never been

broached before, it denoted that the dead were in the power of God; for

among the Egyptians, whenever a god or powerful king was spoken of, it

was said of him that he put his enemies under the sole of his foot.

Ezekiel uses the same terms in speaking of Jehovah. Whenever an Egyptian

went on a pilgrimage to a distant place, he never left the country

without engraving on some stone the impression of his feet, to which he

added his name and titles. (_Bosc._)

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

iron.

=Solium=, R. This term denotes (1) a chair or arm-chair with a high

back; (2) a bier of wood or terra-cotta for a dead body; (3) the granite

or marble seat in an ancient bath.

=Solstice.= The time when the sun appears to _stand still_, at one of

the solstitial points, i. e. at his greatest distance from the equator;

the summer solstice is the longest day, June 22nd; the winter solstice

December 22nd, in the North Hemisphere; reversed in the South.

=Sonata=, Ital. A piece of music with various movements, composed for a

single instrument with or without accompaniment. _Sonate di camera_,

sonatas adapted for chamber music; _sonate de chiesa_, for churches.

=Sonnachiosi of Bologna.= One of the Italian Academies, having for their

device a bear, which sleeps through the winter; and the motto _spero

avanzar con la vigilia il sonno_. (I hope by vigils to make up for

sleep.)

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

=Sortes=, R. Lots; small tablets or counters thrown into a SITELLA or

urn full of water, and withdrawn for soothsaying.

=Soteria=, Gr. and R. (σωτήρια, i. e. of saving). Sacrifices in honour

of the gods offered by way of thanksgiving for escape from any danger.

=Sounding-board=, Chr. A sort of dome or canopy, placed above pulpits to

convey the voice of the preacher to his auditory. In the centre of the

lower part of the canopy there is often a carved dove, symbolizing the

Holy Ghost. Sounding-boards must be placed five feet above the speaker’s

head, and their diameter should exceed that of the pulpit by six to

eight inches on either side.

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

_rochet_.

=Sow=, Chr. In Christian iconography, the sow is a symbol of evil,

impurity, gluttony, and fecundity. It is borne in the crest of Hamilton,

Duke of Hamilton, with the motto, “Through.”

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

=Spandril=, Arch. The triangular space between the upper arch of a door

and the square mouldings which form a frame to it.

=Spangles=, of gold and silver, were, in the Middle Ages, artistically

shaped concave, and sewed on like tiles, one overlapping the other,

producing a rich and pleasing effect. Our present flat spangles are

quite modern.

=Spanish Black.= A pigment of burnt cork.

=Spanish Brown.= (See OCHRE.)

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

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

red_.

=Spanish Stitch.= A kind of embroidery introduced into England by

Katharine of Aragon in 1501.

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

=Spartea.= (See SOLEA.)

=Sparum=, R. A weapon specially employed by the agricultural population,

whence its name of _sparum agreste, telum rusticum_. It was a kind of

halberd. A form _sparus_ was also in use.

=Spatha=, Gr. and R. (σπάθη). (1) A _batten_ or wooden blade used by

weavers for beating the threads of the woof. (2) The spatula of a

druggist or chemist. (3) A long, broad, two-edged sword, with a sharp

point.

=Spathalium=, Gr. and R. (σπαθάλιον:). A kind of bracelet with bells

attached, so that it bore some resemblance to the flower-sheath of the

palm-tree (_spatha_), whence its name.

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

=Spean=, Hind. A monumental bridge, of no great height, among the Khmers

or ancient inhabitants of Cambodgia. The balustrade of this bridge was

formed by means of NAGAGAS (q.v.).

=Spear=, Her., is seldom seen in blazon, though it appears as a “punning

device” in the arms granted to Shakspeare’s father. (See LANCE, CUSPIS,

&c.)

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

=Spectra.= Impressions which remain for a time on the retina of the eye,

after looking at certain bright and coloured objects. They are either

similar in colour and form to the objects which excited them, or vary

according to the laws of the spectrum; e.g. if the eye is fixed on a

_red_ wafer, lying on a sheet of _white_ paper, it will appear fringed

with a faint _green_; then if, after a time, the eye is turned to

another part of the paper, where there is no wafer, a _green_ wafer will

appear.

