V.

_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.

W.

_This initial interchanges frequently with_ gu:—_as ward_, guard; _wicket_, guichet, _&c._

=Wafters=, O. E. Blunted swords for exercise.

=Wain=, O. E. A wagon.

=Wainscot=, Arch, (from the German _Wand-Schotten_, wall-covering), wooden panelling used to line the inner walls.

=Waist.= The central part of the upper deck of a ship, between the fore and main masts.

=Wait.= An old English wind instrument resembling the SHAWM (q.v.). It was used by the watchmen or _waights_, to proclaim the time of night.

=Waka-tana.= The war canoe of New Zealand; some of these are fifty feet long, by four feet beam, with a high stern-post. This and the carved prow are both richly decorated with a profusion of feathers. (_Simmonds._)

=Wakes= (A.S. _wæcan_). Originally vigils or eves of Saints’ days. The _late-wake_ of the Highlanders; the _lyke-wake_ of the early English, and the _wake_ of the Irish are the remains of the ancient northern custom of watching the body of a deceased friend before burial. (Consult _Brand’s Popular Antiquities_.)

=Wales.= The strong side planks of the body of a ship, running fore and aft.

=Walking-sticks.= (See BOURDON.) (See also Fig. 91.) Fairholt (_Costume in England_) gives the following quotation from an inventory of Greenwich Palace, _temp._ Henry VIII.

“A cane, garnished with sylver and gilte, with astronomie upon it. A cane, garnished with golde, having a perfume in the toppe, under that a diall, with a pair of twitchers, and a pair of compasses of golde, and a foot rule of golde, a knife and a file the haft of golde, with a whetstone tipped with golde.”

Under Charles II. bunches of ribands on the tops of canes were fashionable.

=Wall Painting.= The GREEK temples were brilliantly decorated with painting and gilding internally. “The method has been investigated and is described to be the colouring of the body of the wall of a pale yellow or golden colour, the triglyphs and mutules blue, the metopes and the tympanum red, and some other portions of the building green, and varying these tints or using them of greater or less intensity as the judgment of the artist dictated.” (_Hittorf_, _Essay on the Polychromy of Greek Architecture_.) The colouring of the EGYPTIAN bas-reliefs is familiar. The buildings of HERCULANEUM and POMPEII were decorated with _frescoes_ and _mosaics_, in the Augustan age of Roman art. In the Middle Ages the custom was continued of decorating with colour the architecture of sacred edifices; and many old palaces and mansions in England show relics of the practice of decorating the walls with tempera, especially under Henry III. (See FRESCOES, STEREOCHROMY, WATER-WORK, &c.)

[Illustration: Fig. 696. Wallet—Badge of the Gueux.]

=Wallet.= The badge of the Gueux; two hands clasped through the handles of a beggar’s wallet. (See GUEUX.)

=Wall-plates=, in building. Horizontal timbers, called _plates_, _properly_ those at the top of a building under the roof.

=Walled=, =Muraillée=, Her. Made to represent brick or stone-work.

=Walling Wax.= The composition with which etchers make a _wall_ round the plate upon which they are proceeding to pour the acid. (See ENGRAVING.)

=Walnut=, Chr. In Christian iconography the walnut is the symbol of perfection. (See NUT.)

=Walnut Oil.= (See NUT OIL.)

=Wambais= (Saxon _wambe_, the belly). A stuffing of wool in the quilted tunic or GAMBESON. The best illustration is the conventional figure of Punch.

=Wampum=, North American Indian. Strings of shells worn as belts and used for money.

=Wang=, Chinese. Yellow. The sacred colour.

=Wapentake=, O. E. A hundred, or district. The term is derived from _weapon-taking_ (or counting).

=Wapinshaw=, O. E. A review of weapons.

“Et fiat visus armorum, quod dicitur Wapinschaw.” (_Scotch Statute._)

=Wappenrock=, Germ. A military cloak, with armorial charges. (See TABARD.)

=Ward=, of a castle. The BAILEY or courtyard. (See BALLIUM.)

=Warnbrace.= (See VAUNT-BRACE.)

=Wassail= or =Wassel=, O. E. (Saxon _waes hael_, “to your health.”), (1) A drinking-bout generally. (2) A drink made of roasted apples.

=Watchet=, O. E. Pale blue.

“The saphyre stone is of a _watchet_ blue.” (_Barnfield’s Affectionate Shepherd_, 1594.)

