For the usage of "proper right" and "proper left" in areas of mathematics such as ring theory, see proper ideal.
Charlemagne holds a sword in his proper right hand, on the "viewer's left", and an orb in his proper left hand.Statue holding a sword in its proper right hand
Proper right and proper left are conceptual terms used to unambiguously convey relative direction when describing an image or other object. The "proper right" hand of a figure is the hand that would be regarded by that figure as its right hand.[1] In a frontal representation, that appears on the left as the viewer sees it, creating the potential for ambiguity if the hand is just described as the "right hand".
The most common relative directions are left, right, forward(s), backward(s), up, and down. No absolute direction corresponds to any of the relative directions. This is a consequence of the translational invariance of the laws of physics: nature, loosely speaking, behaves the same no matter what direction one moves. As demonstrated by the Michelson-Morley null result, there is no absolute inertial frame of reference. There are definite relationships between the relative directions, however. Left and right, forward and backward, and up and down are three pairs of complementary directions, each pair orthogonal to both of the others. Relative directions are also known as egocentric coordinates.
The terms are mainly used in discussing images of humans, whether in art history, medical contexts such as x-ray images, or elsewhere, but they can be used in describing any object that has an unambiguous front and back (for example furniture[2]) or,[3] when describing things that move or change position, with reference to the original position. However a more restricted use may be preferred, and the internal instructions for cataloguing objects in the "Inventory of American Sculpture" at the Smithsonian American Art Museum say that "The terms "proper right" and "proper left" should be used when describing figures only".[4] In heraldry, right and left is always used in the meaning of proper right and proper left, as for the imaginary bearer of a coat of arms; to avoid confusion, the Latin terms dexter and sinister are often used.[5]
Art history is the study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts; that is genre, design, format, and style. The study includes painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, furniture, and other decorative objects.
X-rays make up X-radiation, a form of electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz (3×1016 Hz to 3×1019 Hz) and energies in the range 100 eV to 100 keV. X-ray wavelengths are shorter than those of UV rays and typically longer than those of gamma rays. In many languages, X-radiation is referred to with terms meaning Röntgen radiation, after the German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen who discovered these on November 8, 1895, who usually is credited as its discoverer, and who named it X-radiation to signify an unknown type of radiation. Spelling of X-ray(s) in the English language includes the variants x-ray(s), xray(s), and X ray(s).
Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating, eating (tables), and sleeping. Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work, or to store things. Furniture can be a product of design and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. It can be made from many materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflect the local culture.
The alternative is to use language that makes it clear that the viewer's perspective is being used. The swords in the illustrations might be described as: "to the left as the viewer sees it", "at the view's left", "at the viewer's left", and so on. However these formulations do not work for freestanding sculpture in the round, where the viewer might be at any position around the sculpture. A British 19th-century manual for military drill contrasts "proper left" with "present left" when discussing the orientation of formations performing intricate movements on a parade ground.[6]
The terms are analogous to the nautical port and starboard, where "port" is to a watercraft as "proper left" is to a sculpture, and they are used for essentially the same reason. Their use obviates the need for potentially ambiguous language such as "my right," "your left," and so on, by expressing the direction in a manner that holds true regardless of the relative orientations of the object and observer.[7] Another example is stage right and left in the theatre, which uses the actor's orientation, "stage right" equating to the audience's "house left".
Port and starboard are nautical and aeronautical terms of orientation that deal unambiguously with the structure of vessels and aircraft. Their structures are largely bilaterally symmetrical, meaning they have mirror-image left and right halves if divided long-ways down the middle.
Examples of usage
This is from the auction catalogue description of an African wood figure:[8]
There is extensive insect loss in the proper right leg, some at the proper right elbow, and at the fronts of both feet. There is a chip off the proper right breast, and the proper right leg was broken off and reglued.
The figure standing on the yakṣī's proper left, however, is not a mirror image of the other male...
Notes
↑ "For figurative works, use the abbreviations PR (proper right) and PL (proper left) to indicate the right or left side of the statue from the perspective of the statue (i.e., your right or left side if you were positioned on the base facing in the same direction as the statue)" - p. 34, Save Outdoor Sculpture! Volunteer Handbook. ("Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) is a joint project of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, and the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property").
↑ Brigade drill, as established by order in the Field exercise and evolutions of infantry, as revised in 1859. With remarks and references, by W.N. Hutchinson, 1860, War Office, google books
↑ Lot 48240, Important African and Oceanic Art Auction Important African and Oceanic Art Auction, Dallas, Texas, Heritage Auction Galleries, Auction N°645, June 7, 2007, p. 156, ISBN1599671522, 9781599671529, google books
↑ Owen, Lisa, Carving Devotion in the Jain Caves at Ellora, p. 90, 2012, BRILL, ISBN9004206299, 9789004206298, google books
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