=Spectrum.= The series of colours that a beam of white light slips into

under refraction:—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

=Specula=, R. A watch-tower.

=Specularia=, Gr. and R. Window-panes made with a kind of transparent

stone (_lapis specularis_).

=Speculum=, R. (_specio_, to behold). A mirror; they were made in

ancient times of a white composition of copper and tin, and afterwards

of silver. The back of the mirror was decorated with beautiful engraved

or enchased designs. There were also glass mirrors backed with a thin

leaf of metal. Mirrors were not contrived to be hung against a wall, or

to stand on a table, but were generally held by female slaves in front

of their mistresses. (See MIRRORS.)

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

of an aqueduct.

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

=Speos=, Egyp. (σπέος). HYPOGEA or subterranean Egyptian temples.

_Hemispeos_ was the name given to temples built partly above and partly

under the ground.

=Sperlings=, O. E. Sprats.

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

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

=Sphæristerium=, Gr. and R. (σφαιριστήριον, lit. place for ball). An

apartment attached to a gymnasium or set of baths for playing with

balls.

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

=Sphendone=, Gr. A band or fillet with which Greek ladies confined their

hair. (See DIADEMA, HAIR, &c.)

[Illustration: Fig. 617. Andro-Sphinx.]

[Illustration: Fig. 618. Crio-Sphinx.]

=Sphinx=, Egyp. (Σφίγξ). An emblem peculiarly Egyptian, signifying the

religious mystery; in this sense it was adopted by the Romans and placed

in the pronaos of their temples. The ANDRO-SPHINX (Fig. 617), a human

head upon a lion’s body, typified generally the union of intellectual

and physical power; the CRIO-SPHINX (Fig. 618) had the head of a ram;

and the HIERACO-SPHINX (Fig. 619) that of a hawk. The two latter are

complex emblems; the hawk being the sun-god’s and the king’s special

figure, and the ram that of the god Neph. The symbolical importance of

these figures was completely disregarded in the course of their

application to the purposes of Greek art.

[Illustration: Fig. 619. Hieraco-Sphinx.]

=Sphyrelata=, Gr. Hammered metal-work; the earliest form of art

manufacture in metal. Archaic statues, antecedent to the invention of

the art of casting, were formed of hammered plates fastened together

with rivets. (See METALLURGY.)

=Spicæ Testaceæ=, R. (_spica_, ear of corn). Oblong bricks for

pavements; applied in the Spicatum Opus.

[Illustration: Fig. 620. Spicatum Opus.]

=Spicatum= (opus), R. A term answering to our HERRING-BONE. work; it was

a kind of construction in which the stones were arranged so as to

resemble the setting of the grains in an ear of corn. (Fig. 620.)

[Illustration: Fig. 621. Spiculum.]

=Spiculum=, R. (dimin. of _spicum_, a point). The barbed iron head of an

arrow or lance. The custom of barbing weapons dates from a very early

period, since it is met with in prehistoric times. Fig. 621 shows a

barbed bone arrow.

=Spider-work= (_opus araneum_). A kind of embroidery; specimens of the

13th and 14th centuries are in South Kensington Museum.

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

lavender.

=Spina=, R. (lit. a spine). A long, low wall along the middle of a

circus, marking off the course in a race. At each end were the goals,

(_metæ_). (See CIRCUS, META.)

[Illustration: Fig. 622. Spinet. 18th century.]

=Spinet= (Ital. _spinetta_). An old-fashioned musical instrument on the

principle of the _harpsichord_ and pianoforte. Brass and steel wires

were struck by quills fixed to the tongues of jacks which were moved by

the keys of a finger-board. (Fig. 622.)

=Spinther=, R. (σφιγκτήρ). A bracelet; it was worn upon the left arm,

and retained in its place merely by the elasticity of the material. The

term is really a corruption of _sphincter_, the muscle which remains

naturally contracted. (See ARMILLA.)

=Spira=, R. (σπεῖρα). Anything spiral or coiled; such as (1) a coil of

rope; (2) an ornament worn by women on the head; (3) the string by which

the cap of the Salian priests was fastened under the chin; (4) the base

of a column.

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

CHAMFER.)

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

Gambier Parry, 1880.

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

varnishes.

=Spirula.= Diminutive of _spira_.

