_In mediæval words the initials_ V _and_ B _occasionally
interchange:—as_ Vanneria _for_ Banneria, _a banner, &c._
=Vacerra=, R. (_vacca_, a cow). An enclosure in which cattle were kept.
=Vacons=, Hind. Hindoo genii which figure in the celestial hierarchy
immediately after Brahma. They are eight in number, and each of them
protects one of the eight regions of the world: Paoulestia is the
guardian of the North or mineral wealth; Ima, god of the dead and the
infernal regions, is the guardian of the South; Indra, god of the ether
and the day, the guardian of the East; Pratcheta, god of waters and the
ocean, the guardian of the West; Içania, who is looked upon as an
incarnation of Siva, is the guardian of the North-East; Pavana, king of
the winds, the guardian of the North-West; Agni or Pacava, the god of
fire, is the guardian of the South-East; and Nirouti, the prince of the
evil genii, is the guardian of the South-West. (_Bosc._)
=Vagina=, R. The scabbard of a sword, made of wood or leather, and
generally ornamented with plates and bosses of metal. (See Fig. 44.)
=Vails= (from _Vale_, farewell!). Fees to servants from parting guests.
=Vair.= The fur of the squirrel, much worn in state costumes of the 14th
century. In Heraldry—one of the furs—represented as a series of small
shields placed close together, alternately blue and white.
=Valance.= Drapery hangings for furniture, cornices, &c.; hence—
=Valenced.= Fringed with a beard. (_Shakespeare._)
[Illustration: Fig. 678. Gilded Vase of Valencia, with votive
inscription.]
=Valencia Pottery.= M. Jacquemart considers this the most ancient and
the true centre of the ceramic fabrication in Spain, carried back by
tradition to the Roman domination. On the conquest of Spain from the
Moors the Saracen potters of Valencia were protected by special charter.
Fig. 678 is an illustration of the gilded ware for which Valencia is
famous.
[Illustration: Fig. 679. Valenciennes.]
=Valenciennes.= The date of the introduction of the manufacture of this
lace is unknown, although it existed before the time of Louis XIV.,
under whose reign it flourished and reached its climax between 1725 and
1780. Valenciennes lace is made entirely on the pillow, of simple
combinations, with one kind of thread for the pattern and for the
ground. (See engraving.) No lace is so expensive to make from the number
of bobbins required. The flax used is of the finest quality, so fine
that the lace-makers worked in underground cellars to keep their work
from the air, and scarcely completed an inch and half of lace in a day.
=Valendar Clay.= A kind of potter’s clay from Nassau. (_Simmonds._)
=Valet=, O. E. (Med. Lat. _valeti_). Sons of the nobility and of knights
bore this title, until they acquired the military belt. (_Meyrick._)
=Valle Cypre.= A silk mourning crape, called also Bologna crape.
=Vallum=, Gr. and R. (_vallus_, a stake). A palisade made with strong
branches of trees, which was placed on the top of the embankment
(_agger_) surrounding a camp.
=Valvæ=, R. (Gr. σανίς). Folding doors or shutters; synonym of FORES.
[Illustration: Fig. 680. Vambrace.]
=Vambrace= (Fr. _avant bras_). The ancient BRACHIALE, the covering of
the lower arm, from the elbow to the wrist. Originally it covered only
the outside of the arm, but afterwards was made like a sleeve of iron.
(Cf. REREBRACE.)
=Vamp.= Upper leathers for shoes. In Russia and the East they are richly
embroidered.
=Vampire.= A monster of mediæval iconography. A well-known example is
the one which decorates the angle of one of the towers in Paris
Cathedral.
=Vamplate= (Fr. _avant plaque_). A guard of metal over the handle of a
tilting-lance.
=Van= (from Fr. _avant_). Of an army, the front.
=Vandyke-brown.= A pigment of a fine, deep, semi-transparent brown
colour obtained from peat.
=Vane=, or =Fane=, O. E. (from the German _Fahne_, a banner), (1) A
broad flag to be carried by a knight in a tournament. (_Meyrick_, i.
155.) Hence (2) a weathercock, in Mediæval buildings generally in the
form of a heraldic banner supported by a figure. (See FANE.)
=Vanishing Point.= In perspective. (See POINT OF SIGHT.)
=Vannerie=, Fr. Basket-work.
=Vannus=, R. A winnowing-van; i. e. a broad flat basket used for
winnowing the chaff from the corn. It was among the agricultural symbols
borne in the processions of Ceres. A sculpture in the British Museum
represents the infant Bacchus riding in such a basket in the hands of a
pair of dancing bacchantes.
