C.
Caaba, Arabic (lit. square house). The sacred mosque at Mecca. The temple is an almost cubical edifice, whence its name. It is a favourite subject of representation upon Mussulman works of art.
Caballaria, Cavalherium, hevallerie (Gr. κλῆρος ἱππικὸς), Med. A meadow set apart for military exercises.
Caballerius, Med. Lat. A cavalier, or knight.
Cabeiri were the personification of the element of fire. The precise nature attributed to them is unknown. There were two principal branches of their worship, the Pelasgian and the Phœnician. It is probable that this religion originated in Asia Minor, and penetrated to the island of Samothrace, in remote antiquity; it was very popular throughout Greece in the Pelasgic period. The principal temples were at Samothrace, Lemnos, Imbros, Anthedon, and other places.
Cabeiria, Gr. (καβείρια). Annual festivals in honour of the Cabeiri. (See Thronismus.)
Cabinet Pictures. Small, highly-finished pictures, suited for a small room.
Fig. 122. Cable and tooth-mouldings.
Cabling, or Cable-moulding. A moulding in Roman architecture, made in imitation of a thick rope or cable.
Fig. 123. Lion’s head cabossed.
Cabossed, Her. Said of the head of an animal represented full-face, so as to show the face only. (Fig. 123.)
Cabulus, Med. Latin (Old French, chaable). A machine for hurling stones; a large BALLISTA.
Caccabus, Gr. and R. (κάκκαβος or κακκάβη). A sort of pot or vessel for cooking any kind of food. It was made of bronze, silver, or earthenware, and assumed a variety of forms; but the one in ordinary use resembled an egg with an opening at the top which closed by a lid. The caccabus rested upon a trivet (tripus).
Cadafalsus, Cadafaudus. (See Cagasuptus.)
Cadas, O. E. An inferior silken stuff used for wadding; 13th century.
Cadency, Her. Figures and devices, by which different members and branches of a family are distinguished.
Cadet, Her. Junior.
Cadlys-drain, Welsh. Chevaux-de-frise.
Cadmium Yellow is the sulphide of cadmium, the finest and most permanent of all the yellow pigments in use.
Cadpen, Welsh. A chief of battle; captain.
Cadrelli, Med. Lat. Cross-bow quarrels. (See Carreaux.)
Cādūceus or Caduceum. A wand of laurel or olive, given by Apollo to Mercury in exchange for the lyre invented by the latter. Mercury, it is said, seeing two snakes struggling together, separated them with his wand, whereupon the snakes immediately twined themselves round it. This was the origin of the caduceus, as we know it; it was always an attribute of Mercury, who thence obtained his name of Caducifer, or caduceus-bearer. The caduceus was an emblem of peace.
Cadurcum, R. This term is applied to two distinct things: (1) the fine linen coverlets, and (2) the earthenware vases, manufactured by the Cadurci, or Gauls inhabiting the district now called Cahors.
Cadus, Gr. and R. (from χανδάνω, to contain), (1) A large earthenware jar, used for the same purposes as the amphora; especially to hold wine. An ordinary cadus was about three feet high, and broad enough in the mouth to allow of the contents being baled out. (2) The ballot-urn in which the Athenian juries recorded their votes with pebbles, at a trial.
Cælatura (cælum, a chisel). A general term for working in metal by raised work or intaglio, such as engraving, carving, chasing, riveting, soldering, smelting, &c. Greek, the toreutic art. Similar work on wood, ivory, marble, glass, or precious stones was called Sculptura.
Cæmenticius, Cæmenticia (structura). A kind of masonry formed of rough stones. There were two methods of construction to which this name applied. The first, called cæmenticia structura incerta, consisted in embedding stones of more or less irregular shape in mortar, so as to give them any architectural form, and then covering the whole over with cement. The second, called cæmenticia structura antiqua, consisted in laying rough stones one on the top of the other, without mortar, the interstices being filled by drippings or smaller stones.
Cæmentum. Unhewn stones employed in the erection of walls or buildings of any kind.
Caer, British (Lat. castrum; Saxon, chester). A camp or fortress.
