An Illustrated Dictionary of Words used in Art and Archaeology / Explaining terms frequently used in works on architecture, arms, bronzes, Christian art, colour, costume, decoration, devices, emblems, heraldry, lace, personal ornaments, pottery, painting, sculpture, &c., with their derivations.

by John W. Mollett

Volumen, R. (volvo, to roll). A very long, narrow sheet made of strips of papyrus glued together. This sheet was gradually rolled round a wooden cylinder as the reader perused what was written on it, an operation expressed by the term evolvere volumen. When a work was of considerable length, each book or chapter was rolled round a separate stick or wooden cylinder, so that a single volume (volumen) consisted of a large number of rolls.

Volupere, O. E. A woman’s cap or nightcap.

“The tapes of her white volupere.”

(Chaucer, The Miller’s Tale.)

Fig. 694. Ionic Volute.

Volute, Arch. (volvo, to roll). (1) The spiral scroll peculiarly distinguishing the capital in the Ionic order. (Fig. [694].) (2) The small volutes of the Corinthian capital which are placed at the four angles of the abacus; they are called helices majores, while the volutes beneath the cinque-foils are called helices minores. (See Helix.)

Vomer, Vomis, R. A plough-share; it resembled almost exactly our modern ones.

Fig. 695. Vomitorium.