vocab quiz medieval art

Sarcophagus

A stone coffin, often decorated with carvings or inscriptions.

Minotaur

A mythical creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull, from Greek mythology.

Buon Fresco

A painting technique where pigments are applied to wet plaster, making the colors long-lasting.

Tephra

Volcanic ash and rock fragments from an eruption, sometimes preserving ancient sites.

Sistrum

An ancient Egyptian musical instrument, similar to a rattle, used in religious ceremonies.

Faience

a type of glazed ceramic, often blue-green, used in ancient Egyptian jewelry and figurines.

Corbeled Arch

An early arch-like structure made by stacking stones gradually inward until they meet at the top.

Tholos

A circular building, often a beehive-shaped tomb in ancient Greece.

Repousse

A metalworking technique where a design is hammered from the back to create a raised image.

Krater

A large Greek vessel used for mixing wine and water.

Hellenes

The name the ancient Greeks used for themselves.

Zeus

The king of the Greek gods, ruler of the sky and thunder.

Meander

A decorative Greek pattern made of continuous winding lines, often found on pottery.

Amphora

A tall, two-handled vase used for storing liquids like wine or oil.

Kouros

A freestanding statue of a young man from ancient Greece, often rigid and idealized.

Archaic Smile

A slight smile on Greek statues from the Archaic period, meant to show life.

Doric Column

A simple, sturdy Greek column with no base and a plain capital (top).

Ionic Column

A more elegant Greek column with scroll-like decorations (volutes) at the top.

Pediment

A triangular space above the entrance of a Greek temple, often filled with sculptures.

Lost Wax

A metal casting method where a wax model is replaced with molten metal.

Contrapposto

A natural pose in sculpture where weight shifts onto one leg, making the figure look relaxed.

Canon

A set of ideal proportions for the human body in art, especially used by the sculptor Polykleitos.