=Vantbrace.= (See VAMBRACE.)
=Vaquero=, Sp. A jacket worn by women and children.
[Illustration: Fig. 681. Farthingale, temp. Elizabeth.]
=Vardingale=, O. E. The _farthingale_ or hooped petticoat of Elizabeth’s
reign, fig. 681.
“Supporters, postures, _farthingales_,
Above the loins to wear,
That, be she ne’er so slender, yet
She cross-like seems four square.”
(_Warner, in Albion’s England._)
=Varnishes= are made by dissolving _resins_ or gum-resins in alcohol,
ether, &c., so that as the spirit evaporates the varnish dries down into
a transparent film; varnishes are coloured with aloes, annotto,
cochineal, dragon’s blood, gamboge, indigo, red saunders, saffron, or
turmeric. _Amber varnish_ is hardest and most durable in colour, but
dries very slowly. _Animé varnish_ dries quickly, but is liable to
crack, and deepens in colour with exposure to the air. _Copal_ ranks
next to amber in durability, and the varnish becomes lighter by
exposure; the best copal varnishes are slow in drying unless mixed with
animé. _Mastic_ is a favourite spirit varnish used as a picture varnish
and for delicate works of a pale colour. _Damar_ mixed with mastic makes
an appropriate varnish for maps and similar work. The qualities to be
sought in varnishes for a painting are that they should resist damp,
exclude air, and not injure the colour. (See also ITALIAN VARNISH,
STRASBURG TURPENTINE, &c.)
=Vas=, R. A vase. Any kind of vessel, e.g. _Vasa Corinthia_, _Vasa
Deliaca_, _Vasa Samia_, _Murrhina_, &c. The manufacture and
ornamentation of vases was one of the most important branches of
Classical Art. Illustrations of vases are found in this work under:
Fig.
Acratophorum 7
Amphora 20
Arezzo Vase 37
Aryballos 46
Bifrons 85
Cantharus 132
Cylix 232
Ecuelle 278
Egyptian 279
Funeral Urn 340
Hydria 391
Chinese Vase 406
Lecythus 422
Nuremberg 491
Oinochoe 498
Valentia 678
=Vatillum.= (See BATILLUM.)
=Vaunt-brace=, O. E., or =Warnbrace=. Armour for the body.
=Vectis=, R. (_veho_, to carry). A bar of wood or iron used as a lever,
crow-bar, capstan bar, or pole for carrying burdens on the back; the
workman who made use of a _vectis_ was called _vectiarius_.
=Vedas= (from Sanskrit _vid_, to know), Hind. Four collections of sacred
books said to have been collated about 3000 B.C. from earlier documents.
They are the RIGVEDA, a collection of hymns and prayers; the YAJURVEDA,
liturgical and ceremonial ordinances; SAMAVEDA, lyrical pieces; and
ATHARVAVEDA, chiefly incantations. Besides the above, each Veda contains
fragmentary writings called _Sambuta_, and dogmatic treatises called
_Brahmana_; and certain Commentaries, called _Upavedas_, _Vedangas_, and
_Upangas_ are regarded as forming a fifth Veda. The above form the
sacred books of the Hindoo religion.
=Vegetable Blue Black.= (See BLUE BLACK.)
=Vegetable Ivory.= Nuts of a South American palm (_Phytelephas
macrocarpa_) resembling ivory, and much used for ornamental carving.
=Vehicles= or =Mediums=. The liquid in which pigments are applied. In
_fresco_ and water-colour painting gum-water is used; in _distemper
painting_, size; in _oil painting_, the fixed oils of linseed, nut, and
poppy. In _encaustic_ wax is used. (See also MEDIUM, COPAL, ITALIAN
VARNISH, MEGYLP, &c.)
=Velamen= and =Velamentum=, R. (_velum_, a veil). A veil worn by women,
concealing the whole person. (See FLAMMEUM.)
=Velarium=, R. (_velum_, a covering). An awning stretched over a
theatre; usually of woollen cloth, but sometimes of more costly
materials.
=Velatura=, It. A mode of glazing, adopted by the early Italian
painters, by which the colour was rubbed on by all the fingers or the
flat of the hand, so as to fill the interstices left by the brush, and
cover the entire surface of the picture thinly and evenly. (_Fairholt._)
=Velatus=, R. (_velo_, to cover). Veiled or wearing flowing garments;
having the forehead encircled with a garland. _Milites velati_ were
supernumerary soldiers who filled the places of those who were killed or
disabled.