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

=Spolarium=, R. (_spolio_, to strip off). A cloakroom in the baths,

where the bathers left their clothes; in an amphitheatre or circus the

term was applied to a cella in which gladiators who had been killed in

the arena were stripped of their clothes and weapons.

=Spolia=, R. Booty taken in war. PRÆDA means plunder generally;

MANUBIUM, the share of the commander or the state; EXUVIÆ, the personal

spoils of an enemy; and SPOLIA, properly speaking, arms or implements of

war. (See OPIMA SPOLIA.)

[Illustration: Fig. 623. Carved ivory Spoon with figure of “January.”]

[Illustration: Fig. 624. Folding Spoon of carved box-wood.]

=Spoon=, Chr. In early times, especially among the Greeks, Syrians, and

Copts, the sacrament in one kind only was administered with a small gold

or silver spoon, into which a few drops of the consecrated wine were

poured. In the Middle Ages spoons were frequently ornamented with

figures, some carved in ivory or wood, and others of metal. APOSTLE

SPOONS had figures of the Apostles on the handles. (See LABIS and

COCHLEAR.)

=Sporta=, R. A broad plaited basket made of wood and usually furnished

with two handles. Diminutives of this term are _sportella_ and

_sportula_.

=Springers=, Arch. The lowest stones of an arch resting on a column,

pilaster, or cluster of small columns.

=Spurs= with rowels appear first in the 13th century; in early times and

in antiquity they were merely sharp goads fixed to the heel. In the

middle of the 15th century spurs were of extravagant length. In

Heraldry, the _knightly spur_ had a single point, up to about 1320, and

was known as the “pryck-spur;” the later form is called the

“rouelle-spur.”

=Spurn=, O. E. A piece of stone or wood protecting a corner house or

gate-post from wheels. One end is fixed in the ground, and the other

attached at an angle to the post or wall.

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

projecting masonry above.

=Stadium=, Gr. (στάδιον). The course for the foot-race at Olympia, which

measured exactly one stadium (606¾ feet). The stadium was the principal

Greek measure for distance, and equalled the eighth of a Roman mile.

=Stag= (_cervus_). Representations of the stag occur in many Christian

bas-reliefs and paintings. It is the emblem of many dissimilar moral

ideas, but more especially of a longing desire for baptism, from an

application of the text in the 42nd Psalm, “Like as the hart,” &c. (See

HART.)

=Stalactite= (Gr. στάλαγμα, an icicle). Spar, in the form of icicles

hanging from the roof of a cavern. =Stalagmites= are heaped up from

their droppings on the floor, forming when they unite with the

Stalactites the so called Organ pipes.

=Stalagmium=, Gr. and R. (σταλάγμιον). An ear-ring decorated with

pearls, or small gold or silver drops, which bore more or less

resemblance to the shape of a drop of water (στάλαγμα), whence its name.

=Stall-plate=, Her. The plate bearing the arms of a knight, and placed

in his stall in the chapel of his order.

=Stalls=, Chr. Seats in a chapel; made to be used in two ways: either

with the flap of the seat let down called “sellette,” which formed the

regular seat, or with the flap raised, affording only a small

resting-place called _miserere_. The elbows are often called “museaux”

from their being in many cases ornamented with the head of some animal.

(See MISERERE.)

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

=Stamnos=, Gr. and R. A vessel in the shape of a Panathenæan water-jar

or amphora, but with a wider neck, and with two ears and no handle.

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

window.

=Standard= or =Banner=, Chr. The symbol of victory over sin, death, and

idolatry. (See ENSIGNS, LABARUM, SIGNA, &c.) In heraldry, a long narrow

flag introduced in the 14th century. The ROYAL STANDARD bears the

blazonry of the Queen’s arms. The UNION JACK was produced in the reign

of James I., in 1606, as the national flag of united England and

Scotland, combining the banners of St. George and St. Andrew. The latest

UNION JACK shows, over the saltire of St. Andrew, the _gules_ of St.

Patrick, and was introduced upon the occasion of the _union_ with

Ireland. The word “Jack” is a corruption of the French “Jacques,” for

James.

=Standing Stones.= Celtic monuments, also called _megalithic_,

consisting of a row of stones standing in a line. (See DOLMEN, MENHIR,

MEGALITHIC, &c.)

