G.
Gabardine or Gallebardine, It. “A rough Irish mantle, or horseman’s coat; a long cassock.” It was, and is, a favourite outer garment of the Jews.
Gabion, Fortification. A basket filled with earth, used in the construction of earthworks for defensive purposes.
Gable, Arch. (German Giebel, point). The triangular end of a house from the eaves to the top.
Gablet. Diminutive of gable—applied to furniture and niches.
Gadlyngs, O. E. Spikes on the knuckles of gauntlets, like the modern “knuckle-dusters.”
Gæsum, R. A weapon of Celtic origin. It was a strong, heavy javelin with a very long barbed iron head, used rather as a missile than a spear.
Gage, Med. A glove or cap thrown to the ground as a challenge to combat.
Galages, O. E. (modern, goloshes). Clogs fastened with latchets.
Galaxia, Gr. (Γαλάξια). Festivals in honour of Apollo, who was surnamed Galaxios; they were so called because the principal offering consisted of a barley cake cooked with milk (γάλα).
Galaxy (Gr. γάλα, milk). In Astronomy, the Milky Way. It passes between Sagittarius and Gemini, dividing the sphere into two parts.
Galbanum, R. (galbus, yellow). A yellow garment worn by women; men who adopted this kind of dress were looked upon as foppish and effeminate.
Galbe, Fr. The general contour or outline of any member of architecture; in especial, the shaft of a column. (See Contractura.) It also denotes the lines of a vessel, console, baluster, &c.
Galea, R. A helmet; especially one of skin or leather, in contradistinction to Cassis, which denoted a metal helmet.
Galeated. In Heraldry, wearing a helmet.
Galeola, R. A very deep vessel in the shape of a helmet. It was used for holding pure wine, and was a kind of Acratophorum (q.v.).
Galerus, Galerum, R. A peasant’s cap made of fur, and thence a wig. It was a round leather cap, ending in a point, originally peculiar to the priesthood.
Galgal, Celt. A Celtic or megalithic monument, more commonly called Tumulus.
Galiot, Galliot (dimin. of galère). A ship moved by both sails and oars.
Gall (A.S. gealla). In an animal, a bitter yellowish green fluid secreted by the gall-bladder. Ox-gall, clarified by boiling with animal charcoal and filtering, is used in water-colour and in ivory painting to make the colours spread more evenly upon the paper, ivory, &c.: mixed with gum-arabic it thickens, and fixes the colours. A coating of it sets black-lead or crayon drawings. This word is also applied to anything exceedingly bitter, especially to the bitter potion which it was customary among the Jews to give to persons suffering death under sentence of the law, for the purpose of rendering them less sensible to pain. ὄξος μετὰ χολῆς, “vinegar to drink mingled with gall.” (Matt. xxvii. 34.)
Galle (Tours de), Celt. A name applied to certain ancient monuments in France, built by the Gauls.
Galleon (Sp. galeon). A large Spanish ship, formerly used in trading to America as a war vessel.
Gallery, Gen. A covered place much longer than it is wide. In Christian archæology it is a kind of tribune situated above the side aisles, and having bays over the nave; it is also called Triforium (q.v.).
Fig. 344. Device of Cardinal Richelieu, from the Galerie d’Orléans, Palais Royal.
Galley (Icelandic galleyda). A one-decked vessel, navigated with sails and oars, in Heraldry called a Lymphad (q.v.). The prow of a galley (Fig. [344]), one of the devices adopted by Cardinal Richelieu, may still be seen among the architectural decorations of his palace.
Galloon (Sp. galon). A narrow kind of lace made of silk woven with cotton, gold, or silver; or of silk only.
Gallow-balk, O. E. (See Galows.)
Gally-gascoynes, O. E. Broad loose breeches; 16th century.
“His galligaskins were of corduroy,
And garters he had none.”
(The Weary Knife-grinder.)
Galows, O. E. An iron bar fastened inside an open chimney, from which the reeking-hook was hung, for suspending pots and vessels over the fire.
Galvanography. (See Electrography, Electrotype.)
Gamashes. “High boots, buskins, or startups.” (Holme, 1688.)
Gambeson (Saxon wambe, the belly). A quilted tunic, stuffed with wool. It answered the purpose of defensive armour, and was subsequently called a pourpoint.
Gamboge. A gum-resin of a forest tree called Garcinia Cambogia, generally imported in cylindrical rolls. It forms a beautiful yellow pigment, used for water-colour; it is used to stain wood in imitation of box, and the tincture enters into the composition of the gold-coloured varnish for lacquering brass; it also gives a beautiful and durable stain to marble. (E. B.)
Gamelion. The seventh month of the ancient Athenian year, corresponding to our January. It was so called because it was a favourite season for marriages (γάμη).
Gammut. (See Gamut.)
Gamut. The musical scale; so called from the first tone, UT (our DO), of the model scale of Guido, which was represented by the Greek gamma.
Ganoid (γάνος, brightness). A name applied to an order of fishes, having angular scales, composed of bony plates, covered with a strong shining enamel.
Gantlet. (See Gauntlet.)
Garb, Her. A sheaf of wheat, or of any other grain to be specified.
Fig. 345. Garde de Bras.
