“Among the numerous objects ... was a black horse ... On one side of its manger there was clean barley and sesame and the other was filled with rose-water.” - Arabian Nights (Third Calender).Sesha King of the serpent race, on which Vishnu reclines on the primeval waters. It has a thousand heads, on one of which the world rests. The coiled-up sesha is the emblem of eternity. (Hindu mythology.)
Set Off (A). A commercial expression. The credits are set off against the debits, and the balance struck.
Set off to advantage. A term used by jewellers, who set off precious stone by appropriate “settings.”