=Velites=, R. A body of light-armed infantry not forming part of the
legion, who skirmished in small companies.
=Vellum.= Fine parchment from the skins of calves; any parchment binding
is by librarians technically described as vellum. It is a beautiful
substitute for paper, for luxurious printing of books for presentation,
&c., and was much used by mediæval artists for painting and
illuminating.
=Velours= (Fr. Velvet). A kind of velvet or plush for furniture,
carpets, &c., manufactured in Prussia, partly of linen, and partly of
double cotton warps with mohair yarn weft. (_Simmonds’ Commercial
Dict._)
=Velours d’Utrecht.= A woollen velvet, for tapestry, &c., made in the
Netherlands.
=Veloute=, Fr. Velvet lace.
=Velum=, R. (1) A general term for any kind of sail, esp. the square
_mainsail_ of a ship in contradistinction to the other sails. (2) The
curtain or drop-scene of a theatre. (3) The curtain or hanging put up as
a covering in front of a door. (4) A synonym for VELARIUM.
=Velure= (Fr. _velours_). Velvet. (_Shakespeare._)
=Velvet= (Ital. _velluto_; hairy or shaggy, like an animal’s skin) was
introduced into England in the 13th century. _Velvet upon velvet_ is
that where the pattern shows itself in a _double pile_, one pile higher
than the other. “_Purshed_” velvet was velvet raised in a network
pattern.
=Velvet Painting.= The art of painting on fine velvet.
=Velveteen.= A kind of FUSTIAN.
=Venabulum=, R. (_venor_, to hunt). A hunting-spear, a strong staff with
a broad lozenge-shaped iron head.
=Venationes.= Hunting scenes and sports in the arena in which wild
beasts were introduced fighting with each other and with men, a common
subject of representation on bas-reliefs on ancient tombs.
=Veneering= is the art of covering wooden objects with a thin slice of
ornamental wood, so as to give the whole the false appearance of being
made of the superior wood. It is distinct from MARQUETRY or INLAID-WORK
(q.v.).
=Veneficium=, R. The crime of poisoning; an accusation abused by the
ancient Romans almost as that of witchcraft was in the middle ages.
=Venetian Blinds= are those made of laths strung together.
=Venetian Chalk.= A white talc used for marking cloth, &c.
=Venetian Door.= A door lighted by panes of glass on each side.
[Illustration: Fig. 682. Venetian point in relief, English made.]
=Venetian Point.= The engraving represents an exquisite specimen of
Venetian point lace in relief, shown at the International Exhibition,
1874, among other wonderful reproductions of ancient needle-made lace.
(For method of working, see NEEDLE POINT.)
=Venetian Porcelain.= (See ECUELLE.)
=Venetian Red= or =Scarlet Ochre=. A burnt ochre, used as a pigment in
oil and water-colours. Its colour is red, alloyed with blue and yellow.
=Venetian Window.= A window with three separate lights.
=Venew= (Fr. _venu_). A bout at a fencing-school.
[Illustration: Fig. 683. Venice, Doge of, in state costume, 16th
century.]
=Venice, Doge of.= The illustration represents the state costume of the
Doge of Venice, wearing the traditional cap of liberty, the ermine, and
richly embroidered robes of his office.
=Venice Turpentine.= A product of the larch, used for varnishing
pictures. It is liable to crack.
=Venice White.= (See CARBONATE OF LEAD, BARYTES.)
=Ventaile= or =Aventail=. A movable front to a helmet, through which the
wearer breathed:—“quâ ventus hauritur.”
“L’escu au col, la ventaille fermée.”
(_Roman de Roncevaux._)
=Ventrale=, R. (_venter_, the belly). A girdle of peculiar shape,
fastened round the loins over the abdomen.
=Vents=, Scotch. Chimneys.
=Venturina=, Sp. A precious stone, of a yellowish-brown colour. Hence:—
=Venturine.= A powder of gold used to sprinkle over japanned surfaces.
=Ver Sacrum=, R. (lit. a holy (or dedicated) Spring). The dedication to
sacrifice of all that is born in a certain year, in the months of March
and April, was a common practice of the early Italian nations,
especially of the Sabines. In the most ancient times actual infanticide
was a part of this offering; but in later years the practice was
modified as regarded children. They were brought up, under a vow of
dedication, to the age of twenty-one, and then with veiled faces
expelled across the frontiers. Many colonies resulted from this
practice.
=Vera Icon=, Chr. The _true image_ impressed upon the SUDARIUM (q.v.) of
St. Veronica. In St. Peter’s at Rome, in a chapel dedicated to that
saint, a painting on linen is shown as the veritable napkin of St.