Garde de Bras. An additional protection for the left arm, to the elbow-piece of which it was fastened by straps and a screw. It was used only for jousting, and first appears at the end of the 15th cent. The example shown is of the 16th cent., from the Meyrick collection. (Fig. [345].)
Fig. 346 Gargoulette. Arab.
Gargoulette. An Arab vase, or water-cooler, with one handle, furnished with a spout adapted for drinking through. The piece in the illustration is from the Arabian potteries of Maghreb in Africa. This pottery is described by M. Jacquemart as “covered with a pinkish grey enamel of rose colour, and heightened by a polychrome decoration in zones, generally consisting of bands of scrolls, flowers, denticulations, rosettes, &c.; where citron, yellow, manganese brown, green, and blue form the most charming harmony.”
Fig. 347. Gargoyle, Antique.
Fig. 348. Gargoyle, Gothic.
Gargoyle, Mod. The projecting extremity of a gutter. In antiquity terra-cotta masks were used for the purpose. (Fig. [347].) During the Gothic period any kind of representation was employed. Fig. [348] shows an upright gargoyle from the church of St. Remy at Dieppe.
Garland, Arch. A term employed by some authors as synonymous with foliage; but it denotes rather heavy festoons tied with fillets, and consisting of leaves, fruits, and flowers, as shown in Figs. 287 and 309, taken from the temple of Vesta at Tivoli. (See Encarpa, Festoons.)
Garnet. This gem, on account of its brilliant colour and hardness, is much used in jewellery, and although an abundant supply renders it of little value, the gem nevertheless possesses every quality necessary for ornamental purposes. It occurs in many colours—red, brown, yellow, white, green, black; the streak is white; the diaphaneity varies from transparent to sub-translucent, or nearly opaque, and it has a subconchoidal or uneven fracture. The varieties used in jewellery are called carbuncle, cinnamon-stone (or essonite), almandine, and pyrope or Bohemian garnet. Garnets are not much used for engraving, being of splintery, bad grain under the tool. (A. Billing, Science of Gems, &c.; H. Emanuel, Diamonds and Precious Stones.)
Garnished, Her. Adorned in a becoming manner.
Fig. 349. Order of the Garter. Lesser George.
Garter, Order of the, instituted by Edward III. in 1350, consists of the Sovereign and twenty-five knights companions, of whom the Prince of Wales always is one. Knights of the Garter place K.G. after their names; and these letters take precedence of all other titles, those of royalty alone excepted. The stalls of the knights are in the choir of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where their garter-plates are fixed and their banners are displayed. The insignia are the garter itself, the badge of the order; the collar, and the Lesser George or jewel. (Fig. [349].) It was this jewel that Charles I., immediately before he suffered, delivered to Archbishop Juxon, with the word “Remember!” The ribbon of the order is dark blue; it passes over the left shoulder, and the Lesser George hangs from it under the right arm.
Garter King of Arms, Her. The chief of the official heralds of England, and officer of arms of the Order of the Garter.
Gastrum, R. An earthenware vessel with a round belly; whence its name.
Gaulus, R. A vessel used for drinking and other purposes. The same term was also applied to a broad-built ship employed by the Phœnicians and by pirates.
Fig. 350. Gauntlet.
Gauntlet. The knight’s gauntlet was made of leather covered with plates of steel. It was not originally divided into fingers. (Fig. [350].)
Gausapa, Gausape, Gausapum, R. (γαυσάπης). (1) A garment introduced from Egypt into Rome, in the time of Augustus; it was made of a woollen cloth with a long nap on one side, and was worn on leaving the bath; it was white or dyed purple. Gausapa was used not only for articles of dress, but for table linen, napkins, dusters, and mattings. (2) A wig made of human hair, worn at Rome during the Empire.
Gauze. A light, transparent silk texture, supposed to have been invented at Gaza in Palestine; whence the name.
Gavotte (It. gavotta). A lively dance-tune in two-fourth time, consisting of two sections, each containing eight measures.
Gehenna (Heb. Ge-hin-nom, i. e. the valley of Hinnom). In this place, on the north of Jerusalem below Mount Zion, is a place called Tophet, where children were sacrificed to Moloch. King Josiah made it the common receptacle for rubbish and carcases, and a fire was kept constantly burning there; hence the Jews used this term to signify “hell.” (Compare Hades.)
Gemellar, R. (gemellus, twin). A case for holding oil; it was called gemellar from the fact of its being divided into two compartments.
Gemelled, Arch. Double; thus a gemelled bay is one divided into two parts; gemelled arches, those which are joined two and two.
Gemelles, Her. In pairs. (See Bars-gemelles.)
Gemmæ, Lat. (1) Precious stones, esp. cut or engraved. (2) Drinking-vessels or objects made of precious stones. (3) Pearls. (4) The eyes of a peacock’s tail. The original meaning of the word is a bud, eye, or gem on a plant; anything swelling and bright.
Gemoniæ, or Gemoniæ Scales, R. (i. e. steps of sighs). Steps leading to the prison in the forum, on the stairs of which the corpses of criminals were exposed for several days.
Gems. Precious stones, especially when carved. (See Cameos.)
Genet, Her. A spotted animal, something like a marten.
Genethliaci, Gr. and R. (γενέθλη, birth). Astrologers who cast “nativities.”