=Water=, of a diamond; its lustre.

=Water-colour Painting= was gradually raised from the hard dry style of the last century to its present brilliancy, by the efforts of Nicholson, Copley Fielding, Sandby, Varley, the great Turner, Pyne, Cattermole, Prout, &c., within the present century. The Water Colour Society’s Exhibition was begun in 1805. (_Haydn’s Dict. of Dates._)

=Water-Colours.= The principal are _lemon yellow_, _gamboge_, _Indian yellow_, _yellow ochre_, _chrome_, _vermilion_, _light red_, _Indian red_, _rose madder_, _carmine_, _purple madder_, _Vandyke-brown_, _sepia_, _brown pink_, _sap-green_, _emerald green_, _indigo_, _ultramarine_, _smalt_, and _cobalt_.

=Water-gilding.= Gilding with a thin coat of amalgam.

=Water-mark=, on paper. A device resembling a transparency in the texture, which is printed during the process of manufacture, by means of wire or brass plates on the mould of the paper machine.

=Water-scape.= A fanciful term sometimes used to distinguish a sea view from a _landscape_.

=Water-table=, Arch. A horizontal set-off in a wall, sloped to throw off the wet.

=Water-work=, O. E. Wall painting in distemper.

“A pretty slight drollery, or the German hunting in _waterwork_, is worth a thousand of these bed-hangings, and these fly-bitten tapestries.” (_Shakespeare._)

=Watered= (=silk=) having a shaded or diversified surface; produced by placing two pieces of silk lengthways between metallic rollers, where they are subjected to different degrees of pressure.

=Watteau Pictures.= Idyllic scenes of imaginary Arcadian enjoyment, and a certain fanciful style of costume characteristic of Watteau’s pictures, called in French “scènes de la vie galante.”

=Wattle.= An Australian name for various woods of the Acacia species.

=Wattled=, Her. Having a comb and gills, as a cock.

=Wayn-cloutt=, O. E. A waggon-cloth.

=Wax.= Bleached bees’-wax is the vehicle in _encaustic_ painting.

=Wax painting.= (See ENCAUSTIC PAINTING.)

=Weathercock.= (See FANE.)

=Weathering=, Arch. The slope of flat surfaces, for drainage.

=Webbing Tape.= A kind of broad tape.

[Illustration: Fig. 697. Wedgwood Vase.]

=Wedgwood Ware.= The manufacture of Josiah Wedgwood begun in 1759, at Etruria, in Staffordshire. A fine white, cream-coloured ware, having a clear and hard body, with more compact glaze and more perfect substance than the majolica. Many of the groups on Wedgwood vases and plaques were designed by Flaxman. (Fig. 697.)

=Weepers=, O. E. Statues in niches round tombs, representing the mourners.

=Welding.= The union of two pieces of metal together, by heat and pressure.

=Welkin.= The sky; hence _welkin eyes_, blue eyes. (_Shakspeare._)

=Well-staircase.= A spiral staircase. (See NEWEL.)

=Welsh Hook.= A mediæval weapon, a kind of bill with a _hook_ at the back, used to drag a horse-soldier from his saddle.

=Welt.= A joint or fold in a texture. The term is variously explained as synonymous with _guard_, a facing to a gown; or _purfles_, i. e. fringes. (Consult _Fairholt_, s.v.)

=Welted Brocades= and =Quilts=. Articles with folds in the texture; lined and ribbed.

=Weued=, A.S. The altar.

“In chvrche to vore the _heye weued_ Constantyn hym sleu.” (_Robert of Gloucester._)

=Whalebone= is the commercial name for the _baleen_ plates found in the mouth of the whale, of which there are about 300 in each animal.

=What-not.= A modern piece of furniture, a light side-board or stand.

=Wheel.= In Christian art, the attribute of St. Catherine, in allusion to the manner of her martyrdom.

=Wheel=, =Catherine Wheel=. Represented in heraldry with curved spikes projecting from its rim.

=Wheel Engraving upon Glass.= (See GLASS.)

=Wheel-lock.= A crude invention in gunnery, of the 16th century, for winding up the trigger of a gun with a hand-winch.

=Whinyard=, O. E. A sword.

=Whipping-tops= are represented in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts; the thongs of the whips are _knotted_, which would add to the difficulty of the game.

[Illustration: Fig. 698. Falling “Whisk.”]