Veronica; and a fine mosaic over the altar, after a design by Andrea
Sacchi, represents the incident. (See STOLE.)
=Verandah.= An open portico to a house. In the tropical countries the
open verandah is the principal apartment of a house, and Society appear
to the passers-by, in their illuminated verandahs, like the actors on
the stage of a theatre.
=Verbena=, R. Sacred herbs torn up by the roots from the enclosure of
the Capitoline hill; which the Roman _fetiales_ or ambassadors always
carried in their hands on foreign embassies. (Compare VINDICIÆ.)
“When an injury had been received from a foreign state four fetiales
were deputed to seek redress, who again elected one of their number to
act as representative. He was styled _pater patratus populi Romani_. A
fillet of white wool was bound round his head, together with a _wreath
of sacred herbs_ gathered within the enclosure of the Capitoline hill
(_verbenæ_, Sagmina), whence he was called Verbenarius.” (_Dr.
Smith._)
=Verber=, R. In a general sense, any kind of leather thong; as, for
instance, the thong of a sling, the thong of a whip for driving horses
or scourging slaves, &c.
=Verde Antico.= A green mottled serpentine marble, used by ancient
sculptors, found at Taygetos. It is much valued for its beautiful
markings.
=Verde Azurro=, It. (1) A native carbonate of copper, of a greenish-blue
colour; the _Armenian stone_ of Pliny. (2) A blue-green pigment.
=Verde Eterno.= A dark green pigment, anciently used by the Venetian
painters.
=Verdigris.= A bright acetate of copper, used as a green pigment.
=Verditer= (=Blue= and =Green=). A hydrated percarbonate of copper. It
is generally prepared by decomposing the solution of nitrate of copper,
by the addition of chalk. The refined blue and green verditers, see
CARBONATES OF COPPER (_Mountain blue_). The verditer known as _Bremen
Green_ is produced by subjecting copper to the action of sea salt and
vitriol for three months. (Cf. CHRYSOCOLLA.)
=Veretonus=, Med. Lat. The VIRETON (q.v.).
=Verge=, O. E. A rod. In Mediæval Architecture the shaft of a column.
=Verge Board=, Arch. The external gable-board of a house, which is often
elaborately ornamented with carvings. (See BARGE-BOARD.)
=Vergers= (Fr. _verge_, a staff). Officers who carry a rod or staff of
office. In the law courts a white wand, before the judges; in
cathedrals, &c., a rod tipped with silver.
=Verguilla=, Sp. Gold or silver wire, without silk.
=Vermeil=, Fr. Silver-gilt, or gilt bronze.
=Vermiculatum.= A kind of pavement disposed in wreathed lines like the
undulations of worms (_vermes_). (See PAVIMENTUM.)
=Vermilion.= The _minium_ of the ancients. A bright and beautiful red
colour.
=Vermilion.= The bisulphuret of mercury in powder, a delicate bright red
pigment which is _pale_ or _deep_; supposed to be the pigment known to
the Romans as _minium_. (Cf. CINNABAR, RED LEAD.)
=Vernacle=, Chr. A term for the VERA ICON.
=Vernation.= See ESTIVATION.
=Vernis-Martin Work.= A Japanese style of painting and enamelling on
furniture, carriages, and small objects, named after the introducer, who
was born about 1706.
=Vernon Gallery=, founded in 1847 by the gift of Mr. Robert Vernon of
157 pictures of the British school, is now in the South Kensington
Museum.
=Verona Green.= A variety of GREEN EARTH (q.v.). (See APPIANUM.)
=Verona Serge.= A thin textile fabric, made of worsted, or mohair, and
of cotton.
=Veronese Green.= (See CARBONATE OF COPPER.)
=Veronica.= (See VERA ICON.)
=Vert=, Her. Green, represented in engraving by lines sloping downwards
from left to right.
=Vert bleu=, Fr. (See VERDE AZURRO.)
=Verticillus=, R. (_verto_, to turn). The whorl of a spindle, a small
disk of wood, stone, or metal, by means of which a rotary movement is
given to the spindle. (Cf. TURBO.)
=Veru=, R. Literally, a roasting-spit made of wood and with an iron
point. The term was also applied to a weapon of Samnite origin used by
the Roman infantry, and bearing much resemblance to a spit. (2) An arrow
or dart. (Fr. _vire_.)
=Veruculum=, R. (dimin. of _veru_). A small javelin used by the Roman
infantry.
=Vervels=, =Varvals=, Her. Small rings.