Genius, R. (geno, to beget). The Romans believed the existence of a good genius, or guardian angel, born with every mortal, and which died at the same time with him. Genius loci was the name given to the guardian spirit of a place. [See Junones, Lares, Penates, &c. The superstition has many forms in Christian as well as in pagan art.]
Fig. 351. Genoa Point Lace—Pillow-made.
Genoa Lace. Mention is made of Genoa Lace as early as the 15th century. Genoa was as celebrated for its pillow lace as Venice for its needle-made. The characteristic of this lace was its design, a kind of barleycorn-shaped pattern, radiating into rosettes from a centre. It was particularly adapted for the large turnover collar of Louis XIII., and was produced by plaiting, and made entirely on the pillow.
Genouillières, Fr. (1) Steel coverings for the knees. From the 13th century. They were often richly ornamented. (2) In Fortification, the sill of the embrasure.
Genre Pictures. Those representing scenes of every-day life and manners.
Geodes. In Mineralogy, hollow lumps of chalcedony found deposited in the cavities of flints, formed by the chemical action of water.
Fig. 352. “George” Gold Noble, Henry VIII.
George. A gold noble of the time of Henry VIII. (Fig. [352].)
George, Saint, Her. The patron saint of England. His red cross on a silver field first appears in English heraldry in the 14th century. (See Fig. [349].)
George, The, Her. A figure of St. George on horseback, worn as a pendant to the collar of the Order of the Garter. (See Garter.)
Georgic (γεωργικὸς, rustic; from γῆ, earth, and ἔργον, work). Poems on the subject of husbandry.
German Silver. An alloy of nickel, zinc, and copper. The proportions recommended are nickel 25, zinc 25, copper 50.
Gerrhæ. Persian shields made of wicker-work.
Ghebres, Pers. Fire-worshippers.
Ghibellines. An Italian faction, 13th century, who supported the German Emperors against the Guelphs, who stood by the Pope. The war-cry of the Guelphs was taken from the name of Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, of the house of Wolf; that of the Ghibellines from Weiblingen, a town of Würtemberg, the seat of the Hohenstauffen family, to which Conrad, Duke of Franconia, belonged. These two dukes were rivals for the imperial throne of Germany.
Ghoul, Ghole, Pers. A demon who fed on dead bodies of men.
Giallo, Giallolino, Gialdolino, It. Pale yellow. (See Massicot.)
Giaour, Turkish. An unbeliever in Mohammed.
Gigantomachia, Gr. A favourite subject of Greek art, representing the War of the Giants, sons of Cœlus and Terra, against Jupiter. They “heaped Ossa on Pelion” to scale heaven, and were defeated by Hercules. They are represented as of vast stature and strength, having their feet covered with scales. A beautiful cameo in the Naples Museum represents Jove in his chariot subduing the giants. In 1875 the German expedition found among the ruins of a temple at Pergamus a series of sculptures of almost colossal proportions, representing, as Pliny describes them, the Wars of the Giants. These sculptures are now in the Berlin Museum.
Gillo, R. A wine-cooler, of earthenware.
Fig. 353. Gimmel Rings. The device of Cosmo de’ Medici.
Gimmel Ring, Her. Two, sometimes three annulets interlaced. (Fig. [353].)
Gingham (Javanese ginggan). Cotton cloth, woven from dyed yarns; distinguished from cloth printed or dyed after weaving.
Ginglymus, R. (γίγγλυμος). A hinge moving in a socket.
Gingrinus, R. (γίγγρας). A flute used at funerals.
Fig. 354. Gipcière.
Gipcières. Richly ornamented leather purses of the 14th and 15th centuries. They were often engraved with religious mottoes. (Fig. [354].)
Gipon. Probably the same as gambeson.
Girandole. A large kind of branched candlestick.
Girdled, Girt, Her. Encircled or bound round.
Fig. 355. Girdle of a Flemish lady of the 15th century.
Girdles. These were the most beautiful and costly articles of dress during the Middle Ages. They were frequently made entirely of gold or silver, decorated with cameos, precious stones, &c. Besides the knightly sword; the purse, dagger, rosary, or penner and ink-horn and other objects were suspended from the girdle. From this word the waist was called the girdlestead, or place (sted) of the girdle. The girdles of ladies were equally splendid, and frequently depended nearly to the ground, as in Fig. [355]. The girdle is an attribute of St. Thomas, from a legend that the Virgin, pitying his weakness of faith, threw down to him her girdle, after her assumption into heaven.
Girgillus, R. A roller turned by a windlass, for drawing up the bucket of a well. (See Jack.)
Girouette. (See Epi.)
Girt, Her. (See Girdled.)
Gisarme. A scythe-shaped weapon with a pike, fixed on a long staff.
Gittern, O. E. A small guitar, strung with catgut.
Givre. (See Wyvern.)
Glabrous (Lat. glaber). Smooth, bald.
Glade (Norman glette, a clear spot among clouds). An opening or passage in a wood through which the light may shine.
