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"According to the ancient authorities, it was made of bronze, and its form was oval, but with the two sides receding inward with an even curvature, and so as to make it broader at the ends than in the middle. The original ancile was said to have fallen from the skies in the time of Numa. To secure its preservation, Numa ordered eleven other shields to be made exactly like it. These twelve <em>ancilia</em> were kept in the temple of Mars Gradivus, and were taken from it only once a year, on the kalends of March. The feast of the god was then observed during several days; when the Salii, or priests of Mars, twelve in number, carried the sacred shields about the city, singing songs in praise of Mars, Numa, and Mamurius Veturius, who made the eleven. They at the same time performed a dance, in which they struck the shield with rods, so as to keep time with their voices and with the movements of the dance." &mdash; Anthon, 1891

Ancilia

"According to the ancient authorities, it was made of bronze, and its form was oval, but with the two…

"Gothic Altar. An Altar is an erection made for the offering of sacrifices for memorial purposes, or for some other object. An altar designed for sacrifice is mentioned in Scripture as early as the time of Noah."&mdash;(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Gothic Altar

"Gothic Altar. An Altar is an erection made for the offering of sacrifices for memorial purposes, or…

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or used for creation of portraits. It is sometimes possible to identify portraits that have been painted from death masks, because of the characteristic slight distortion of the features caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the mold.

Shakespeare Death Mask

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death…

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or used for creation of portraits. It is sometimes possible to identify portraits that have been painted from death masks, because of the characteristic slight distortion of the features caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the mold.

Shakespeare Death Mask (Frontal View)

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death…

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or used for creation of portraits. It is sometimes possible to identify portraits that have been painted from death masks, because of the characteristic slight distortion of the features caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the mold.

Shakespeare Death Mask (Right Side)

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death…

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or used for creation of portraits. It is sometimes possible to identify portraits that have been painted from death masks, because of the characteristic slight distortion of the features caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the mold.

Shakespeare Death Mask (Left Side)

In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. Death…