$H Woad. A dye plant ‑ Isatis tinctoria.(1883m1)
$H Wodin.
|
The principal deity of the old German nati= ons, to whom, as the god of battles, the captives taken in war were sacrificed= . He was the analogue of the great Scandinavian god Odin, which see. (1876c1)<= o:p> |
$H Wolf.
|
In |
$H Wood‑block.
|
The first essential of the wood‑blocks used by wood
engravers is that they should not be porous. The wood of the pear, apple,=
and
box are generally used, and for delicate work the last‑named is by =
far
the best.(1891a1) |
$H Wood‑carving.
|
One of the most ancient manifestations of the art in=
stinct
of humanity is found in the very earliest relics of every nation. Especia=
lly
in Fig. 699. Carved‑wood mirror frame, belonging to Lord Stafford at Costes= sy.(1883m1)
|
![](3D"wo_files/image007.gif")
$H Wood‑cut. A term applied to proofs of engravi=
ngs
cut upon wood.(1891a1)
$H Wood‑cutting. Engraving
|
(Engrav.) The art of wood=
209;cutting
is one of the imitative arts, and it consists in drawing (or photographin=
g) a
design on the flat surface of a block of wood, generally boxwood, and in
cutting away all that portion of the block upon which the strokes of the =
pencil
do not appear. The part of the block which is left in relief is covered w=
ith
ink and impressions are then struck. It will be seen that the process of =
wood‑cutting
is the reverse of that of line‑engraving, in which the lines which =
are
reproduced upon paper are incised. Wood‑cutting was invented first =
of
all by the Chinese, who employed the process in the printing of books. It=
was
independently devised by the Germans in the 14th century for printing pla=
ying‑cards,
and soon after applied to the reproduction of drawings. The earliest wood=
‑cut
known to us is a St. Christopher of 1423. Wohlgemuth=
,
Dürer, Holbein, all
practised it with success, and in the earlier part of the present century=
the
English Bewick gave the art a fresh impetus. =
It has
been largely employed for the illustration of books and newspapers, and
specimens of the art may be seen every week in the pages of Punch. But mechanical processes =
have
been brought to so high a pitch of excellence of late years, that there is
some chance of wood‑cutting lapsing from fashion.(1891a1) |
$H Wood‑engraving.
|
Wood‑engraving or Xylography. Box‑wood i=
s the
only kind that can be used. The blocks when smoothed and polished are
prepared for drawing on, by rubbing the polished surface with bath brick in very fine powder m=
ixed
with water. When this thin coating is dry, it is removed by rubbing the b=
lock
on the palm of the hand; its only use is to make the surface less slipper=
y.
There are four descriptions of cutting tools used in wood‑engraving.
The graver is not very differ=
ent
from that used for copper‑plate, but has the point ground to a pecu=
liar
form by rubbing on a |
$H Wood‑man. Heraldry [See Savage‑man - Ed= itor]
$H Wood‑skin. An American name for a large canoe = made of bark.(1883m1)
$H Woof. The weft, or cross‑texture of fabrics.(1883m1)
$H Wool Egypt
|
Wool
was to a certain extent considered impure, and hence was never used for
burial wrappings; exceptions, in the case of some workmen's bodies, have =
been
found at Tourah. For this reason the priests =
did
not wear it next their skin; and always removed their outer woollen garme=
nt
before entering the temple. Only the poor made much use of woollen garmen=
ts.
But, that wool was one of the chief articles of commerce is certain from =
the
fact that large flocks of sheep were reared in the T=
hebaïd,
where, according to Strabo, mutton was unlawf=
ul
food. Each sheep yielded two fleeces in the year. An exception to the rule
that wool was regarded as impure is the case of the two women who were to
recite the "Festival songs of Isis and Nephthys=
"
(q.v.). The directions in the
papyrus are that they were to wear garlands of ram's wool.(1902b1) |
$H
Woolly.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Painting
|
(Paint.) A term applied in painting to a soft method of
execution, which lacks firmness and consistence.(1891a1) |
$H Woolsack.
|
The seat of the Lord
Chancellor, in the House of Lords.(1883m1) |
$H Work.
|
The word work is
used to designate a picture or statue of an artist. Thus we say Donatello's St. George is a dignified work, Raphael=
's
Madonna della Sisto is a
great work, and so on. In a different sense work denotes the collective productions of an artist or even =
his
style. Thus we say the work of Rubens is considerable, and in expressing
approval of an artist's style we say that we like his work.(1891a1) |
$H Working Drawings.
|
Working Drawings (Ar=
ch.) are
enlarged portions of plans with details of a building, for the practical
artificers to work from.(1883m1) |
$H Worsted.
|
Worsted (properly |
$H Wou or Wouwou.
|
Egyp. The Egyptian name for the dog; it is evidentl=
y an onomatopoeia, like the name for a cat, which is w=
ritten
MAAOU. (See CANIS.)(1883m1) |
$H Wreath.
|
Wreaths have at all =
times
been prominent among symbolical personal ornaments; always with an honourable or pleasant signification; wreaths of ivy
distinguished the votaries of Bacchus; appropriate wreaths were invented =
for
sacrifices at the altar for heroic or priestly or literary distinction. (=
See
ORLE, CREST, WREATH, &c.)(1883m1) |
$H Wrest.
|
O.E. An instrument f=
or
drawing up the strings of a harp. (Shakespeare.)(1883m1) |
$H Wuotan.
|
In old German mythology another form of the
name of the principal Scandinavian divinity Wodin,
or Odin, which see.(1876c1) |
$H Wyn. O.E. A n= arrow flag.(1883m1)
$H Wyvern. Heraldry
|
Wyvern, Wivern, Her. A fabulous creature, a species of dragon with two legs, and represented having its tail nowed. (Fig. 700.) Fig. 700. Wyvern.(1883m1)<= /p>
|
|
Wyvern. (Her.) An imaginary heraldic animal. It has a
serpent's head and body, and the wings and claws of a bird, while its tail
terminates in another small serpent's head. ILLUS. wyvern(1891a1)
|
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