=Whisk=, O. E. A _ruff_ or _band_.

“A woman’s _nec whisk_ is used both plain and laced, and is called of most a gorget or _falling whisk_, because it falleth about the shoulders.” (_Randle Holme._)

=Whisket=, O. E. A basket. S.

=Whistle.= Prehistoric specimens of whistles made of bones have been disinterred among relics of the Stone Age. The Mexicans in antiquity made curiously grotesque whistles of baked clay representing caricatures of the human face and figure, birds, beasts, and flowers. (Consult _Musical Instruments by Carl Engel_.)

=White=, in Christian art represented by the diamond or silver, was the emblem of light, religious purity, innocence, virginity, faith, joy, and life. (_J._)

=White= is in theory the result of the union of the three primary colours. The principal white pigments are _white lead_, _Lake white_, _Krems white_, _zinc white_, _constant white_ (q.v.). (See CARBONATE OF LEAD, OXIDE OF ZINC, &c.)

=White Copper.= German silver.

=White Lead= is the white pigment universally used for oil painting; it is considered a good dryer, and is used to render oil more drying. (Consult _Merrifield’s Treatise_, &c., vol. i. cl.). (See CARBONATE OF LEAD.)

=White Vitriol.= SULPHATE OF ZINC (q.v.).

=Whiting=, as used for wall painting, &c., is pure chalk, cleansed and ground with water.

=Whittle=, O. E. A pocket clasp knife. (_Shakspeare._)

=Whole and Halves.= Proportional compasses used for the enlargement or reduction of drawings.

=Whorler.= The wheel of a potter’s lathe.

=Wicker-work.= Texture of osiers, or small twigs; basket-work.

=Wicket= (Fr. _Guichet_). A small door perforated in a larger one.

=Wigs= (contraction of Periwigs, from Fr. _perruque_) were brought in from France in the 16th century. They took their greatest proportions in the time of Louis XIV. In the early 18th century also they are described as of immense size, “large enough to have loaded a camel.” And of this date is the celebrated wig-maker’s sign, in which Absalom was represented hanging by the hair in a tree, and King David weeping beneath, exclaiming,—

“O Absalom! O Absalom! O Absalom, my son! If thou hadst worn a _periwig_ Thou hadst not been undone.”

Smaller varieties were called _perukes_ or travelling-wigs; and the _campaign wig_, which “hath knots or _bobs_, a _dildo_ on each side with a curled forehead.” These _dildos_ or _pole-locks_ were the origin of the pigtail. (See HAIR.)

=Wilton Carpets= are a kind of Brussels carpeting, with the yarns cut.

=Wimple=, O. E. A nun’s hood, covering the neck and shoulders, adopted by ladies in general, _temp._ Henry VII.

=Winchester Bushel.= An ancient standard measure of capacity preserved in the Town Hall at Winchester. It dates from the reign of King Edgar. It is 18½ inches wide, and 8 inches deep.

=Windows.= The earliest of stained glass in Italy were painted by order of Pope Leo III., at Rome, in 795. The windows of some churches were closed with valves or shutters of stone, like those of the Duomo of Torcello, erected in 1008. Others were filled with slabs of transparent talc or alabaster. The earliest painted glass in York Cathedral is of A. D. 1200. The use of glass windows in private houses was not general until the 14th century. During the Middle Ages glass windows were in movable wooden frames, and were taken away by families when they travelled. (Consult _Hallam’s Middle Ages_, vol. iii.) Substitutes for glass were thin parchment or linen, painted and varnished, or even paper. (_Le Vieil_, _de la Peinture sur Verre_.) These paper windows may still be seen in villages in the north of Italy.

=Winds= (Latin, _Venti_). The impersonations of the _winds_ were held in high veneration, especially by the Athenians. The four principal were Eurus or Vulturnus, the east or south-east wind; Auster, the south wind, the Notus of the Greeks, pernicious to plants and men; Zephyrus, the son of Aurora and father of Carpus (fruit), a genial, health-bearing breeze, called also ζωηφόρος, life-bearing; and Boreas, the strong north wind, usually represented with the feet of a serpent, his wings dripping with golden dewdrops, and the train of his garment sweeping along the ground. Inferior _winds_ were Solanus, in Greek Apeliotes, answering to the east, and represented as a young man holding fruit in his lap; Africus, south-west, represented with black wings and melancholy countenance; Corus, north-west, drives clouds of snow before him; Aquilo, north-east by north, equally dreadful in appearance, from _aquila_, an eagle, type of swiftness and impetuosity.

