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.)