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

=Stanniferous Wares.= (See POTTERY.)

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

[Illustration: Fig. 625. Badge of the Star of India.]

=Star of India.= An order of knighthood instituted by Queen Victoria in

1861. The INSIGNIA are the _Badge_ (Fig. 171); _collar_ of heraldic

roses and lotus-flowers alternating with palm-branches, a crown being in

the centre; _ribbon_ of pale blue with white borders, crossing the left

shoulder; and _star_ of diamonds, having a mullet upon an irradiated

field in its centre, with the motto “Heaven’s Light our Guide.”

[Illustration: Fig. 626. Heraldic Stars.]

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

=Stars=, Chr. Emblematic of the canopy of Heaven, are generally

represented on the domed ceilings of churches. These were usually forged

in metal and fixed on to an azure ground. They are attributes of the

Virgin Mary as queen of heaven, and of St. Dominic and other saints.

[Illustration: Fig. 627. Star-moulding.]

=Stars=, =Star-moulding=, Arch. An ornament of the Romano-Byzantine

period, in the shape of a star with four rays only. (Fig. 627.) It is

met with as a decoration in various mouldings.

[Illustration: Fig. 628. Statera.]

=Statera=, R. A steelyard or Roman balance, of much later invention than

the scales called _libra_. It consisted (Fig. 628) of a rod or yard

(_scapa_), divided by equidistant points (_puncta_), and was suspended

by means of a handle (_ansa_) consisting of a hook or chain. The weight

(_æquipondium_) forms a counterpoise to any object suspended from one of

the hooks or the scale (_lancula_). (Fig. 418.) The term is sometimes

looked upon as a synonym of LIBRA (q.v.). It denotes besides (1) a

wooden bar or yoke placed across the withers of a pair of horses

harnessed to a BIJUGUS (q.v.); (2) a plate or dish, probably of circular

form.

=Statuettes.= Small statues in bronze or porcelain for the decoration of

rooms. For =Porcelain Statuary=, consult Jacquemart’s _History of the

Ceramic Art_.

=Stauracin= (Gr. σταυρὸς, a cross) was a silken stuff figured with small

plain _crosses_; hence _polystauron_, having many crosses.

=Steatite= or =Soapstone=. A soft, unctuous, magnesian mineral, used by

the Chinese for statuary and decorative purposes.

=Steel, Engraving in=, was invented during the present century. The

process is nearly the same as engraving in copper. (See CHALCOGRAPHY.)

=Stega=, Gr. and R. (στέγη, i. e. a covering). The deck of a ship; a

synonym for CONSTRATUM (q.v.).

=Steganography=, Gr. (στεγανὸς, secret). Cypher, or secret writing, by

substitution of signs for letters.

[Illustration: Fig. 629. Steinkerque.]

=Steinkerque= was a twisted necktie, and owed its origin to the battle

of that name fought in 1692 by Marshal Luxembourg against William of

Orange. When the French princes were suddenly ordered into action,

hastily tying their cravats—in peaceful times an elaborate

proceeding—they rushed to the charge and gained the day. In honour of

this event ladies also wore their lace neckerchiefs twisted in this

careless fashion. Steinkerques became the rage, and were worn in England

and France by men and women for many years afterwards. The engraving

represents the Grand Dauphin of France wearing a Steinkerque.

[Illustration: Fig. 630. Greek Stelè.]

[Illustration: Fig. 631. Roman Stela.]

=Stela=, =Stelè=, Gr. A pillar, or stone of a cylindrical or

quadrangular shape, often surmounted by an ornament in the form of a

palm. These _stelæ_ served to mark out burial-places. Fig. 631

represents a Roman, and Fig. 630 a Greek stelê.

=Stemma=, Gr. and R. (στέμμα, i. e. that which crowns). Among the Greeks

this term served to denote a wreath bound round with woollen fillets;

among the Romans the same term denoted a long roll of parchment

ornamented with garlands. This roll contained the genealogy of the

family. _Stemmata_ were hung upon the busts of ancestors, and in front

of the _imagines majorum_.

=Stencil.= A plate of any material in which patterns have been cut out.

The use of stencil plates is of great antiquity. They were used in the

schools of ancient Rome to teach writing, and by the emperors for

affixing their sign manual to documents.

