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Term (architecture)

Term (architecture) is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Term (architecture) rather than just read about it. In short: In Classical architecture and in art a term or terminal figure (pl.: terms or termini) is a human head and bust that continues down as a square tapering pillar-like form. It is usually distinguished from a herm, which has a head and shoulders only, but the two words may be used rather loosely and interchangeably.

Term (architecture) — main illustration
Term (architecture) — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Term (architecture) belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Term (architecture) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Term (architecture) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In Classical architecture and in art a term or terminal figure (pl.: terms or termini) is a human head and bust that continues down as a square tapering pillar-like form. It is usually distinguished from a herm, which has a head and shoulders only, but the two words may be used rather loosely and interchangeably. The god Terminus was the Etruscan and Roman deity of boundaries, and classical sources say that boundary markers often took the form of a half-figure of the god on a pillar, though ancient survivals in this form are extremely rare. In the architecture and the painted architectural decoration of the European Renaissance and the succeeding Classical styles, term figures are quite common. Often they represent minor deities associated with fields and vineyards and the edges of woodland, Pan and fauns and Bacchantes especially, and they may be draped with garlands of fruit and flowers. Term figures were a particularly characteristic feature of the 16th-century style in furniture and carved interior decoration that is called Antwerp Mannerism. Ornament prints, such as a set of 20 School of Fontainebleau etchings from the 1540s usually given to Jean Mignon, disseminated the style through Germany and England. In these very fanciful Mannerist creations, many of the forms dip in and out of architectural and anatomical shapes.

References

Cyril M. Harris (1977). Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0486132110; p. 528 Lucie-Smith, Edward, The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms, 2003 (2nd edn), Thames & Hudson, World of Art series, ISBN 0500203652

External links

"Terminal Figures" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 642. Pair of terminal statuettes (The Metropolitan Museum) Terminus / Term / Terminal figure (Buffalo Architecture Index)

Illustrations

Term (architecture): Terminal Figure: Sphinx with crescent in her hair, Jean Mignon, 1540s
Terminal Figure: Sphinx with crescent in her hair, Jean Mignon, 1540s
Term (architecture): Terminal figures (4, 6 and 9, to be strict) copied from French and Antwerp 16th-century Mannerist pattern books.
Terminal figures (4, 6 and 9, to be strict) copied from French and Antwerp 16th-century Mannerist pattern books.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Term (architecture)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Term (architecture) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Term (architecture) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Term (architecture) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Term (architecture)

In research
Term (architecture) appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Term (architecture) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Term (architecture) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ancient Roman sculpture, Architectural elements, Architectural history, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Term (architecture) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Term (architecture) in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Term (architecture) means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Term (architecture) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Term (architecture) in simple terms?

In Classical architecture and in art a term or terminal figure (pl.: terms or termini) is a human head and bust that continues down as a square tapering pillar-like form. It is usually distinguished from a herm, which has a head and shoulders only, but the two words may be used rather loosely and i…

Why does Term (architecture) matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Term (architecture)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Term (architecture).

Tags

  • Ancient Roman sculpture
  • Architectural elements
  • Architectural history
  • Columns and entablature
  • Ornaments (architecture)
  • Sculpture

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