balance
harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)
balcony
a platform projecting from the wall of a building and surrounded by a balustrade or railing or parapet
balustrade
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
bamboo
woody tropical grass having hollow woody stems; mature canes used for construction and furniture
banker
a financier who owns or is an executive in a bank
baroque
of or relating to or characteristic of the elaborately ornamented style of architecture, art, and music popular in Europe between 1600 and 1750
barrel vault
the simplest form of vault; a single continuous arch
bas relief
a sculptural relief in which forms extend only slightly from the background; no figures are undercut
basket
a container that is usually woven and has handles
basketry
the craft of basket making
Bauhaus
a German style of architecture begun by Walter Gropius in 1918
beauty
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
belvedere
densely branched Eurasian plant; foliage turns purple-red in autumn
benday
reproduce by the Benday process
beret
a cap with no brim or bill; made of soft cloth
bestiary
a medieval book (usually illustrated) with allegorical and amusing descriptions of real and fabled animals
bevel
two surfaces meeting at an angle different from 90 degrees
bin
a container; usually has a lid
binocular vision
vision involving the use of both eyes
bird's eye view
a situation or topic as if viewed from an altitude or distance
bisque
a thick cream soup made from shellfish
black and white
not having or not capable of producing colors
blind spot
the point where the optic nerve enters the retina; not sensitive to light
bluing
a process that makes something blue (or bluish)
Bodhisattva
Buddhist worthy of nirvana who postpones it to help others
bonsai
a dwarfed ornamental tree or shrub grown in a tray or shallow pot
book
physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together
bookbinding
the craft of binding books
bookplate
a label identifying the owner of a book in which it is pasted
boredom
the feeling of being bored by something tedious
boss
a person who exercises control and makes decisions
botanical
of or relating to plants or botany
bronze
an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin
brush
an implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle
Buddhism
the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth
bust
a sculpture of the head and shoulders of a person
