Art History Ch. 1 & 3

ziggurat

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

facade

any exterior vertical face of a building, usually the front

pictorial narrative

storytelling in pictures that presents a connected sequence of events

register

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

stele

a carved stone slab that is placed upright and often includes commemorative imagery

iconography

the visual images or symbols used by artists within their work to convey specific images

votive

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

libation

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

inlay

decoration embedded into the surface of a base material

hierarchical scale

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

lost wax casting

a method of creating metal sculpture in which a clay mold surrounds a wax model and is then fired. when the wax melts away, molten metal is poured in to fill the space

low relief

also called bas-relief, raised forms that project only slightly from a flat background

ocher

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

corbeling

an overlapping arrangement of wood, stone, or brick wall projections