Gladiators were first exhibited at Rome, B.C. 264, at a funeral. The practice had its origin in that very ancient one of slaughtering slaves and captives on such occasions. Subsequently it became more general. The different classes of gladiators, distinguished by their arms and other circumstances, were: Andabatæ, who wore helmets without any opening for the eyes, and therefore fought blindfold; Essedarii, who fought from chariots (Essedæ); Hoplomachai, who wore heavy defensive armour; Laqueatores, who carried a sort of lasso or noose; Meridiani, who fought in the middle of the day, and were very slightly armed; Mirmillones, so called from their having the image of a fish (mormyr) on their helmets; Retiarii, armed with a trident and a net. Others, as Samnites, Thraces, &c., were named from the nation whose fashion of armour they adopted. The fights of gladiators were favourite subjects of Roman art, and it is assumed that in cases where no actual combats took place at a funeral, they were represented on the walls of tombs in sculpture or paint. The most celebrated statues of the kind are the so called “Dying Gladiator” in the museum of the capitol at Rome, and the Gladiator of the Borghese collection.
Gladiolus. Diminutive of Gladius, and synonym of Ligula. (See both words.)
Fig. 356. Roman sword.
Fig. 357. Gallic swords.
Gladius, R. A general term, including all the different kinds of swords or glaives, but denoting more particularly the two-edged swords used by the Greeks, Romans, and Gauls. Fig. [357] represents two Gaulish swords, the form of which may easily be guessed, even though they are in the scabbard; Fig. [356] is a Roman gladius.
Glaive. A blade on a pole having its edge on the outside curve, used by foot-soldiers in the 15th century.
Glans, Gr. and R. (lit. an acorn). A large leaden slug, of long oval form, which was hurled by a sling in place of stones.
Fig. 358. Venetian Glass Vase, 16th century.
Glass. The discovery is lost in remote antiquity. Pliny gives a legend which ascribes it to chance. Glass bottles in Egypt are represented upon monuments of the 4th dynasty (at least 2000 years B.C.). A vase of greenish glass found at Nineveh dates from B.C. 700. Glass is found in the windows at Pompeii; and the Romans stained it, blew it, worked it on lathes, and engraved it. Pliny mentions, as made by the Romans in his time, glass coloured opaque, red, white, black (like obsidian), or imitating jacinths, sapphires, and other gems; also murrhine glass. This last was either an imitation of fluor-spar, or a kind of agate, or fluor spar. The Romans also made mosaic or millefiori, in which the threads of colour are melted into a rod, so that at every section the whole pattern appears; and cameo glasses, in which a paste of one colour is laid over another, and the whole then carved into the required design; gold leaf was also worked into the substance or fixed on the surface. A gate at Constantinople took its name from the glass works near it, but little is known of the Byzantine art, nor of earlier European art than the 13th century. In mediæval times stained glass windows, in leaden frames, were constructed with great success in England, France, and Flanders. In the 13th century they appear in Italy. The Venetian art took its impulse from the capture of Constantinople in 1204. Its peculiar beauty is derived from the curved forms and tenuity of substance obtained in blowing. (Fig. [358].) There are six kinds of Venetian glass. (1) Vessels of colourless or transparent glass, or of single colours, generally blue or purple. (2) Gilt or enamelled glass. (3) Crackled glass, having a surface rough and divided irregularly into ridges. (4) Variegated or marbled opaque glass, called schmeltz; the most common variety is a mixture of green and purple, sometimes resembling jasper, sometimes chalcedony; other varieties are imitations of lapis lazuli and tortoise-shell; and avanturine, which is obtained by mingling metallic filings or fragments of gold leaf with melted glass. (5) Millefiori, or mosaic glass, in imitation of the old Roman process. (6) Reticulated, filigree, or lace glass. The varieties contain fine threads of glass, generally coloured, but sometimes milk-white, included in their substance. The lightness and strength of the Venetian glass are due to its not containing lead like our modern flint glass. Venetian mirrors were for a long period widely celebrated. The oldest example of the German drinking-cups, ornamented with paintings in enamel, is of the date of 1553. The designs are commonly armorial bearings. From the beginning of the 17th century the Bohemian manufactories supplied vases enriched with ornamental subjects, particularly with portraits engraved upon the glass. The art of wheel engraving upon glass flourished in France under Louis XVI. In modern times this kind of ornamentation is produced by the agency of hydrofluoric acid. “Coarse glass-making in England was, in Sussex, of great antiquity.” (Fuller.) “The first making of Venice glasses in England began in London, about the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, by one Jacob Vessaline, an Italian.” (Stow.)
Glass-glazed Wares. (See Glazed Wares.)
Glaucous (γλαυκός). Of a sea-green colour, or a greyish blue.
Fig. 359. Flemish stone-ware Cruche, 17th century.
Glazed Wares. Almost immediately after the invention of Ceramic manufacture, the application of glaze or coloured enamel must have improved it. What we term glaçure is a light varnish which enlivens and harmonizes the porous surface of terra-cotta. In its simple state it is a mixture of silex and lead, and in this state it is transparent, as we find it on antique vases; when vitrifiable, and mixed with tin, as in the case of majolicas, it is called enamel; and when of vitrifiable and earthen substance, such as can only be melted at the temperature required for the baking of the paste itself, it is known as Glaze, or couverte, and can be identified in the Persian faiences and Flemish stone-ware. (Figs. 359, 360.) (See Burty, Chefs-d’œuvre of the Industrial Arts.)
Fig. 360. German enamelled stone-ware Cruche, date first half of the 16th century.
