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

Yataghan. A Turkish dagger or scimitar.

Yawl. A man-of-war’s boat, rowed with six oars.

Ychma, Peruv. The name for wild cinnabar among the ancient Peruvians; it was employed by them for painting the body and drawing figures on the face and arms.

Yellow. One of the three primary colours; producing with green, blue; and with red, orange. The principal yellow pigments are gamboge (bluish), gold ochre (reddish), yellow ochre, Naples yellow, chrome yellow, lemon yellow, Indian yellow, gall-stone, Roman ochre, Mars yellow, terra di Siena, Italian pink, cadmium yellow, &c.

Yellow, in Christian art, or gold, was the symbol of the sun; of the goodness of God, initiation or marriage, faith or fruitfulness. In a bad sense yellow signifies inconstancy, jealousy, deceit; in this sense it is given to the traitor Judas, who is generally habited in dirty yellow.

Yellow Arsenic. (See Yellow Orpiment.)

Yellow Flag. Denoting sickness on board of a ship or quarantine.

Yellow Lake. A bright pigment, very susceptible to the action of light or metal. (See Pinks.)

Yellow Metal. A composition, two-thirds copper and one-third zinc.

Yellow Ochre. An argillaceous earth, coloured by admixture of iron. (See Ochre.)