EPIGRAPH

Ep″i‐graph (?), n. [[Gr. �, fr. �: cf. F. épigraphe. See Epigram.]] 1. 1. Any inscription set upon a building; especially, one which has to do with the building itself, its founding or dedication.
2. 2. (Literature) A citation from some author, or a sentence framed for the purpose, placed at the beginning of a work or of its separate divisions; a motto.