With the exception of the Frontispiece, all uncaptioned illustrations are decorative tailpieces.
uncaptioned illustrations are decorative Headpieces or the publisher's logo on the Title page.
by 1901, from caption (n.). Related: Captioned; captioning.
late 14c., "taking, seizure," from Old French capcion "arrest, capture, imprisonment," or directly from Latin captionem (nominative capito) "a catching, seizing, holding, taking," noun of action from past participle stem of capere "to take" (see capable).
From 17c. used especially in law, and there via its appearance at the head of legal document involving seizure ("Certificate of caption", etc.), the word's sense was extended to "the beginning of any document;" thus "heading of a chapter or section of an article" (1789), and, especially in U.S., "description or title below an illustration" (1919).