Cæsaries (akin to Sanscrit keça, hair, or to cæsius, bluish-grey). This term is almost synonymous with Coma (q.v.), but there is also implied in it an idea of beauty and profusion, not attaching to coma, which is the expression as well for an ordinary head of hair.
Cæstus, Cestus. A boxing gauntlet. It consisted of a series of leather thongs, armed with lead or metal bosses, and was fitted to the hands and wrists.
Cætra. (See Cetra.)
Cagasuptus, Med. Lat. A CHAT-FAUX, or wooden shed, under which the soldiers carried on the operations of attack. (Meyrick.)
Cailloutage, Fr. Fine earthenware; pipe-clay; a kind of hard paste; opaque pottery. “Fine earthenware is most frequently decorated by the ‘muffle;’ the oldest specimens, those made in France in the 16th century, are ornamented by incrustation.” (Jacquemart.)
Cairelli, Med. Lat. (See Cadrelli.)
Cairn. A heap of stones raised over a grave, to which friends as they pass add a stone. The custom still prevails in Scotland and Ireland.
Caisson, Arch. A sunken panel in a ceiling or soffit. (See Coffer.)
Calamarius (calamus, q.v.). A case for carrying writing-reeds (calami). Another name for this case was theca calamaria.
Calamister and Calamistrum. A curling-iron, so named because the interior was partly hollow like a reed (calamus), or perhaps because in very early times a reed heated in the ashes was employed for the purpose; hence, Calamistratus, an effeminate man, or discourse. (Compare Ciniflo.)
Calamus (κάλαμος, a reed or cane). A haulm, reed, or cane. The term was applied to a variety of objects made out of reeds, such as a Pan’s pipe, a shepherd’s flute (tibia), a fishing-rod (piscatio), a rod tipped with lime, for fowling, &c. (See Arundo.) It was specially used, however, to denote a reed cut into proper shape, and used as a pen for writing.
Calantica. (See Calautica.)
Fig. 124. Calash.
Calash (Fr. calèche). A hood made like that of the carriage called in France calèche, whence its name. It is said to have been introduced into England in 1765 by the Duchess of Bedford, and was used by ladies to protect their heads when dressed for the opera or other entertainments.
Calathiscus (καλαθίσκος). A small wicker basket.
Calathus (κάλαθος, a basket; Lat. qualus or quasillus). A basket made of rushes or osiers plaited, employed for many purposes, but above all as a woman’s work basket. The calathus was the emblem of the γυναικεῖον or women’s apartments, and of the housewife who devoted herself to domestic duties. The same term denoted earthenware or metal vases of various shapes; among others a drinking-cup.
Calautica or Calvatica, R. (Gr. κρήδεμνον, from κρὰς and δέω; fastened to the head). A head-dress worn by women; the Greek MITRA (q.v.).
Calcar (calx, the heel). A spur. It was also called calcis aculeus (lit. heel-goad), a term specially applied to the spur of a cock. The latter, however, was just as often called calcar. In mediæval Latin calcaria aurea are the golden, or gilt, spurs which were a distinctive mark of knighthood; calcaria argentea, the silver spurs worn only by esquires. Calcaria amputari, to hack off the spurs, when a knight was degraded:—
Calcatorium (calco, to tread under foot). A raised platform of masonry, set up in the cellar where the wine was kept (cella vinaria), and raised above the level of the cellar-floor, to a height of three or four steps. On either side of this platform were ranged the casks (dolia) or large earthenware vessels in which the wine was made. The calcatorium served as a receptacle for the grapes when crushed (whence its name), and as a convenient place from whence to superintend the making of the wine.
Calceamen. Synonym of Calceus (q.v.), a term far more frequently employed.
Calceamentum. A general term denoting any description of boot and shoe. (Each will be found separately noticed in its place.)
Calcedony or Chalcedony (from the town Chalcedon). A kind of agate, of a milky colour, diversified with yellow, bluish, or green tints. The Babylonians have left us a large number of chalcedony cylinders, covered with inscriptions. (See also Agate, Cameos.)
Calceolus (dimin. of Calceus, q.v). A small shoe or ankle-boot worn by women. There were three kinds: the first had a slit over the instep, which was laced up when the boot was on. A second shape had a very wide opening, and could be fastened above the ankle by a string passed through a hem round the top. In the third description there was neither cord, lace, nor slit. The shoe was always low in the heel, and was worn like a slipper.
