U.
U. The letter repeated so as to mark the feathering upon tails of birds, is a peculiarity of Sicilian silks.
Udo, R. A sock made of goat-skin, or felt.
Ulna, R. A measure of length, subdivision of the foot measure.
Ultramarine or Lapis Lazuli (azurrum transmarinum). A beautiful blue pigment obtained from lazulite, highly esteemed by early painters. In consequence of the costliness of this pigment its use in a picture was regulated by special contract, and it was either supplied or paid for by the person who ordered the picture. Lely has recorded that he paid for his as much as 4l. 10s. the ounce. The pigment is now artificially compounded. (Cf. Guimet’s U.)
Umbella, Umbraculum, R. (umbra, shade). An umbrella, made to open and shut like those of modern times. It is represented on vases held by a female slave over the head of her mistress. (See also Umbrellas.)
Umber. A massive mineral pigment used by painters as a brown colour, and to make varnish dry quickly. Raw umber is of an olive brown, which becomes much redder when burnt. (See Ochres.)
Umbilici, R. (lit. navels), were the ornamental bosses which projected from each end of the staff round which a volume of papyrus or parchment (liber) was rolled. They were also called cornua, and geminæ frontes. (See Liber.)
Umbo (Gr. ὀμφαλός). (1) The boss of a shield, often sharp and projecting so as to form an offensive weapon in itself. (2) A bunch formed by the folds of the toga tacked in to the belt across the chest.
Umbræ, R. The shades of the departed; represented in the forms in which they abandoned life. Those killed in battle, mutilated, &c.
Umbrellas. Anglo-Saxon manuscripts sometimes represent a servant holding an umbrella over the head of his master. In the sculptures of ancient Egypt and Assyria they are represented borne by the attendants on a king. The Greek and Roman ladies used parasols in all respects resembling those of modern times. In the Panathenaic procession the daughters of foreign settlers in Athens had to carry parasols over the heads of the Athenian maidens taking part in the procession. They were substituted later on by broad hats, the Roman Petasus and the Greek Tholia. In the Siamese empire an umbrella is the emblem of the royal dignity.
Fig. 672. Umbril.
Umbrere, Umbril. In mediæval armour, a projection on a helmet acting as a guard to the eyes.
Umbril. (See Umbrere.)
Uncia (Gr. οὐγκία, Angl. ounce). The unit of measurement. The twelfth part of anything. In currency, a copper coin; the twelfth part of an As. Its value was expressed on the obverse and reverse by one ball; in lineal measurement, the twelfth of a foot, whence our inch; in square measure, the twelfth of a jugerum; of liquids, the twelfth of a sextarius; in weight, the twelfth of a pound (libra).
Uncial Letters. When writing on papyrus or vellum became common, many of the straight lines of the capitals, in that kind of writing, gradually acquired a curved form. From the 6th to the 8th, or even 10th century, these uncials, or partly rounded capitals, prevail in illuminated MSS. (See also Minuscule, Semi-uncials.)
Uncus, R. (ὄγκος). A hook such as (1) that with which the corpses of gladiators were dragged out of the arena; or those of criminals from the carnificina where they were executed. (2) The fluke of an anchor, &c.
Under-croft, Arch. A subterranean chamber.
Fig. 673. Undulated moulding.
Undulated, Arch. (unda, a wave). Moulded or sculptured in the form of a wave; as for instance the undulated torus. (See Nebule.) (Fig. [673].)
Undy, Undée, Her. Wavy.
Unguentaria, R. Flasks or boxes of costly workmanship for holding perfumes, essences, oils, and salves, for use in the baths, &c. (See Narthecia.)
Fig. 674. Unicorn. Device of the Orsini family.
Unicorn. In Christian art a symbol of purity, especially of female chastity. Attribute of St. Justina of Antioch. In Heraldry it is famous as the sinister supporter of the Royal Shield of England. The legend was that its body took the form of a horse and antelope, and it had one horn on its head. It was believed to live solitary in the woods, and could only be caught by a maiden. The property of detecting poison was attributed to its horn, and Hentzner, who visited England in 1598, says:—
“We were shown at Windsor the horn of an Unicorn, of about eight spans and a half in length, valued at above 100l.”