=Vesara=, Hind. A Hindoo temple built on a circular plan.
[Illustration: Fig. 684. Vesica Piscis.]
=Vesica Piscis= (in Italian, _mandorla_, almond). The oblong glory
surrounding the whole person of Our Lord, or the Virgin, or saints
ascending into heaven. The _seals_ of abbeys, colleges, and other
religious establishments were all of this form. (See Fig. 684.) It is in
form symbolical of the monogram ἴχθυς. (see ACROSTIC.)
=Vespæ=, =Vespillones=, R. The bearers of a bier in a funeral were so
called by the common people, because they came to fetch the bodies in
the evening (_vespertino tempore_).
=Vespers=, Chr. In the Roman Church, the afternoon service; in the
English Church, Evening Prayer.
=Vessets.= A kind of cloth.
=Vest=, O. E. “A wide garment reaching to the knees, open before, and
turned up with a facing or lining, the sleeves turned up at the elbows.”
(_Randle Holme_, 1683.)
=Vestalia=, Gr. and R. Festivals in honour of Vesta. Asses were driven
through Rome, carrying wreaths of flowers and rolls.
=Vestals=, R. The priestesses of the goddess Vesta, to whom the charge
was committed of the sacred fire. They were originally four,
subsequently six in number. Their distinctive dress was the _infula_
fitting close to the head, with _vittæ_ depending, a long tunic of white
linen, and the purple TOGA, or mantle, with a long train to it.
=Vested=, Her. Clothed.
=Vestibule=, Arch. An entrance-court or vacant space before the entrance
to a house, temple, or other building. (See DOMUS.)
=Vestment=, Chr. The hangings of an altar, and the robes of the clergy;
the term often comprises also the sacred vessels.
=Vestry=, Chr. The modern _vestiarium_ in a church; called also the
SACRISTY.
=Vethym=, or =Vathym=, O. E. A fathom—six feet.
=Vettura=, It. (Fr. _voiture_). A travelling carriage.
=Vexillatio=, R. Troops under one _vexillum_; and thence the troops of
the allies.
=Vexillum=, R. A cavalry standard consisting of a square piece of
woollen cloth spread upon a cross. (See SIGNA MILITARIA.)
=Vexillum Regale=, Med. Lat. The Royal Standard.
=Via=, R. The high road. These were so constructed by the Romans that
following generations used them without repair for more than a thousand
years. The earliest was the _Appian_ or the _Great South Road_ from Rome
to Brindisi, made B.C. 312; the _Great North Road_ continued through
Gaul was the _Flaminian Road_. The construction of a Roman road was the
following:—between trenches thirteen to fifteen feet apart, the
_gremium_ or foundation was made firm, if necessary, in a marsh, with
piles; this was covered with large stones of a regulated size, such as
London streets were formerly paved with (_statumen_), and this with
macadamized stones cemented with lime (_rudus_), rammed down hard, and
nine inches thick; then came small shards of pottery, six inches thick,
also cemented with lime (_nucleus_), and over this the pavement of large
blocks of the hardest stone (see SILEX), irregular, but fitted and
joined with the greatest nicety, and perfectly smoothed with a slope for
drainage.
=Viaticum=, R. A provision for a journey. Adopted by the Christian
Church in reference to the last offices of religion to the dying, with
the obvious symbolical significance.
=Vibia=, R. A cross-bar and uprights forming a trestle.
=Vibrella=, Med. Lat. A cannon.
=Vices.= The seven VICES commonly met with in Christian allegory are:
Anger, Avarice, Envy, Lust, Pride, Revenge, and Sloth.
=Vicessis=, R. Twenty pounds weight = 14·987 lbs. avoirdupois.
=Victima=, R. The animals used for sacrifices were mostly domestic; as
bulls, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, or horses; each god had his favourite
animals. The head of the victim was generally strewed with roasted
barley meal, mixed with salt, and adorned with garlands, and sometimes
its horns were gilt. A bunch of hair was cut from its forehead and
thrown into the fire as _primatiæ_. It was killed by a person called the
_popa_, not by the priests; and part of the intestines were burned, or
to river-gods, thrown into the river, &c.
[Illustration: Fig. 685. Victoria Cross.]
=Victoria Cross= is of bronze, and was instituted by the Queen in 1856
to render honour to “conspicuous bravery” in actual conflict by sea or
land. It is worn on the left breast attached to a blue ribbon for the
Navy, and a red for the Army.
[Illustration: Fig. 686.]