Calceus (calx, the heel). A shoe or boot made sufficiently high to completely cover the foot. The Romans put off their shoes at table; hence calceos poscere meant “to rise from table.”
Calculus (dimin. of calx, a small stone or counter). A pebble, or small stone worn by friction to present the appearance of a pebble. Calculi were used in antiquity for recording votes (for which purpose they were thrown into the urn), for reckoning, and for mosaic paving (hence the English word “calculation”).
Caldarium (calidus, warm). The apartment in a set of Roman baths which was used as a kind of sweating-room. This chamber, which is constructed nearly always on the same plan in the different baths which have been discovered, included a Laconicum, a Labrum, a Sudatorium, and an Alveus. (See these words.) Fig. 56 (on p. 32) represents a portion of the caldarium of Pompeii, restored.
Caldas Porcelain is from the Portuguese factory of that name, specialized for faiences in relief; the greater number are covered with a black coating; the others with the customary enamels of the country, violet, yellow, and green.
Caldron, for domestic use of the 14th century, is depicted as a tripod with a globular body, and broad mouth and two handles.
Calibre (or Caliper) Compasses. Compasses made with arched legs.
Caliga. A military boot worn by Roman soldiers and officers of inferior rank. The caliga consisted of a strong sole, studded with heavy pointed nails, and bound on by a network of leather thongs, which covered the heel and the foot as high as the ankle.
Caliptra. (See Calyptra.)
Caliver. A harquebus of a standard “calibre,” introduced during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
Calix. A cup-shaped vase, used as a drinking-goblet. It was of circular shape, had two handles, and was mounted on a tolerably high stand. The term also denotes a water-meter, or copper tube of a specified diameter, which was attached like a kind of branch-pipe to a main one.
Calliculæ. A kind of very thin metal disk, more or less ornamented, worn by rich Christians, and especially priests, as an ornament for the dress. Calliculæ were also made of purple-coloured cloth. Many of the pictures in the catacombs represent persons wearing calliculæ on their colobia and other garments. (See Colobium.)
Callisteia (καλλιστεῖα). A Lesbian festival of women, in which a prize was awarded to the most beautiful.
Callot. A plain coif or skull-cap (English).
Calones (κᾶλα, wood). (1) Roman slaves who carried wood for the soldiers. (2) Farm servants.
Calote, Fr. A species of sabre-proof skull-cap worn in the French cavalry.
Calotype. A process of printing by photography, called also Talbotype.
Calpis, Gr. A water-jar with three handles, two at the shoulders and one at the neck.
Calthrops. (See Caltraps.)
Fig. 125. Caltrap.
Caltraps (for cheval-traps). Spikes of metal thrown on the ground to resist a charge of cavalry. In Christian art, attributes of St. Themistocles.
Calvary, Chr. An arrangement of small chapels or shrines in which the incidents of the progress to the scene of the crucifixion are represented. To each such “station” appropriate prayers and meditations are allotted.
Calvatica. (See Calautica.)
Calyptra (from καλύπτω, to hide). A veil worn by young Greek and Roman women over the face. It is also called caliptra, but this term is less used.
Camail (for cap-mail). A tippet of mail attached to the helmet. In mediæval Latin called camale, camallus, camelaucum, calamaucus, calamaucum.
Camara. (See Camera.)
Camayeu. Monochrome painting, i. e. in shades of one colour, or in conventional colours not copied from nature.
Camber, Arch. A curve or arch.
Camboge or Gamboge. A gum-resin, forming a yellow water-colour. The best gamboge is from Siam, and the kingdom of Camboja (whence its name). It should be brittle, inodorous, of conchoidal fracture, orange-coloured or reddish yellow, smooth and somewhat glistening. Its powder is bright yellow. An artificial gamboge, of little value, is manufactured with turmeric and other materials.
Cambresian Faience. The “poterie blance” of Cambrai is mentioned in a MS. of the 16th century. It was an enamelled faience.
Camella. An earthenware or wooden vessel employed in certain religious ceremonies. It probably served for making libations of milk.