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

=Stereochromy.= A new method of wall painting, with water-colours

sprinkled over with fluoric acid, adapted permanently to resist all the

influences of climate.

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

plane surface.

=Stereoscope.= A binocular glass, arranged in conformity with the

natural convergence of the sight of each eye to a focal centre. An

object is photographed twice, as it would appear to each eye if the

other were closed; and when the two pictures are looked at together in

the stereoscope, an effect of rounded solidity (_stereon_) is produced.

The effect is particularly beautiful in photographs of statues.

=Stereotype.= Solid type, obtained from a cast of the forme of movable

type, for permanent use in printing works of which many editions are

required.

=Steyre=, O. E. A stair.

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

_basso-relievo_.

=Stibadium=, Gr. and R. (στιβάδιον). A circular dining-couch generally

made of wicker-work. Another name for it was SIGMA.

=Sticharium=, Chr. (στιχάριον). A white tunic worn by the Greek bishops

and deacons in certain ceremonies.

=Stigma=, R. (στίγμα, lit. a mark by pricking). A mark, impression, or

brand. Thieves were branded with the letter F, which stood for _fur_,

thief. A _stigma_ tattooed on the arm was the mark by which conscripts

were declared capable of military service, &c., hence

=Stigmata=, Chr. The marks of the five sacred wounds on the hands, feet,

and side of Our Lord; said to have been miraculously printed on the

persons of saints.

=Stil de grain.= (See PINKS.)

=Still Life.= Inanimate objects.

=Stilted Arch.= One having the capital or impost mouldings of the jambs

below the level of the springing of the curve, the moulding of the arch

being continued vertically down to the impost mouldings.

=Stilus=, =Stylus=, R. A style, or instrument of bone, ivory, iron,

bronze, or silver, about five inches long, having one end pointed, and

the other flattened like a spatula; the latter served either to spread

the wax on the writing-tablet, or to erase by smoothing down what had

been written upon it; the other and pointed end served for writing upon

the wax-covered tablet. The term also denoted (1) the needle or index of

a sun-dial; (2) a bronze needle; (3) a probe employed for garden

purposes. (4) A sharp stake in a pitfall. It was also called _graphium_.

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

=Stipple.= Etched imitations of chalk drawings of the human figure,

called _engravings in stipple_, have a very soft effect, but are

inferior to engraving. In this variety the whole subject is executed in

dots without strokes on the etching-ground, and these dots are bitten in

with aquafortis. The dots may be harmonized with a little hammer, in

which case the work is called _opus mallei_. In the method known as

_mezzo-tinto_, a dark _barb_ or ground is raised uniformly by means of a

toothed tool; and the design being traced, the light parts are scraped

off from the plate by fitting instruments, according to the effect

required. (See ENGRAVING.)

=Stips=, R. A small bronze coin, equal to the twelfth part of an _as_,

or about a quarter of a farthing; it bore on the reverse the prow of a

vessel.

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

=Stockings= were introduced into England with knitting in 1501, when

Queen Elizabeth was presented with a pair of black knit silk stockings

by her tirewoman, and immediately discontinued the cloth hose she had

previously worn. The Scotch claim the invention of knitting, and a

French company of stocking-knitters established at Paris in 1527 took

for their patron St. Fiacre, who is said to have been the son of a King

of Scotland. (See NETHERSTOCKS.)

[Illustration: Fig. 632. Stola. Costume of a Roman Matron.]

=Stola=, R. (στολὴ, lit. an equipment). The robe worn by Roman matrons;

it consisted of a wide tunic with long sleeves. It came down to the

ankles or feet, and was confined at the waist by a girdle, leaving broad

loose folds over the breast. The pallium was worn over the _stola_. It

was the distinguishing dress of the Roman matron, and the _meretrices_

or divorced women were forbidden to wear it. The _stola_ was also worn

by a certain class of priests. (See PALLIUM, TOGA.) (See Fig. 632.)

[Illustration: Fig. 633. Stole.]