Glazing. In oil painting, the application of thin layer of colour to finally modify the tone. In pottery, a vitreous covering over the surface. (See Glazed Wares.)
Globe, held in the hand, is the emblem of power.
Globus, R. A military manœuvre employed by a body of Roman soldiers when surrounded by superior forces; it consisted in forming a circle facing in every direction.
Fig. 361. Glory. Vesica Piscis in Ely Cathedral.
Glory, Nimbus or Aureole, the Christian attribute of sanctity, is of pagan origin, common to images of the gods, and Roman, even Christian, emperors. Satan in miniatures of the 9th to 13th century wears a glory. The earliest known Christian example is a gem of St. Martin of the early part of the 6th century. The glory round the head is properly the nimbus or aureole. The oblong glory surrounding the whole person, called in Latin “vesica piscis” (Fig. [361]), and in Italian the “mandorla” (almond) from its form, is confined to figures of Christ and the Virgin, or saints who are in the act of ascending into heaven. When used to distinguish one of the three divine Persons of the Trinity, the glory is often cruciform or triangular: the square nimbus designates a person living at the time the work was executed. In other instances it is circular. Coloured glories are variously symbolical. (Mrs. Jameson, “The Poetry of Sacred and Legendary Art.”)
Gloves. In the 14th century already gloves were worn, jewelled on the back, as a badge of rank. “They were worn in the hat,” says Steevens, “as the favour of a mistress, or the memorial of a friend, and as a mark to be challenged by an enemy.” A glove of the 17th century is described “of a light buff leather, beautifully ornamented with spangles and needlework in gold and silver threads, with a gold lace border, and silk opening at the wrist.” Gloves were called “cheirothecæ,” hand-coverers, by the Greeks and Romans; they were made without separate fingers, the thumb only being free. A legend current at Grenoble affirms that St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, was a knitter of gloves.
Gluten. In wax painting, the compound with which the pigments are mixed.
Glyphs, Arch. The flutings of an ornament or grooving forming the segment of a circle. (See Diglyph, Triglyph.)
Glyptics. The art of engraving on precious stones.
Glyptotheca, Gr. and R. (1) A gallery for sculpture. (2) A collection of engraved stones.
Gnomon, Gr. and R. The iron pin or index, which, by the projection of its shadow, marks the hour upon a sun-dial.
Goal. (See Meta.)
Goat. The emblem of lasciviousness.
Gobelins. Celebrated Royal French manufactory of tapestry, named from the successors of Jean Gobelin, who brought the art to Paris in the 15th century from Rheims. [See Burty, Chefs-d’œuvre of Industrial Art.]
Godenda, O. E. A pole-axe, having a spike at its end; 13th century.
Goderonné, Gouderonné (Needlework). A fluted pattern of embroidery in vogue in the 16th century.
Fig. 362. Egyptian Diadem of gold and lapis lazuli of the ancient Empire, found in the tomb of Queen Aah-Hotep.
Gold. It is probable that the earliest recorded mark upon units of value was the image of a sheep or an ox; hence money in Latin is called pecunia, from pecus, cattle, the original form of barbaric wealth, for which gold was the substitute. The wealth of Abraham in silver and gold, as well as in cattle, is mentioned in Genesis. No coins of gold or silver have been found in Egypt or Nineveh, although beautiful specimens of the goldsmith’s art have been recovered from the tombs of both countries. The Hebrews, taught by the Egyptians, made their ark, mercy-seat, altar of incense, seven-branched candlestick, and other golden ornaments, even in the desert of Sinai. The seven-branched candlestick is represented in sculpture on the arch of Titus at Rome. At Babylon and Nineveh gold is said to have been lavishly applied in gilding sculpture, and even walls; but it is suggested that an alloy of copper, the aurichalcum of the Greeks, was the metal in reality used for this purpose. The heroes of the Greek epic had golden shields and helmets; breastplates and other large pieces of golden armour are among the recent discoveries at Mycenæ; at Kourioum in the island of Cyprus also great stores of golden ornaments of a very early age have been discovered. In Scythian tombs in Russia also, about Kertch, beautiful relics of Grecian work in gold have been found, showing that in the very earliest ages the skill and taste applied to this art were not less than those of later times. The gold jewellery of ancient India also excelled that of modern date, but none, before or since, ever equalled the great age of Greek art. Pausanias describes a statue of Athene, made by Pheidias, and kept in the Parthenon at Athens, of ivory and gold—chryselephantine—delicately worked all over; and a still larger statue of Jupiter, of the same materials. Native gold alloyed with one-fifth silver was greatly prized by the Greek artists, who gave it the name of electrum. Examples of this electrum are rare; there is a vase at St. Petersburg. The Romans used to pay enormous prices for their household plate; for an example, the bowl of Pytheas, on which were represented Ulysses and Diomed with the palladium, fetched 10,000 denarii, or about 330l. per ounce. Few specimens of Roman art have escaped destruction. (Fig. [7].) Of the age of Byzantine splendour we are told that the Emperor Acadius, early in the 5th century, sat on a throne of massive gold, his chariot being also of gold, &c. In the 9th century the throne of Theophilus was overshadowed by a tree of gold, with birds in the branches, and at the foot two lions all gold. The lions roared and the birds piped in the branches. A remarkable wealth of ancient goldsmith’s work has been found in Ireland, consisting principally of personal ornaments. In the 9th and 10th centuries the Irish workmanship was unsurpassed in Europe. It consisted principally of objects for religious use, and is characterized by a filagree of extraordinary richness, akin to the intricate traceries of the Irish illuminated work on MS. of the same date and derivation. In the 10th and 11th centuries there was a great revival of art throughout Europe. In Germany, the abbey of Hildesheim, under Bishop Bernward, became the centre of a school of goldsmiths, and some beautiful specimens of hammered gold, by the bishop’s hand, are preserved.