=Victoriatus=, R. A silver coin stamped with a figure of Victory, while
its obverse represented a bearded Jupiter. (Fig. 686.)
[Illustration: Fig. 687. Victory. Device of Martin, King of Aragon.]
=Victory= is represented by the ancients winged, and bearing a _palm_
branch and a _laurel_ crown. Fig. 687 is the beautiful device adopted by
Martin, King of Aragon, in 1396, with the motto, “Not in the Darkness.”
=Vicuna.= A kind of alpaca wool.
=Vicus=, R. (Gr. κώμη). A quarter in a city.
=Vidrecome=, Fr. A large drinking-glass.
=Vielle=, Fr. The “hurdy-gurdy,” an ancient stringed instrument played
with finger-keys, and producing sound by the friction of a wheel instead
of a fiddle-bow.
=Vienna Lake.= (See CARMINATED LAKES.)
=Vienna White.= (See CARBONATE OF LEAD.)
=Vigessis=, R. (See VICESSIS.)
=Vignette= (Fr. a _little vine_). A small woodcut or illustration on a
page. In Architecture, a running ornament of leaves and tendrils, common
in the hollow mouldings of Gothic Architecture; especially in the
Decorated and Perpendicular styles. (_Parker._)
=Vihuela.= A musical instrument, represented in the celebrated Portico
della Gloria of Santiago da Compostella, in Spain. It closely resembles
the REBEC (q.v.).
=Villa=, R. A Roman farmstead or country house. It was divided into
three distinct parts: the _urbana_, or house of the owner; the
_rustica_, or farm building in which the slaves and animals lived; and
the _fructuaria_ or magazine for storing the produce.
=Villicus=, R. A gardener. (See HORTUS.)
=Vimana=, Hind. A Hindoo temple consisting merely of a building in the
form of a pyramid, allowing of several stories which recede one above
the other. Vimanas are divided into five groups: the medium vimana,
called _santiaca_; the victorious (_pantica_), the enormous (_jayada_),
the admirable (_atb’ huta_), and the amiable (_sarvacama_).
=Vina=, Hind. A kind of Hindoo lyre furnished with a small number of
strings.
=Vinalia.= Roman festivals of two kinds—_urban_ and _rustic_. The former
were kept on 23rd April, when the wine of the previous year was first
broached; the _rustic_ on 19th August, when the vintage opened by the
priest solemnly plucking the first bunch of grapes, after a sacrifice of
lambs to Jupiter.
=Vinatico.= A coarse mahogany wood, obtained in Madeira, from _Persea
Indica_.
=Vinculum=, R. (_vincio_, to bind). A general term to denote anything
that binds, fastens, or clasps; such as a string, lace, ribbon, chaplet,
or garland, strap, dog or slave-collar, manacles, fetters. (See AMENTUM,
COLLARE, COMPES, CORONA, &c.)
=Vindiciæ= (_vindico_, to claim). A fragment of any property under
dispute which, under the old Roman jurisprudence, the plaintiff was
compelled to bring before the court and to place beneath his foot while
stating his case; if the property in question were a flock, the
_vindiciæ_ consisted of a tuft of wool; if an estate or field, of a clod
or turf taken from the said estate or field.
=Vindicta=, R. (_vindico_, to deliver). The rod with which the prætor or
his lictor struck a slave on the head in the ceremony of _manumissio_,
by way of declaration that he was free. (See FESTUCA.)
=Vine.= (See VITIS.)
=Vine Black.= Ink used in copper-plate printing; prepared from the
charred husks of grapes and the residue of the vine press.
=Vinea=, R. (lit. a bower of vine-branches). The _vineæ_, also called
under the emperors _causiæ_, were a kind of mantelets or sheds employed
in siege operations, made of light timbers covered with planks and the
skins of animals.
=Vinum Saccatum.= (See COLLUM VINARIUM.)
=Viol.= (See FIDDLE.)
=Viola= or =Alto-viola=. A _tenor_ violin; tuned an octave above the
_violoncello_. It is larger than the ordinary violin and has four gut
strings, of which the third and fourth are covered with silver-plated
copper wire. Its name in the ancient “set of viols” was _viola di
braccio_.
[Illustration: Fig. 689. Viola da Gamba.]
=Viola da Gamba.= An instrument closely resembling the modern
violoncello. (See Fig. 689.)
=Viola d’Amore=, It. An obsolete species of violin producing a very
sweet and peculiar tone by an arrangement of metal wires vibrating in
unison with the gut strings.
=Violet= is a combination of equal red and blue. It is complementary to
yellow. In Christian art, the colour violet or the amethyst, signified
love and truth, or passion and suffering.
