Baxa or Baxea, Gr. Sandals made of textile plants, such as the palm, rush, willow, papyrus, and a kind of alfa. They were worn by comic actors on the stage.
Bay, Arch. (Fr. Travée). A principal compartment or division in a structure, marked off by buttresses or pilasters on the walls, or by the disposition of the vaulting, the main arches, &c. The French word baie means an opening made in a wall for a door or window.
Bayeux Tapestry. A roll of unbleached linen worked in coloured worsted with illustrations of the Norman Conquest (about A. D. 1068); preserved in the public library at Bayeux. A full-sized copy may be seen in the South Kensington Museum.
Bayle, Arch. The open space contained between the first and second walls of a fortified castle. These buildings often had two bayles; in this case, the second was contained between the inner wall and the donjon.
Bayonet. A weapon, so called after the town of Bayonne in France, where it was invented about A. D. 1650.
Bay-stall, Arch. The stall or seat in the bay (of a window).
Beads, Arch. An architectural ornament of mouldings consisting of small round carved beads, called also Astragal. Another name for this ornament is Paternosters.
Beaker (Fr. cornet). A trumpet-shaped vase, or drinking-cup.
Fig. 78. Moulding with Beak-heads and Tooth-ornament.