Fig. 363. Greek Ear-ring of gold, and part of a necklace. (See also Fig. [276].)
Gold, in Christian art. (See Yellow.)
Gold, Cloth of, is mentioned in the Pentateuch, and was common throughout the East in all ages. It was originally wrought, not in rounded wire but flat, as the Chinese, the Indians, and the Italians (their lama d’oro) weave it now. The early Roman kings wore tunics of gold, and the Romans used it as a shroud for burial. King Childeric, A. D. 482, was buried at Tournai in a mantle of golden stuff. It was much favoured in England for church vestments, and by royalty, especially by Edward IV. and Henry VIII. and the nobility of their time. (The different varieties are described in their order. See Acca, Areste, Batuz, Chryso-clavus, Ciclatoun, Dorneck, Samit.)
Goldbeater’s Skin, prepared from a membrane found in the stomach of the ox, is used to separate leaf-gold in the process of gold-beating.
Golden Fleece. An Order of Knighthood instituted on the 10th of January, 1429, by Philip, Duke of Burgundy. The Collar is composed of double steels, interwoven with flint-stones, emitting sparks of fire, at the end whereof hangs on the breast a Golden Fleece. The fusils are joined two and two together, as if they were double BB’s (the cyphers of Burgundy). The flint-stones are the ancient arms of the Sovereigns of Burgundy, with the motto “Ante ferit quam flamma micet.” (See Fig. [342].) The motto of the Order is “Pretium non vile laborum.” There are four great officers, viz. the Chancellor, Treasurer, Register, and a King of Arms, called Toison d’Or. The Badge consists of a Golden Fleece, suspended from a flint-stone, which is surrounded with flames of gold.
Golden Spur. An Order of Knighthood said to have been instituted by Pius IV., at Rome, in 1559. They are sometimes spoken of as the Chevaliers Pies or Piorum, and must be distinguished from those who are created knights on the coronation or marriage days of Emperors and Kings, and who receive at the same time the Spurs of Honour. These alone are entitled to the appellation of Equites Aurati. [Cf. Peter de Bellet, Favin, &c.]
Golden Stole of Venice. (See Stola d’Oro.)
Golione, O. E. A kind of gown.
Gondola, It. A Venetian pleasure-boat or barge.
Gonfalon or Gonfanon, Fr. (1) A richly-worked pointed banner carried upon a lance; 13th century. (2) An ecclesiastical banner.
Gonfalonier. The bearer of a gonfalon.
Goniometer (γωνία, an angle, &c.). An instrument for measuring the angles of crystals.
Gonjo, O. E. (14th century). Said to be the gorget.
Gopouras, Hind. The pyramid-shaped door of the Hindoo temples. Dwararab’ha, or door of splendour, was the name given to a door with one or two tiers; dwarasala, or door of the dwelling, a door with two or four tiers; dwaraprasada, or propitious door, a door with three to five tiers; dwaraharmya, or door of the palace, a door with five to seven tiers; lastly, dwaragopouras, or door-tower with seven to sixteen tiers.
Gorged, Her. Wearing a collar.
Gorget, Fr. A defence or covering for the neck.
Fig. 364. Gorgoneia.
Gorgoneia. Masks of the Gorgon’s head, which were fixed as bosses upon walls or shields.
Gossamer, O. E. (properly God’s summer). The name is attributed to an old legend that the fine filaments so called are the fragments of the winding-sheet of the Virgin Mary, which fell away from her as she was taken up to heaven.
Gothamites, O. E. The inhabitants of the village of Gotham in Northumberland, renowned for their stupidity. A reprint of the tale called “The Wise Men of Gotham” appeared in 1840.
Gouache, Fr. This term is applied to the use in water-colour painting of opaque colours more or less mixed and modified with white. The process is extremely ancient, known to the Chinese and Indians of the earliest times, and to the Greeks and Romans. It was the method used by mediæval illuminators. Its result is a velvety reflection of the light.
Fig. 365. Gourd-shaped bottle. Anatolian.
Gourd of Noah. A piece of ancient blue faience from Asia Minor. According to the tradition current in the country, these vessels, which are in great veneration, would go back to such remote antiquity that it was by one of them that Noah was betrayed into the first act of inebriety recorded in history. (Jacquemart.)
Gouttée, Guttée, Her. Sprinkled over with drops of gold, silver, blue (tears), red (blood), or black (poix).
Gown (British gwn, Norman gunna). The men wore gowns in the Middle Ages, the women at all times.
Grabatus, R. (κράβατος). A sort of low framework, consisting of a network of cords, used to support a mattress; it was the least comfortable kind of bed; whence the French word grabat to denote a sorry kind of bed.
