Vocab: Week 1-4

figurative

art that portrays human or animal forms

incise

to cut or engrave

ocher

a naturally occurring clay pigment that ranges in color from yellow to red, brown, or white

henge

an ancient monument with an outer circle ditch and inner bank

megalith

a large stone used as, or part of, a prehistoric monument

menhir

a gigantic stone

dolmen

one large flat stone that lies on top of two upright stones

cyclopean masonry

a stone building technique where large boulders are fitted together without mortar

low/bas relief

raised forms that protrude only slightly from a flat background

material culture

the materials, objects, and technologies that accompany everyday life

tournette

a pivoted work surface that makes the shaping and decorating of pots easier and quicker

ziggurat

a stepped pyramid or tower-like structure in a Mesopotamian temple complex

course

a layer of bricks or other building units arranges horizontally along a wall

facade

any exterior vertical face of a building, usually the front

terra-cotta/earthenware

baked clay

mosaic

a picture or pattern made from the arrangement of small colored pieces of hard materials, such as stone, tile, or glass

register

a horizonal section of a work, usually a clearly defined band or line

pictorial narrative

storytelling in pictures that presents a connected sequence of events

stele

a carved stone slab that is placed upright

iconography

images or symbols used to convey specific meanings in an artwork

votive

an image or object created as a devotional offering to a deity

inlay

decoration embedded into the surface of a base material

libation

the ritual pouring of a liquid to a spirit or deity as an offering while prayers are said

hierarchical scale

the use of size to denote the relative importance of subjects in an artwork

lost wax casting

clay mold surrounds a wax model —> wax melts away —> molten metal is poured in to fill the space

palette

a thin board or slab used to mix colors or pigments

hieroglyph

a type of written script that uses conventionalized signs to represent concepts, sounds, or words

faience

a glassy substance that is formed and fired like ceramic, made by combining crushed quartz, sandstone, or sand with natron or plant ash

obelisk

a tapering, four-sided stone pillar, usually with a small pyramid at the capstone

bust

a sculpture of a person’s head, shoulders, and chest

sunken relief

relief that is carved into a sunken area and does not project above the surface

high relief

raised forms that project far from a flat background

pictorial program

the complete set of imagery in a monument or on a building that is designed in a holistic and calculated manner

chevron

pattern in the shape of a V or upside-down V

zoomorphic

having an animal-like form

representational

art that depicts a recognizable subject, such as a person, place, or object

jade

a general term for hard, typically green materials, including nephrite and jadeite

bi

flat, perforated disks made of nephrite created by the Liangzhu culture

cong

hollow, squared tubes made of nephrite found in the Liangzhu region

piece-mold casting

clay is slabbed against a model, baked, then fitted back together to form a mold —> molten bronze is poured in —> clay mold is broken off

taotie

animal mask motif

diadem

a crown or ornamented headband worn as a sign of status

repousse

a relief design created by hammering malleable metal from the reverse side

ashlar

a stone wall masonry technique where finely cute square blocks are laid in precise rows (with or without mortar)

lintel

a horizontal support above a door or other openingco

colonnade

a long series of columns at regular intervals that support a roof or other structure

fresco/true fresco/buon fresco

wall or ceiling painting on wet plaster; wet pigment merges with the plaster, and once hardened the painting becomes an integral part of the wall

chryselephantine

made of gold and ivory

continuous narrative

multiple events combined within a single pictorial frame

tumulus/tumuli

a mound of earth raised over a burial grave

tholos/tholoi

a round, vaulted building shaped like a beehive

corbeled roof

a roof made of stone slabs that progressively overlap to create a dome, topped with a capstone

relieving triangle

relieves weight on the lintel