Cameo (Ital. cammeo). A precious stone engraved in relief; it is thus opposed to the Intaglio (q.v.), which is cut into the stone. Cameos are generally carved from stones having several layers. They were employed in the decoration of furniture, vases, clasps, girdles, and to make bracelets, rings, &c. Cameos were largely made by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans; by the two latter generally of sardonyx and onyx. (See Intaglio, Shell Cameo, &c.)
Cameo-glass. (See Glass.)
Camera, more rarely Camara. The vault or vaulted ceiling of an apartment. Camera vitrea, a vaulted ceiling, the surface of which was lined with plates of glass. The term was also used to denote a chariot with an arched cover formed by hoops; an underground passage; a pirate-vessel with a decked cabin; and, in short, any chamber having an arched roof, as for instance the interior of a tomb.
Camera Lucida. An optical instrument for reflecting the outlines of objects from a prism, so that they can be traced upon paper by a person unacquainted with the art of drawing.
Camera Obscura. A darkened room in which the coloured reflections of surrounding objects are thrown upon a white ground.
Camfuri, Camphio, Med. Lat. A decreed duel: from the German “kampf,” battle; and the Danish “vug,” manslaughter. (Meyrick.)
Camies, O. E. A light thin material, probably of silken texture.
Fig. 126. Caminus.
Caminus. Literally, a smelting furnace, and then an oven for baking bread; also, a hearth or fireplace. Fig. 126 represents a baker’s oven at Pompeii.
Camisado, O. E. A sudden attack on a small party; a Spanish term.
“To give camisadoes on troupes that are lodged a farre off.” (Briefe Discourse of Warre.)
Camisia (a Gallic word, whence prob. Ital. camicia). A light linen tunic worn next the skin (tunica intima).
Camlet or Chamlet, O. E. Originally a tissue of goat’s and camel’s hair interwoven. In Elizabeth’s reign the name was given to a cloth of mixed wool and silk, first manufactured in Montgomeryshire, on the banks of the river Camlet.
Cammaka. A cloth of which church vestments were made, temp. Edward III.
Camoca, O. E., 14th century. A textile probably of fine camel’s hair and silk, and of Asiatic workmanship, much used for church vestments, dress, and hangings.
Campagus or Compagus. A kind of sandal. It was worn especially by the Roman patricians.
Campana, It. A bell; hence, Campanology, the science or study of bells.
Campanile. A belfry.
Camp-ceiling. Where all the sides are equally inclined to meet the horizontal part in the centre (as in an attic).
Campestre, R. (from campester, i. e. pertaining to the Field of Mars). A short kilt worn by gladiators and soldiers when going through violent exercises in public. The kilt fitted close to the body, and reached two-thirds down the thigh.
Campio Regis, Engl. The king’s champion, who on the day of the coronation challenges any one who disputes the title to the crown.
Campus Martius (i. e. Field of Mars). At Rome, as in the provinces, this term had the same meaning which it bears in some countries at the present day; i. e. a ground on which soldiers went through their exercises. In ancient times, however, the Field of Mars, or simply the Field, served also as a place of assembly for the comitia.
Fig. 127. Canaba.
Canaba, Gr. and R. A Low Latin name for the slight structures common in country places, such as we should now call sheds or hovels. Those who lived in them were called canabenses. Fig. 127 is from a terra-cotta vase found near the lake Albano.
Fig. 128. Canaliculus.
Canaliculus (dimin. of Canalis, q.v.). A small channel or groove; or a fluting carved on the face of a triglyph. (Fig. 128.)
Canalis (akin to Sanscrit root KHAN, to dig). An artificial channel or conduit for water. The term canalis is also given to the fillet or flat surface lying between the abacus and echinus of an Ionic capital. It terminates in the eye of the volute, which it follows in such a way as to give it the proper contour.
Canathron (Gr. κάναθρον). A carriage, of which the upper part was made of basket-work.
Canberia, Med. Lat. (Fr. jambières). Armour for the legs.
Cancelli (from cancer, a lattice). A trellis, iron grating, or generally an ornamental barrier separating one place from another. In some amphitheatres the PODIUM (q.v.) had cancelli at the top. In a court of law the judges and clerks were divided from the place set apart for the public by cancelli (hence “chancel”).