Gradient, Her. Walking.
Gradus, R. A flight of steps leading to a temple; the tiers of seats in a theatre or amphitheatre, &c.
Græcostasis. A part of the Roman forum, where the Greek ambassadors stood to hear the debates.
Graffiti, It. Lines drawn with a graver upon clay or plaster. (See Sgraffiti.)
Grafted, Her. Inserted and fixed.
Grand-garde, Plate armour to cover the breast and left shoulder, worn outside the usual armour in jousting at tournaments.
Grand Quarters, Her. The four primary divisions of a shield when it is divided per cross or quarterly.
Graphite. Plumbago.
Graphometer. A mathematical instrument, called also a semicircle.
Graphotype. A method of producing book illustrations for printing along with type, without the art of an engraver.
Grass-green. (See Chrysocolla.)
Graver or Burin. An engraving-tool. (See Chalcography.)
Grazioso, It. In Music, an intimation to perform the music smoothly and gracefully.
Greaves. Plate armour for the legs.
Grece, O. E. A step, or flight of stairs. (See Gryse.)
Greeces, Her. Steps.
Greek Lace. A kind of cutwork, described under Lace (q.v.).
Green, in Christian art, or the emerald, is the colour of spring; emblem of hope, particularly hope in immortality; and of victory, as the colour of the palm and the laurel.
Green. (See Carbonates of Copper, Oxides of Copper, Scheele’s Green, Sap Green, Chrome Green, &c.)
Green Bice. Green cinnabar. (See Chrome Green.)
Green Earth (burnt terra verde) is a brown pigment, very useful for landscape painting in oil colours; it is not affected by exposure to strong light or impure air.
Green Lakes. (See Purple Lakes.)
Green Verditer. (See Verditer.)
Gregorian Calendar. The calendar as reformed by Pope Gregory XIII. in 1582.
Gregorian Music. A collection of chants, originally compiled by Gregory I. (the Great), A. D. 600. “It was observed by St. Gregory, a great musician of his time, that the Ambrosian Chants, handed down traditionally to a great extent, had become corrupted; he therefore subjected them to revision, and added other modes and scales to those four which Ambrose had retained. This was done by taking away the upper tetrachord from the Ambrosian scales, and placing it below the lower tetrachord.” (See Music, by the Rev. J. R. Lunn, B.D., in Dictionary of Christian Antiquities.)
Grey, in Christian art, the colour of ashes, signified mourning, humility, and innocence accused.
Greybeards, O. E. Stone-ware drinking-jugs, with a bearded face on the spout.
Gridiron (It. la graticola). The attribute of St. Lawrence.
Griffin. (See Gryphus.)
Grinding. Pigments are generally ground in poppy or nut oil, which dry best and do not deaden the colours. It is essential that these oils be in the purest state, bright and clear. A good oil ought to be so dry in five or six days that the picture can be repainted.
Griphus, Gr. and R. (γρῖφος). Literally, a fishing-net, and thence a riddle propounded by guests at a banquet.
Grisaille, Fr. A style of painting in grey, by which solid bodies are represented as if in relief; adapted for architectural subjects.
Fig. 366. Groat of Edward III.
Groat. An old English silver coin, equal to 4d. In England, in the Saxon times, no silver coin larger in value than a penny was struck, nor after the Conquest till the reign of Edward III., who about 1351 coined grosses or great pieces, which went for 4d. each; and so the matter stood till the reign of Henry VII., who in 1504 first coined shillings.
Grogram (Fr. gros-grains). A coarse woollen cloth with large woof and a rough pile. Grogram gowns were worn by countrywomen, 15th to 17th centuries. Fairholt says that the mixed liquor called grog obtained its name from the admiral who ordered it to be given to the sailors; who from wearing a grogram coat was called “Old Grog.”
Groin, Arch. The angular curve formed at the intersection of a vaulted roof; the line made by the intersection of arched vaults crossing each other at any angle. (See Fig. [173].)
Grolier Scroll. A beautiful and elaborate style of decoration for bookbinding, introduced by Grolier, a celebrated patron of bookbinding, in the 15th century.
Groma and Gruma, R. A quadrant; an instrument used by land-surveyors. In the plural, grumæ denotes the intersection of two roads cutting each other at right angles.
Fig. 367. Grotesque from a stall in Rouen Cathedral.
Grotesques, Arch. (It. grottesco, the style in which grottoes were ornamented). Figures of a monstrous, comic, or obscene character, which were spread in profusion over the façades of churches by mediæval artists (ymaigiers); in stone and in wood; on choir-stalls and the wood-work and wainscoting of interiors. Figs. 367, 368 represent figures upon the stalls and columns in Rouen Cathedral.
Fig. 368. Grotesque decoration from the Cathedral at Rouen.
Grounds or Priming. In painting, the first coat of colour laid all over the canvas, upon which the picture is to be painted.
Grus, Lat. (a crane). A constellation of the southern hemisphere.
Gry. A measure containing ⅒ of a line. A line is ⅒ of a digit, a digit is ⅒ of a foot, and a (philosophical) foot is ⅓ of a pendulum whose vibrations, in the latitude of 45°, are each equal to one second of time, or ¹⁄₆₀ of a minute.
Fig. 369. Heraldic Griffin.