=Violet Wood.= A turnery wood of Guiana, the produce of _Andira
violacea_.
=Violin.= This instrument has three gut strings, and a fourth of silver
wire. The _back_, _neck_, _sides_, and _circles_ are generally made of
sycamore; the _belly_, _bass-bar_, _sound-post_, and six _blocks_, of
deal; the _finger-board_ and _tail-piece_ of ebony. The Hindus claim the
invention of the _bow_, for a period about 3000 years B.C. (See FIDDLE.)
=Violoncello.= A large and deep-toned instrument of the _viol_ kind, the
two lowest strings being covered with silver wire.
=Violone=, It. Contre-basso or double bass; the largest instrument of
the violin kind.
=Virago Sleeves.= A fashion of ladies’ dress in the reign of Charles I.,
perpetuated in the bishop’s sleeves.
=Vire=, Fr. A barbed arrow, used with the early cross-bow.
=Vireton=, It. A peculiar form of arrow, the feathers in which are
spirally arranged to produce a spinning movement in its flight.
=Virga=, R. A general term for any kind of rod or wand; as, for
instance, a riding-whip; a switch for chastising children or slaves; a
very slight stick carried by a lictor to aid him in opening a way
through the crowd for the magistrate before whom he walked.
=Virgatus=, R. Striped; a term applied to cloth or drapery ornamented
with bands (_virgæ_), or to anything plaited with twigs of osier, such
as a basket.
[Illustration: Fig. 690. Virginal. 16th century.]
=Virginal.= A musical instrument which originated in the middle ages. A
specimen of the time of Elizabeth, in the form of a miniature
_pianoforte_, is in the South Kensington Museum. (Fig. 690.) It was
followed by the SPINET (q.v.).
=Virgins= are usually represented soberly robed with long hair streaming
down their backs. The parable of the wise and foolish virgins is a very
common subject of mediæval sculpture and church decoration.
=Viria=, R. A very ancient term replaced by ARMILLA (q v.).
=Viridarium=, R. An ornamental garden. (See HORTUS.)
=Virtu=, Fr. The quality of rareness, or art excellence sought in the
selection of specimens of art-work by a _Virtuoso_.
=Virtues.= A degree of the second order of ANGELS. They are usually
represented in complete armour bearing pennons and battle-axes. The
_Cardinal_ virtues are: Power, Prudence, Temperance, and Justice; and
the _Theological_ virtues are: Faith, Hope, and Charity. There are
innumerable other virtues variously represented in Christian allegory,
opposed to corresponding VICES.
=Virtuoso=, It. A man skilled in the selection of specimens of art-work.
[Illustration: Fig. 691. Viscount’s Coronet.]
=Viscount= (vice-comes). The fourth degree of rank and dignity in the
British peerage. Originally an earl’s deputy in his county, made an
arbitrary title of honour, next in rank to an earl, by Henry VI. in
1440. A viscount’s mantle is two doublings and a half of plain fur. His
coronet, granted by James I., has only a row of sixteen pearls set close
to the circlet.
=Vise=, Arch. A spiral staircase. (See NEWEL.)
“Vyce, a tourning stayre, _vis_.” (_Palsgrave._)
=Visitation=, Chr. (It. _La visitazione_; German, _die Heimsuchung
Mariä_). A frequent theme of Christian art, representing the meeting of
the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist.
(Consult _Mrs. Jameson’s Legends of the Madonna_.)
=Visor.= The part of a helmet made to cover the face. (See UMBRIL.)
=Vitis=, =Vine=, R. and Chr. A vine or vine-branch with which a
centurion punished any soldier who had neglected his duty. In Christian
symbolism, the vine-stock with clusters of grapes is an emblem of the
Church. Representations of it are frequently met with on monuments of
Christian art.
=Vitreous Wares.= Wares having a glassy surface. (See POTTERY.)
=Vitro di Trino= (Ital.). An ornamental glass-work invented by the
Venetians in the 15th century, consisting of a sort of lace-work of
white enamel or transparent glass, forming a series of diamond-shaped
sections; in the centre of each an air-bubble was allowed to remain as a
decoration. (_Fairholt._)
=Vitrum=, R. GLASS (q.v.).
=Vitruvian Scroll=, Arch. A name given to a peculiar pattern of
scroll-work, consisting of convolved undulations, used in classical
architecture. (_Parker._)
[Illustration: Fig. 693. Vitta.]