It is frequently mentioned in ancient inventories:—
“1391. Une manche d’or d’un essay de lincourne pour attoucher aux viandes de Monseigneur le Dauphin.” Comptes Royaux, quoted by Mrs. Bury Palliser.
In allusion to this property, Alviano, the champion of the Orsini family, adopted as his device a unicorn at a fountain surrounded by snakes, toads, and other reptiles, and stirring up the water with its horn before he drinks, with the motto, “I expel poisons.”
Union Cloths. Fabrics of wool with wefts of cotton.
Fig. 675. Present Union Jack.
Union Jack. The National Ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain—exhibiting the Union of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew combined—first displayed in the reign of James I., 1606. The flag as it is now used, dates from the beginning of this century. It is borne on a shield, charged in pretence upon the escutcheon of the Duke of Wellington.
Upapitha, Hind. The pedestal of the Hindoo orders, which included, besides the pedestal properly so called, the base (athisthama), the pillar or shaft (stambu) which was either square or polygonal and only rounded at the upper part near the capital or cushion which took its place, and lastly the entablature (prastura).
Uræus, Egyp. A transcription of the Egyptian word ârâ or the asp hajé, a kind of serpent called by the Greeks basilicon (βασιλικόν). The uræus as an emblem of the sovereign power forms the distinctive ornament in the head-dress of the Egyptian kings.
Fig. 676. Plate of Urbino Ware, Louvre Museum.
Urbino Ware, made at Urbino, under the patronage of its Duke. “A city,” says Jacquemart, “which has supplied potters and painters to the greater part of the workshops of Italy; which has sent ceramic colonies to Flanders and Corfu, and yet we are scarcely acquainted with its works, except those of its decline.” (Fig. [676].) (See Majolica.)
Urceolated (Basket), Arch. The corbel of the capital which narrows a little underneath its upper part.
Urceolus. Diminutive of Urceus (q.v.).
Urceus, R. An earthenware pitcher used in religious ceremonies; represented on coins in the form of a modern ewer.
Uriant, Her. Said of a fish when it swims in a vertical position; head downwards. (Cf. Hauriant.)
Fig. 677. Funereal urn, Indian.
Urn. The common urn, the κάλπις of the Greeks, had a narrow neck and swelling body; it was used for conveying water from the fountain. The funereal cinerary urn was in general quadrangular, but there were a large number which resembled the kalpis, with the exception that they had a wider neck and were furnished in every case with a lid. Fig. [677] represents a funeral urn of Indian pottery, of very ancient date. The electoral urn, from which lots were drawn at the comitia to decide the order of voting, was of an oval form and had a narrow neck to prevent the possibility of more than one number being drawn out at a time. An urn is always introduced as an appropriate emblem of the river-gods. The urna was a measure of capacity containing eight congii or half an Amphora.
Urnarium, R. A square table or hollow slab on which urnæ or earthenware vessels were placed.
Ustrina, Ustrinum, R. (uro, to burn). A public place for burning the bodies of the dead, in contradistinction to Bustum, a private place of cremation, situated within the sepulchral enclosure. It was in the public ustrina that the bodies of people of moderate means as well as the poor were burned.
Uter, R. A wine-skin or large leathern bag made of goat-skin, pig-skin, or ox-hide, and used for holding wine or other liquids. Uter unctus was a goat-skin inflated with air and thoroughly greased on the outside. The peasants of Greece were fond of dancing and leaping upon these wine-skins, which it was extremely difficult to do without frequent falls. This was a very popular rustic game, and formed a principal feature of the second day of the festival of Bacchus, called by the Greeks Ascolia (Ἀσκώλια), ἀσκὸς being the Greek equivalent of uter.
Uti Rogas, R. A voting formula affirmative of the proposition in debate, written on the ticket in the abbreviated form V. R. for uti rogas (as you propose).
Utricularius, R. (from uter). A performer on the bagpipe.
Utriculus. Diminutive of Uter (q.v.).