Tang-fish. Seals are so called in the Shetlands.
Fig. 645. Flemish Tankard, silver-gilt. 17th century.
Tankard. (Norman Fr. Tankar.) A drinking-jug with a cover. The name is said to be compounded of étain, tin, and quarte, a quart measure. The Flemish had tankards of wood, with pegs down the sides, to measure the quantity drunk. (See Figs. 615 and 645.) (See Pokal.)
Tapestry. The introduction of tapestry properly so called dates from the 12th century, when it began to rival the more ancient embroidered stuffs called Sarrazinois carpets. Tapestry is woven on looms, i. e. on a warp rolled round two cylinders, and stretched out between them either vertically or horizontally, for the insertion of the woof between and among the threads. When woven on a vertical warp, it is called high-warp (haute-lisse); when horizontal, low-warp (basse-lisse). The former produces, for many reasons, incomparably the finest work, and is the method adopted for the Gobelins and Savonnerie tapestries. The progress of the art has followed, especially in Flanders, that of painting, from which its models are derived. It has become less popular than it was during the present century, from the general disuse of hangings in the decoration of houses. Perhaps the best condensed account of this extensive subject is the work of M. Alfred de Champeaux, translated for the South Kensington Museum. (See Bayeux Tapestry.)
Tapul, O. E. The perpendicular ridge down the centre of a breastplate.
Tar-black. A kind of lamp-black prepared by the combustion of coal tar, or of the heavy oils of tar and schist.
Targe, Fr. Med. A dagger or small sword: “Les autres gens avoient targes et semitarges, qui sont espées de Turquie.” (See Semitarge.)
Targe or Target, O. E. A round shield.
Targe (or Pavoise) Futée, Fr. A shield composed of several pieces, which loosened on being struck, and fell asunder. The Swabian jousters at Maximilian’s triumph are described (Meyrick, vol. ii.) as bearing these shields.