Candela. A torch, made of rope, coated with tallow, resin, or pitch. It was carried in funeral processions (hence “candle”).
Fig. 129. Candelabrum.
Candelabrum. A candlestick, candelabrum, or generally any kind of stand by which a light can be supported. There were many different kinds. The same term is also used to denote the tall pedestal of a portable lamp (Fig. 129). (See Candlebeam.)
Candellieri, It. A style of grotesque ornamentation, characteristic of the Urbino majolica ware.
Candlebeam, O. E. A chandelier of the Middle Ages with “bellys of laton” (or brass cups) slung by a pulley from the ceiling.
Candles. The A.S. poets called the sun “rodores candel,” the candle of the firmament, “woruld candel,” “heofon candel,” &c. Originally, no doubt, the candle was a mere mass of fat plastered round a wick (candel-weoc) and stuck upon a “candel-sticca,” or upright stick; when the candlestick had several branches, it was called a candle-tree. There were iron, bone, silver-gilt, and ornamented candlesticks. Through the Middle Ages candles were stuck on a spike, not in a socket, and a chandelier of the 16th century shows the same arrangement.
Fig. 130. Persian Candys.
Candys (κάνδυς). A Persian cloak of woollen cloth, generally purple in colour.
Canephoria. Greek festivals of Diana; or an incident of another feast, called pratelia, in which virgins about to marry presented baskets (canea) to Minerva. The name, Canephorus, or “basket-bearer,” was common to the virgins who attended processions of Ceres, Minerva, and Bacchus, with the consecrated cakes, incense, and other sacrificial accessories, in the flat baskets called canea.
Fig. 131. Canette of white stone-ware, 1574.
Canette. A conic-shaped German drinking-mug, resembling the modern “schoppen,” of which highly ornamented examples in white stone-ware have been produced by the potters of Cologne and other parts of Germany. (Fig. 131.)
Caniple, O. E. A small knife or dagger.
Canis (akin to Sanscrit ÇVAN, Gr. κύων). A dog. This term has numerous diminutives: catulus, catellus, canicula. However ancient any civilization, the dog is always met with as the companion of man, and in each nation it follows a particular type. Thus a distinct difference is perceptible in the dogs of the Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Indians, and Gauls. The Egyptians had terriers and greyhounds, wolf-dogs, and others for hunting or watchdogs. All these breeds are met with on the bas-reliefs of Egyptian monuments. The Egyptian name for a dog, wou, wouwou, is evidently onomatopoietic or imitative. (See also Dog.)
Canistrum, Canister, or Caneum (κάνιστρον, from κάνη, a reed). A wide shallow basket for carrying the instruments of sacrifice and offerings for the gods. It was generally carried on the head by young girls, who were called Canephoræ (κανηφόραι, i. e. basket-bearers), q.v.
Canon (κανὼν, from κάνη, i. e. anything straight like a reed). A fixed rule or standard which is supposed to have served, in antiquity, as a basis or model in forming statues, the various members of which bore a definite proportion one to the other. The Greeks had some such canon. The δορυφόρος (spearman) of Polycletus was, it is said, looked upon as affording a standard for the proportions of the human body. The Egyptians are also supposed to have had a canon, in which the middle finger formed the unit of measurement.
Canopea or Canopic Vases. An Egyptian vase, made of clay, and so named from its being manufactured at Canopus, a town of Lower Egypt, the present Aboukir. The same name was given to funereal urns made in the shape of the god Canopus, who is described by Russin as pedibus exiguis, attracto collo, ventre tumido in modum hydriæ, cum dorso æqualiter tereti (i. e. having small feet, a short neck, a belly as round and swelling as a water-jar, and a back to match). Canopean vases were made of earthenware, alabaster, and limestone. They were placed at the four corners of tombs or sarcophagi containing mummies. In them were deposited the viscera of the dead, which were placed under the protection of the four genii, symbolized each by the head of some animal which served at the same time for the lid of the canopea.
Cant, Arch. (1) To truncate. (2) To turn anything over on its angle.
Cantabrarii, Med. Lat. Standard-bearers: from Cantabrum, a kind of standard used by the Roman emperors. (Consult Meyrick.)