=Stole=, Chr. This term, a synonym of _orarium_, denoted, with the early

Christians, according to Fleury, a piece of fine linen which was worn

round the neck. It was used as a kind of pocket-handkerchief, long

before the introduction of Christianity, by the Romans, who named it

indifferently _linteolum_, _strophium_, and _sudarium_. In the Christian

Church it is represented by a narrow band of embroidered stuff, and worn

over the left shoulder by deacons; and across both shoulders by bishops

and priests. It is sacred to the memory of the cloth with which the

Saviour is alleged to have wiped away the sweat from His face as He

passed to the Crucifixion. (See SUDARIUM, ORARIUM.)

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

=Stone-ware.= (See POTTERY.)

=Stopping-out.= In etching, arresting the action of the acid on the

fainter lines of a plate, by covering them over with a preparation

called _stopping-ground_, while the deeper and broader parts corrode.

(See ETCHING.)

=Stoup=, Chr. A small niche with a basin, at the entrance of a church,

placed there for the holy water. O. E. A kind of tankard. (See Fig.

615.)

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

=Stragulum=, R. (_sterno_, to throw over). A general term to denote any

kind of covering used for bed-clothing, or a covering for men, horses,

or beasts of burden, and thence a caparison.

=Strap-work=, Arch. A form of architectural ornament, by the tracery of

a narrow band or fillet in convolutions similar to those that a leather

strap thrown down at hazard would form. It is characteristic of the

Renaissance period.

[Illustration: Fig. 634. Strasburg Porcelain. Open-work Basket.]

=Strasburg Porcelain.= The manufacture of this ware, which was begun by

Charles Hannong about 1721, became very celebrated for about sixty

years. (Consult Jacquemart’s _History of the Ceramic Art_.) (Fig. 634.)

=Strasburg Turpentine.= A varnish made of the resin from the silver fir

(_pinus picea_), diluted with naphtha, drying linseed, or nut oil.

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

January.

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

=Striated.= Fluted like a column.

=Strigilis=, R. (_stringo_, to scrape). A bronze scraper for the skin,

curved and hollowed like a spoon, used in the bath. The same term is

used in architecture for a fluting which resembles the bath-strigil in

form.

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

building in a horizontal line.

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

STRAGULUM.

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

=Strophe= (στρέφω, to turn). In Greek poetry, the first division of a

choral ode, of which the other parts were the _antistrophe_ and the

_epode_.

=Strophium=, R. (στρόφιον, lit. a thing twisted). (1) A long scarf which

the Roman women rolled into a band, and fastened round the body and

breast. (2) A girdle for the same purpose, generally of leather. (3) The

term likewise denoted the cable of an anchor. (See ORARIUM.)

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

masonry. (See OPUS.)

=Struppus= or =Strupus=, R. A rope or other fastening by which the oar

is attached to the thole (_scalmus_).

=Stucco=, It. A fine plaster, for covering walls, prepared by various

methods, as a mixture of _gypsum_ and glue; or white marble, pulverized

with plaster of lime and mixed with water; the _opus albarium_ of the

ancients.

=Stump=, for drawing in pencil or crayon. It is a thick roll of strong

paper made into a kind of pencil, and used for rubbing over lines to

soften them down for ground tints, gradation of shading, &c.

=Stylites=, Chr. (στυλίτης). “Pillar saints.” Anchorites of the early

Church who passed their lives on the top of a column, in order to give

themselves up to meditation. There were some of them in Syria down to

the 12th century. They derived their name from στῦλος, a column.

[Illustration: Fig. 635. Stylobates.]

[Illustration: Fig. 636. Stylobates.]

[Illustration: Fig. 637. Stylobates.]

=Stylobate=, Arch. A pedestal supporting a row of columns; Figs. 635 to

637 represent three richly-decorated stylobates found in the baths and

other Roman ruins at Nismes. (See PEDESTAL, STEREOBATE.)

=Stylus=, R. (Gr. στῦλος). A pointed instrument with which the Romans

wrote on their waxed tablets. (See STILUS.)

=Subarmale=, =Subermale=, R. A garment worn by soldiers underneath their

armour; it formed the tunic of the legionaries, and representations of

it are very frequently met with on the bas-reliefs of monumental columns

and triumphal arches.

=Subjugium=, R. Curved pieces of wood placed at each end of a yoke,

_underneath_ it; whence their name.

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

piles. (See PONS.)

=Subligaculum=, =Subligar=, R. (_subligo_, to tie below). A cloth worn

by acrobats, drawn between the legs and made fast to the girdle.