Gryphus, Griffin, Gen. (γρύψ). A fabulous animal, represented with the body of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle. In ancient art it was applied in the decoration of friezes, one of the finest specimens being that at the temple of Antoninus and Faustina at Rome. It was a heraldic symbol among the Scythians, and is the ancient crest of the city of London. As an emblem this monster symbolizes the destroying power of the gods.
Gryse, Grece, Tredyl, or Steyre, O. E. A step, a flight of stairs.
Guacos or Huacos, Peruv. The consecrated burial-places of the ancient Peruvians.
Fig. 370. Passant guardant.
Guardant, Her. Looking out from the field, as the lions in Fig. [370].
Guazzo, It. A hard and durable kind of distemper painting, used by the ancients, calculated to resist damp and to preserve the colours.
Fig. 371. Gubbio Cup, 1519. Louvre Museum.
Gubbio. A celebrated Italian botega of ceramic art, founded in 1498 by Giorgio Andreoli, the reputed inventor of the secret of metallic lustres. Fig. [371] is a cup bearing upon a fillet the inscription “Ex o Giorg.,” “of the fabric of Giorgio.”
Gubernaculum, R. (guberno, to direct). A rudder; originally an oar with a broad blade, which was fixed, not at the extremity, but at each side of the stern. A ship had commonly two rudders joined together by a pole.
Guelfs or Guelphs. (See Ghibellines.)
Fig. 372. Badge of the Gueux.
Gueux, Badge of the. The celebrated Netherlandish confraternity of the Gueux (or Beggars), which had its origin in a jest spoken at a banquet, assumed not only the dress, but the staff, wooden bowl, and wallet of the professional beggar, and even went so far as to clothe their retainers and servants in mendicant garb. The badge represents two hands clasped across and through a double wallet.
Guidon, Fr. (1) The silk standard of a regiment; (2) its bearer.
Guige, Her. A shield-belt worn over the right shoulder.
Guild, O. E. (Saxon guildan, to pay). A fraternity or company, every member of which was gildare, i. e. had to pay something towards the charges. Merchant guilds first became general in Europe in the 11th century. (See Anderson’s History of Commerce, vol. i. p. 70.)
Fig. 373. Base ornamented with guilloche.
Guilloche. A series of interlaced ornaments on stone, resembling network.
Fig. 374. Band with the guilloche ornament.
Guilloched. Waved or engine-turned.
Guimet’s Ultramarine. A valuable substitute for the more costly preparation. It is transparent and durable.
Guimet’s Yellow is the deutoxide of lead and antimony, useful in enamel or porcelain painting.
Guinea. An English coin first struck temp. Car. II., and so called because the gold was brought from the coast of Guinea (the Portuguese Genahoa). It originally bore the impress of an elephant. The sovereign superseded it in 1817.
Guisarme. An ancient weapon of the nature of a pike or bill. (See Meyrick.)
Guitar (Spanish guitarra). A stringed musical instrument, played as a harp with the fingers.
Gules, Her. (Fr. gueules). Red, represented in engraving by perpendicular lines.
Gum-arabic dissolved in water constitutes the well-known vehicle for water-colour painting—gum-water.
Gunter’s Line. A line of logarithms graduated on a ruler, for practical use in the application of logarithms to the ordinary calculations of an architect, builder, &c. Other similar instruments invented by the great mathematician (+ 1626) are Gunter’s Quadrant and Gunter’s Scale, used by seamen and for astronomical calculations.
Gurgustium, R. A cave, hovel, or any dark and wretched abode.
Gussets were small pieces of chain mail at the openings of the joints beneath the arms.
Guttæ, Arch. (drops). Small conical-shaped ornaments, used in the Doric entablature immediately under the mutule beneath the triglyph. (See Fig. [265].)
Guttée, Her. (See Gouttée.) Sprinkled over.
Gutturnium, R. (guttur, the throat). A water-jug or ewer; it was a vessel of very elegant form, and was used chiefly by slaves for pouring water over the hands of the guests before and after a meal. (See Ablutions.)
Guttus, R. (gutta, a drop). A vessel with a very narrow neck and mouth, by means of which liquids could be poured out drop by drop; whence its name. It was especially used in sacrifices, and is a common object upon coins of a religious character.
Gutty, Her. Charged or sprinkled with drops.
Gwerre, O. E. The choir of a church.
Gymmers, O. E. Hinges. (The word is still used.)
Gymnasium, Gr. (γυμνάσιον; γυμνὸς, stripped). A large building used by the Greeks, answering to the Roman palæstra, in which gymnastics were taught and practised. There were also attached to it assembly rooms for rhetoricians and philosophers.
Gynæceum, Gr. (from γυνὴ, a woman). That part of the Greek house which was set apart for the women. (See Domus.)
Gypsum (Gr. γύψος). The property of rapid consolidation renders gypsum very available for taking casts of works of art, &c. It is much employed in architectural ornaments. The gypsum of Paris is called Montmartrite, and forms the best Plaster of Paris, as it resists the weather better than purer sorts. It contains 17 per cent. of carbonate of lime. (See also Alabaster.)
Gyron, Her. A triangular figure, one of the subordinaries.
Fig. 375. Gyronny.
Gyronny, Her. A field divided into gyrons.