Canted Column, Arch. A column polygonal in section.
Cantellus, Med. Lat. (Fr. chanteau and cantel; Lat. quantillus). (1) A cut with a weapon, or the portion cut away. (2) Heraldic for the fourth part of a shield, since called a canton. (3) The hind part of a saddle.
Canteriolus (dimin. of canterius, a prop). A painter’s easel. The term, which is of doubtful Latinity, corresponds to the Greek ὀκρίβας.
Canterius, R. This term has numerous meanings; it serves to denote a gelding, a prop, the rafters forming part of the wood-work of a roof, and a surgical contrivance, of which the form is unknown, but which was used for suspending horses whose legs chanced to be broken, in such a way as to allow the bone to set.
Fig. 132. Cantharus (Greek).
Cantharus (κάνθαρος, a kind of beetle). A two-handled vase or drinking-cup, of Greek invention. It was particularly consecrated to Bacchus, and accordingly, in representations of the festivals of that god, it figures constantly in the hands of satyrs and other personages. (Fig. 132.)
Cantherius. (See Canterius.)
Canthus (κανθὸς, the felloe of a wheel). A hoop of iron or bronze forming the tire of a wheel. The Greeks called this tire ἐπίσωτρον (i. e. that which is fastened to the felloe).
Canticum. An interlude of music in a Roman play.
Cantilevers or Cantalivers, Arch. Blocks framed into a wall under the eaves, projecting so as to carry a moulding. (See Modillion.)
Cant-moulding, Arch. Any moulding with a bevelled face.
Canum. A Greek basket, more generally called Canistrum (q.v.).
Canvas prepared for painting is kept stretched upon frames of various sizes: e. g. kit-cat, 28 or 29 inches by 36; three-quarters, 25 by 30; half-length, 40 by 50; bishop’s half-length, 44 or 45 by 56; bishop’s whole length, 58 by 94.
Cap-a-pie (Fr.). In full armour, from head to foot.
Caparison. The complete trappings of a war-horse.
Capellina, Med. Lat. The chapeline or small Chapel de Fer.
Capellum, Med. Lat. A scabbard (not the hilt of a sword).
Capellus ferreus. (See Chapel de Fer.)
Capillamentum, R. A wig of false hair, in which the hair was long and abundant. (See Coma.)
Capillus (from caput, the head). Hair; the hair of the head in general. (See Coma.)
Capis, R. A kind of earthenware jug, with a handle. Vessels of this kind were used in sacrifices, and the capis is often found represented on medals. Other names for it were capedo, capeduncula, and capula.
Capisterium (deriv. from σκάφη or σκάφος, i. e. that which is scooped out). A vessel resembling the alveus, or wooden trough, and which was employed for cleansing the ears of corn after they had been threshed and winnowed.
Capistrum (from capio, i. e. that which takes or holds). (1) A halter or head-stall. (2) A rope employed for suspending the end of the beam in a wine-press. (3) A muzzle made to prevent young animals from sucking after they have been weaned. (4) A broad leather band or cheek-piece worn by flute-players. It had an opening for the mouth to blow through.
Capita aut Navia (lit. heads or ships; of coins having the head of Janus on one side and a ship on the reverse). A game of “heads or tails” played by the Romans and Greeks.
Capital (caput, a head). A strip of cloth worn round the head, in primitive times, by Roman women, to keep in their hair. Later on it was worn only by women attached to the service of religion. (See Capitulum.)
Capitellum. (See Capitulum.)
Capitium. An article of female dress; a kind of corset or bodice.
Capitolium (i. e. the place of the caput; because a human head was supposed to have been discovered in digging the foundations). The Capitol, or enclosure containing the temple raised in honour of Jupiter. The first Capitol of Rome was built on the Mons Capitolinus or Capitolium. The chief cities of Italy possessed each its Capitolium.
Fig. 133.
Fig. 134.
Capital. A term which denotes the member of architecture crowning the top of a column, pillar, or pilaster. Figs. 133 and 134 represent cushion capitals of the Romano-Byzantine epoch. Orders of Architecture are known by their Capitals. (See Composite, Corinthian, Doric, Ionic, and Tuscan.)