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

fits into a mortise.

=Subsellium=, R. (i. e. lower than a _sella_). A movable bench without a

back, which was used in large assemblies. In a theatre or circus the

same term was applied to the circular rows of seats in the _cavea_.

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

=Substructio=, R. (_substruo_, to build underneath). Any work of solid

masonry, such as a foundation wall, abutment walls, &c. (See

SUSPENSURA.)

=Subtrefoiled=, Arch. Decorated with foils placed underneath; a term

applied to what are called _trefoil-headed_ arches.

=Subucula=, R. (_sub_, and _duo_, to put on). Under-garments of wool

which the Romans wore next the skin, underneath the tunic.

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

=Succinctus=, R. (_succingo_, to gird beneath). Wearing a girdle round

the waist above the tunic; applied to a person prepared for active

exertion.

=Sucula=, R. A capstan.

=Sudarium=, Chr. A name of the miraculous portrait of our Lord,

impressed on the cloth presented to Him by St. Veronica on the way to

the Crucifixion. (See STOLE, VERA ICON.) A representation of this

legendary portrait is given in Albert Dürer’s “Little Passion.”

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

CALDARIUM.)

=Sud’ha=, Hind. A temple of the Khmers or ancient inhabitants of

Cambodgia, built of one unmixed material, and thence called _pure_

(_sud’ha_).

=Suffibulum=, R. A large square piece of white cloth worn by vestals and

priests during the discharge of their functions.

[Illustration: Fig. 638. Suggestus.]

=Suggestus=, R. (_sub_ and _gero_, to heap up). (1) A stage or platform

from which an orator addressed a crowd. The ROSTRA at Rome was a

celebrated _suggestus_. (2) In a camp the _suggestus_ was formed of

stones and clods of turf, or constructed of wood-work, from which the

general harangued the troops. (3) The raised seat from which the Emperor

saw the games.

=Suile=, R. A stable for pigs; among the Romans a building of

considerable size, containing a number of separate sties (_haræ_).

=Sulphate of Barytes.= (See BARYTES.)

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

=Sulphurs.= Impressions taken by the goldsmiths of the 16th century from

the engravings executed on plates, paxes, &c.; and which they obtained

by spreading a layer of melted sulphur on the face of the plate,

producing a cast in _relief_ of the lines engraved. Some few of these

proofs exist in the British and continental museums, and are known as

“sulphurs.” They are amongst the rarest specimens connected with the art

of engraving. (_Fairholt._)

[Illustration: Fig. 639. Device of Louis XIV.]

=Sun=, Her. When represented shining and surrounded by rays, he has a

representation of a human face on his disc, and is blazoned “In

splendour,” or “In glory;” when “eclipsed” the representation is the

same, but tinctured sable.

=Sundials.= The sun-dial of Ahaz is mentioned by Isaiah, 713 B.C.

Sundials with appropriate mottoes have been at all times fashionable.

Mrs. Palliser gives a long selection of such mottoes: e.g.:—

Nulla hora sine linea, “No hour without a line.” (Nec momentum sine

linea, was Cardinal Richelieu’s motto.) Pereunt et imputantur—“They

pass and are imputed”—(_Martial_). _Of the passing hour_, Dubia

omnibus, ultima multis—(“Uncertain to all, the last to many”); or,

suprema hæc multis forsitan tibi—(“The last to many, perhaps to

thee”). The old sun-dial at the Palais de Justice in Paris is

inscribed, in letters of gold, Sacra Themis mores, ut pendula dirigit

horas—(“Holy Justice guides manners, as this dial does the hours”).

The largest number are _allusions to Death_, as:

Io vado e vengo ogni giorno. Ma tu andrai senza ritorno—(“I go and

come daily, but thou shalt go and never return.”) And on a sun-dial at

Bourges is the following:

“La vie est comme l’hombre,

Insensible en son cours.

On la croit immobile:

Elle s’avance toujours.”

More cheerful mottoes are found from Horace, as: Carpe diem. Horas non

numero nisi serenas (at Venice), &c.

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

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

=Superaria.= (See EPENDYTES.)

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

=Superindum.= (See EPENDYTES.)

=Superpellicum=, Chr. A surplice.