=Windsor Chairs.= A plain kind of strong wooden chairs, so called.

=Wings=, from time immemorial, have been the Oriental and Egyptian symbol of power as well as of swiftness; of the spiritual and aerial, in contradistinction to the human and the earthly; also in Chaldaic and Babylonian remains, in the Lycian and Nineveh marbles, and on the gems and other relics of the Gnostics. In Etruscan art all their divinities are winged.

=Wings=, in theatres. The shifting side-scenes on the stage. In costume, the projections on the shoulders of a _doublet_. (See Fig. 91.)

=Wise Men=, Chr. The MAGI. (See EPIPHANY.)

=Wisp=, O. E. A broom.

=Woad.= A dye plant—_Isatis tinctoria_.

=Wolf.= In Egypt was worshipped at Lycopolis; it figures frequently among hieroglyphic signs. The Greeks had consecrated the wolf to Apollo, the Romans to Mars. In Christian (especially Spanish) art, an attribute of St. Vincent, in allusion to the legend that wild beasts were driven away from his body after his martyrdom, by a raven.

[Illustration: Fig. 699. Carved-wood mirror frame, belonging to Lord Stafford at Costessy.]

=Wood-carving.= One of the most ancient manifestations of the art instinct of humanity is found in the very earliest relics of every nation. Especially in Egypt specimens remarkable for fidelity of representation have been recently disinterred, and stand in the Boulac Museum. Among Christian countries Germany is the most distinguished in this branch of art, but Holland and Belgium closely rival it in excellence and abundance of early specimens. Illustrious English carvers in wood were mostly of Dutch or German extraction. The most famous of them is Grinling Gibbons, employed by Sir Christopher Wren in the decoration of St. Paul’s Cathedral. He excelled in carving flowers and foliage.

=Wood-engraving= or =Xylography=. Box-wood is the only kind that can be used. The blocks when smoothed and polished are prepared for drawing on, by rubbing the polished surface with _bath brick_ in very fine powder mixed with water. When this thin coating is dry, it is removed by rubbing the block on the palm of the hand; its only use is to make the surface less slippery. There are four descriptions of cutting tools used in wood-engraving. The _graver_ is not very different from that used for copper-plate, but has the point ground to a peculiar form by rubbing on a _Turkey stone_. Eight or nine _gravers_, of different sizes, are generally required commencing with a very fine one, which is called the _outline tool_, and increasing in size or breadth. _Tinting_ is cutting series of parallel lines, which, when engraved, form an even and uniform tint. For this process there is a distinct set of tools called _tinting tools_. _Gouges_ of different sizes are used for scooping out the wood towards the centre of the block, and flat tools or _chisels_ for cutting it away towards the edges. The earliest known wood-engraving, “The Virgin surrounded by four Saints,” is dated 1418. A print of it is in the Brussels Museum.

=Wood-skin.= An American name for a large canoe made of bark.

=Woof.= The _weft_, or cross-texture of fabrics.

=Woolsack.= The seat of the Lord Chancellor, in the House of Lords.

=Working Drawings= (Arch.) are enlarged portions of plans with details of a building, for the practical artificers to work from.

=Worsted= (properly Worstead, spelt also “_worsett_” and “_woryst_”) was the name given to the cloth woven of the hard thread produced by the peculiar carding process that was invented at _Worstead_ in Norfolk; 14th century.

=Wou= or =Wouwou=, Egyp. The Egyptian name for the dog; it is evidently an onomatopœia, like the name for a cat, which is written MAAOU. (See CANIS.)

=Wreath.= Wreaths have at all times been prominent among symbolical personal ornaments; always with an honourable or pleasant signification; wreaths of ivy distinguished the votaries of Bacchus; appropriate wreaths were invented for sacrifices at the altar for heroic or priestly or literary distinction. (See ORLE, CREST, WREATH, &c.)

=Wrest=, O. E. An instrument for drawing up the strings of a harp. (_Shakespeare._)

=Wyn=, O. E. A narrow flag.

[Illustration: Fig. 700. Wyvern.]

=Wyvern=, =Wivern=, Her. A fabulous creature, a species of dragon with two legs, and represented having its tail nowed. (Fig. 700.)