Capo di Monte, Naples. A manufactory of faience, established by Charles III.
Cappagh Browns, Light and Dark. Rich brown pigments, made of a bituminous earth from Ireland. Called also Mineral or Manganese Brown.
Capreolus, R. (lit. a wild goat or roebuck). A fork for digging, with two prongs converging together like the horns of a roebuck. The term is also used for a strut or brace. The tie-beams and king-posts in the frame of a roof are often connected by capreoli.
Capriccio, It. Caprice in art.
Fig. 135. Capricornus. The device of Cosmo de’ Medici.
Capricornus. The zodiacal sign of September employed by Augustus Cæsar in commemoration of his victory at Actium on the day when the sun enters that sign. The same device was used by Cosmo de’ Medici, and by the Emperor Rodolph II. of Germany, with the motto, “Fulget Cæsaris Astrum.” (Fig. 135.)
Caprimulgus, Lat. A goat-milker, a common device on antique gems and bas-reliefs, representing a man or a faun milking a goat.
Capronæ, R. (from caput and pronus, i. e. that which hangs down the forehead). The forelock of a horse, and by analogy, a lock of curling hair falling down over the centre of the forehead, in a man or woman.
Capsa or Scrinium, R. A box or case of cylindrical form, used for several purposes, but more particularly for the transport of rolls or volumes (volumina). The capsæ were generally provided with straps and locks, the former serving as a handle.
Capsella and Capsula, R. (dimin. of Capsa, q.v.). A case or casket for jewels, &c.
Fig. 136. Capuchon and mantle. From an Italian painting of the 13th century.
Capuchon. A hood with neck-piece and mantle. The engraving (Fig. 136) is a portrait of Cimabue.
Capula. Dimin. of Capis (q.v.).
Capularis, R. The straight handle or hilt of any kind of instrument or weapon, in contradistinction to ansa, which signifies a curved haft or handle. The term capularis was applied indifferently to the handle of a sword, a sceptre, &c.
Car, Chariot, or Carriage. (See Carrus and Currus.)
Carabaga, Med. Lat. Also Calabra. A kind of catapult or balista.
Carabine. (See Carbine.)
Carabus (κάραβος). A small boat made of wicker-work; a kind of shallop covered with raw hides. It was either propelled by itself or attached to the stern of a larger vessel. Similar to the coracle.
Caracalla (a Celtic word). A military garment introduced from Gaul into Rome by the Emperor Antonine, who obtained thus his surname of Caracalla.
Caracole, Arch. A spiral staircase.
Carbassus or Carbassum (κάρπασος, fine Spanish flax). This term was used indifferently to denote all textures made of the fine Spanish flax. Thus any kind of linen garment, the sails of a ship, the awning of a theatre or amphitheatre, all came under the term of carbassus.
Carbatinæ (καρβάτιναι). A rough kind of boot in common use, made of a single piece of leather, and worn by peasants.
Carbine, or Carabine, or Caraben. A short gun with a wheel lock and a wide bore, introduced in the 16th century.
Carbonate of Lead, or white lead, is the principal white pigment. It is prepared by exposing sheets of lead to the action of acetic and carbonic acids. It is called also Ceruse, Flake-white, Krems (or Vienna) white, Nottingham white. It is also known, under different modifications of colour, as Venice, or as Hamburg, or as Dutch white. It is a pigment very liable to injury from exposure to certain gases. (See Oxide of Zinc.)
Carbonates of Copper yield blue and green pigments, known from the earliest times, and under many names, as Mountain blue and green, blue and green Ash, or Saunders’ (for cendres’) blue and green. These names are also applied to the manufactured imitations of the native carbonates of copper. Powdered Malachite is a form of the native green carbonate. The colours called Emerald Green and Paul Veronese Green are artificial.
Carbuncle (Lat. carbunculus). A gem of a deep red colour. A jewel shining in the dark. (Milton.)
Carcaissum, Med. Lat. (Fr. carquois; It. carcasso; Mod. Gr. γαρκάσιον). A quiver.
Carcamousse, Med. A battering-ram. The name is onomatopoetic.
Carcanet, O. E. A necklace set with stones, or strung with pearls.
Carcass, Arch. The unfinished frame or skeleton of a building.