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

=Supplicatio=, R. (_supplico_, to kneel down). The act of praying when

kneeling; opposed to _precatio_, a prayer uttered standing. Solemn

thanksgivings offered to the gods in their temples.

=Supporter=, Her. A figure that stands by a shield of arms, as if

supporting or guarding it. Supporters came into use during the 14th

century. (See Fig. 24.)

[Illustration: Fig. 640. Surahé or Wine bottle. Persian Porcelain.]

=Surahé=, Pers. A Persian wine bottle. The illustration represents a

beautiful specimen of hard porcelain decorated in patterns, of Chinese

character, executed under the glaze with cobalt. A legend on the

medallions contains the words _Deh surahé_, “Give me the bottle.” (Fig.

640.)

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

=Surcoat.= Any garment worn over armour; more especially the long

flowing garment worn by knights until 1325. (See Fig. 463.)

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

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

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

=Surplice=, Chr. The Protestant _alb_. See _Stevens_, in a note to

_All’s Well that Ends Well_, Act i., scene 3, for notices of the Puritan

aversion to this article of clerical costume.

[Illustration: Fig. 641. Suspensura, showing the pillars supporting the

floor of a bath-room.]

=Suspensura=, R. In a general sense this term denotes anything that is

supported, _suspended_ above arcades, columns, or pillars, and more

especially the flooring of a bath-room, when it is supported by small

low pillars. Fig. 391 shows the flooring of a bath-room, and Fig. 641

the pillars supporting the suspensura. (See HYPOCAUST.)

=Svastika=, Hind. A kind of Greek cross, each branch of which ends in a

hook. This cross has a sacred character, and is met with on a great

variety of objects. Its origin dates back to the bronze age, and it is

represented on the weapons of that period. (See FYLFOT.)

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

conversion.

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

=Swan=, Her. When blazoned “proper”—white with red beak and legs—it is

the badge of the Bohuns, Staffords, and some other families.

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

=Swine’s Feather=, O. E. A kind of bayonet about six inches long,

affixed to a musket-rest and projected by the action of a spring; 17th

century.

=Sword.= (See GLADIUS.)

=Sword=, in Christian art, is a symbol of martyrdom; it is also the

attribute of martyrs who were soldiers. In Heraldry, when borne as a

charge, it is straight in the blade, pointed, and with a cross-guard.

The custom of swearing on the sword, the hilt of which took the shape of

a cross, or had crosses engraved on it, is mentioned in very ancient

history. (Cf. _Hamlet_.)

=Sympathetic Inks.= Inks of which the marks are invisible until the

moisture is absorbed by the application of heat. (See COBALT.)

=Symposium=, Gr. A drinking party, distinguished from _deipnon_, a

feast. A very common subject of representations on ancient vases.

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

=Synoikia=, Gr. (1) Athenian festivals held in honour of Athena in the

month Hecatombeion (July-August). Their object was to commemorate the

union of the government of all the towns of Attica in Athens. (2) A

lodging-house adapted to hold several families (Latin, _insula_), for

the convenience of foreigners and others who by Athenian law were

prohibited from acquiring house property of their own.

=Synthesis= or =Synthesina=, Gr. and R. (σύν-θεσις). One of the _vestes

cœnatoriæ_ which the master of the house, the Amphitryon, provided for

his guests. The parable of the “Wedding Garment” has reference to this

practice. It was a kind of tunic worn over the other garments, and

during the Saturnalia by all classes alike. It was usually dyed some

colour, and was _not_ white like the toga.

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

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

pipes.

=Syrinx=, Gr. and R. (σῦριγξ). The pastoral pipe invented by Pan; it was

called by the poets _arundo_ and _fistula_. It was formed of seven

hollow reeds of regulated lengths adjusted to form an octave.

=Syrma=, Gr. (σύρω, to sweep). A robe with a train worn on the stage by

those actors who had to represent the parts of gods or heroes. Hence the

word is poetically used for tragedy.

=Systyle=, Gr. and R. (σύστυλος). An arrangement in architecture, the

intercolumniation of which is of the width of two diameters of the

shaft, measured at its lower part, just above the _apophyge_; the

distance between the _plinths_ being exactly equal to the diameter of

the plinths, as in the Parthenon at Athens.