=Vitta=, R. A ribbon or band worn round the head by Roman women of free
birth to confine their hair. _Vitta sacra_ was a long ribbon confining
the flocks of wool which formed an _infula_, and worn by the priests or
the victim destined for sacrifice. The term was further applied to the
ribbon which passed round garlands or festoons of leaves and fruits, and
thence to any ribbon employed in the decoration of an architectural
motive, such as tori for instance, as shown in Fig. 693.
=Vittatus=, R. Adorned with the _vitta_; a term applied to women,
victims, and certain architectural ornaments.
=Vivarium=, R. (_vivum_, a living thing). A general term for any kind of
place in which live animals are kept; such as aviaries, warrens,
fish-ponds, game preserves, &c.
=Vivianite.= A blue phosphate of iron, occasionally used as a pigment.
=Vizard.= A mask for the face.
“On with this robe of mine,
This _vizard_ and this cap!”
(_Old Play._)
=Vizor.= (See VISOR.)
=Voided=, Her. Having the central area removed.
=Volant=, Her. Flying.
=Volante Piece.= A piece of jousting-armour fastened to the GRAND-GARDE
above it, protecting the neck and breast.
=Volets=, Fr. (1) The side _wings_ of a TRIPTYCH. (2) A gauze veil worn
at the back of the head, by ladies, in the Middle Ages. (See Fig. 704.)
=Volumen=, R. (_volvo_, to roll). A very long, narrow sheet made of
strips of papyrus glued together. This sheet was gradually rolled round
a wooden cylinder as the reader perused what was written on it, an
operation expressed by the term _evolvere volumen_. When a work was of
considerable length, each book or chapter was rolled round a separate
stick or wooden cylinder, so that a single volume (_volumen_) consisted
of a large number of rolls.
=Volupere=, O. E. A woman’s cap or nightcap.
“The tapes of her white _volupere_.”
(_Chaucer_, _The Miller’s Tale_.)
[Illustration: Fig. 694. Ionic Volute.]
=Volute=, Arch. (_volvo_, to roll). (1) The spiral scroll peculiarly
distinguishing the capital in the Ionic order. (Fig. 694.) (2) The small
volutes of the Corinthian capital which are placed at the four angles of
the _abacus_; they are called _helices majores_, while the volutes
beneath the cinque-foils are called _helices minores_. (See HELIX.)
=Vomer=, =Vomis=, R. A plough-share; it resembled almost exactly our
modern ones.
[Illustration: Fig. 695. Vomitorium.]
=Vomitoria=, R. (_vomo_, to discharge). Doors in a theatre or
amphitheatre opening on the corridors of the building, or on to the
_scalæ_ leading into the _cavea_. Fig. 695 represents a _vomitorium_
(restored) in the Coliseum or Flavian amphitheatre, at Rome.
=Votive Tablets.= Sculptured representations of parts of the body
affected with disease, offered to the gods, either in gratitude or
propitiation. The superstition introduced by the ancient Egyptians has
survived all religious revolutions, and survives in Roman Catholic
countries at the present day. Wilkinson says:—
“After the cure of a disease was effected they (the ancient Egyptians)
frequently suspended a model of the restored part in the temple of the
god whose interposition they had invoked, precisely in the same manner
as in the sheikh’s tombs in modern Egypt, and in the Roman Catholic
chapels of Italy and other countries, consecrated to the Virgin or a
saint; and ears, eyes, distorted arms and other members were dedicated
as memorials of their gratitude and superstition.” (_Ancient
Egyptians._)
=Voulge.= (See LANGUE-DE-BŒUF.)
=Voussoir=, Arch. A French term for the wedge-shaped stones
(ring-stones) of which an arch is composed.
=Vulcanalia.= Roman festivals to Vulcan, celebrated with games in the
Flaminian circus on the 23rd August. The sacrifices were of _fishes_,
which the people threw into the fire; and it was the custom to commence
the work of the day by candle-light, in honour of the god of fire.
=Vulned=, Her. Wounded or bleeding. The pelican in its piety (Fig. 531)
is described as _vulning herself_.
=Vulture=, Egyp. Among the Egyptians, the vulture is the symbol of
maternity, and accordingly a representation of it served to write the
word _mother_, and the name of the goddess MAUT.
=Vulture Feathers.= Largely used for making artificial flowers; the
feathers of species of _accipitres_ imported from Bombay.
=Vulturius=, =Vulture=, R. A throw at dice. It is not known how many
points made up a vulture, but it is clear from certain authors that it
was a bad throw, although not so bad as the _canis_ or dog.
=Vuyders= or =Guiders=. Straps to draw together the parts of armour.