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Great Seal Of The United States
The Great Seal is the seal of the United States. The phrase is used both for the Seal (emblem), impression device itself, which is kept by the United States secretary of state, and more generally for the impression it produces. The Obverse and reverse, obverse of the Great Seal depicts the national coat of arms of the United States while the reverse features a truncated pyramid topped by an Eye of Providence. The year of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, 1776, is noted in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid. The seal contains three Latin phrases: ''E Pluribus Unum'' ("Out of many, one"), ''Annuit cœptis'' ("He has favored our undertakings"), and ''Novus ordo seclorum'' ("A new order of the ages"). Largely designed by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, and William Barton (heraldist), William Barton, and first used in 1782, the seal is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the federal government of the United States. Since 1935, both sides ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The United States asserts sovereignty over five Territories of the United States, major island territories and United States Minor Outlying Islands, various uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a megadiverse country, with the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, third-largest land area and List of countries and dependencies by population, third-largest population, exceeding 340 million. Its three Metropolitan statistical areas by population, largest metropolitan areas are New York metropolitan area, New York, Greater Los Angeles, Los Angel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diplomatic Mission
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes an embassy or high commission, which is the main office of a country's diplomatic representatives to another country; it is usually, but not necessarily, based in the receiving state's capital city. Consulates, on the other hand, are smaller diplomatic missions that are normally located in major cities of the receiving state (but can be located in the capital, typically when the sending country has no embassy in the receiving state). In addition to being a diplomatic mission to the country in which it is located, an embassy may also be a non-resident permanent mission to one or more other countries. The term embassy is sometimes used interchangeably with chancery, the physical office or site of a diplomatic mission. Consequently, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pale (heraldry)
In heraldry and vexillology, a pale is a charge consisting of a band running vertically down the centre of a shield or flag. Writers broadly agree that the width of the pale ranges from about one-fifth to about one-third of the width of the shield, but this width is not fixed. A narrow pale is more likely if it is ''uncharged'', that is, if it does not have other objects placed on it. If ''charged'', the pale is typically wider to allow room for the objects depicted there. The pale is one of the ordinaries in heraldry, along with the bend, chevron, fess, and chief. There are several other ordinaries and sub-ordinaries. The word ''pale'' originally referred to a picket (a piece of wood much taller than it is wide such as is used to build a picket fence) and it is from the resemblance to this that the heraldic pale derives its name (see 'pale', English: Etymology 2 on Wiktionary). Derived terms ;pallet :In British heraldry when two or more pales appear on a field, they ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to be tinctured ''argent'' are either left blank, or indicated with the abbreviation ''ar''. The name derives from Latin ''argentum'', translated as "silver" or "white metal". The word ''argent'' had the same meaning in Old French ''blazon'', whence it passed into the English language. In some historical depictions of coats of arms, a kind of silver leaf was applied to those parts of the device that were argent. Over time, the silver content of these depictions has tarnished and darkened. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish regions that were intended as "argent" from those that were " sable". This leaves a false impression that the rule of tincture has been violated in cases where, when applied next to a dark colour, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mullet (heraldry)
In heraldry, the term star may refer to any star-shaped charge with any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced. While there has been much confusion between the two due to their similar shape, a star with straight-sided rays is usually called a mullet in English heraldry while one with wavy rays is usually called an estoile. While a mullet may have any number of ''points'', it is presumed to have five unless otherwise specified in the blazon, and pierced mullets are common; estoiles, however, are presumed to have six ''rays'' and (as of 1909) had not been found pierced. In Scottish heraldry, an estoile is the same as in English heraldry, but ''mullet'' refers only to a mullet pierced (also called a ''spur revel''), while one that is not pierced is called a star. Terminology The use of the word ''star'' in blazons, and how that charge appears in coat armory, varies from one jurisdiction to another. In Scots heraldry, both ''star'' and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azure (heraldry)
In heraldry, azure ( , ) is the tincture (heraldry), tincture with the colour azure (color), blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else is marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation. The term azure shares its origin with the Spanish word "azul", which refers to the same color, deriving from Hispanic Arabic ''lāzaward'', the name of the deep blue stone now called lapis lazuli. The word was adopted into Old French by the 12th century, after which the word passed into use in the blazon of coat of arms, coats of arms. As a heraldic colour, the word azure means "blue", and reflects the name for the colour in the Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman dialect spoken by French-speaking Norman nobles following the Norman Conquest of England. A wide range of colour values is used in the depiction of azure in armory and flags, but in common usage it is often referred to simply as "blue". ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proper (heraldry)
Tinctures are the colours, metals, and furs used in heraldry. Nine tinctures are in common use: two metals, '' or'' (gold or yellow) and '' argent'' (silver or white); the colours '' gules'' (red), '' azure'' (blue), '' vert'' (green), '' sable'' (black), and '' purpure'' (purple); and the furs '' ermine'', which represents the winter fur of a stoat, and '' vair'', which represents the fur of a red squirrel. The use of other tinctures varies depending on the time period and heraldic tradition in question. Where the tinctures are not depicted in full colour, they may be represented using one of several systems of hatching, in which each tincture is assigned a distinct pattern, or tricking, in which each tincture is designated by a letter or abbreviation. Historically, particularly between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, the tinctures were sometimes associated with the planets, precious stones, virtues, and elements. However, in contemporary heraldry they are not assi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, or (/ɔːʁ/; French for "gold") is the tincture of gold and, together with argent (silver), belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it is hatched using a field of evenly spaced dots. It is very frequently depicted as yellow, though gold leaf was used in many illuminated manuscripts and more extravagant rolls of arms. The word "gold" is occasionally used in place of "or" in blazon, sometimes to prevent repetition of the word "or" in a blazon, or because this substitution was in fashion when the blazon was first written down, or when it is preferred by the officer of arms. The use of "gold" for "or" (and "silver" for "argent") was a short-lived fashion amongst certain heraldic writers in the mid-20th century who attempted to "demystify" and popularise the subject of heraldry. "Or" is sometimes spelled with a capital letter (e.g. "Gules, a fess Or") so as not to confuse it with the conjunction "or". However, this i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glory (optical Phenomenon)
A glory is an optical phenomenon, resembling an iconic saint's halo (religious iconography), halo around the shadow of the observer's head, caused by sunlight or (more rarely) moonlight interacting with the tiny water drop (liquid), droplets that comprise mist or clouds. The glory consists of one or more concentric, successively dimmer rings, each of which is red on the outside and bluish towards the centre. Due to its appearance, the phenomenon is sometimes mistaken for a Rainbow#Full-circle rainbow, circular rainbow, but the latter has a much larger diameter and is caused by different physical processes. Glories arise due to interference (wave propagation), wave interference of light total internal reflection, internally refracted within small droplets. Appearance and observation Depending on circumstances (such as the uniformity of droplet size in the clouds), one or more of the glory's rings can be visible. The rings are rarely complete, being interrupted by the shadow of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hatching (heraldry)
Hatching (sometimes called ''hachure'', from the French word) is a conventional system for monochrome denotation of heraldry, heraldic armory, whereby the tincture (heraldry), tinctures (colours) are represented by dots and lines. This technique is employed in cases where colours, for either aesthetic, practical or economic reasons are not reproduced – e.g. on surfaces such as woodcuts or engravings, seal (emblem), seals and coins. Several systems of hatchings were developed during the Renaissance as an alternative to tricking, the earlier method of indicating heraldic tinctures by use of written abbreviations. The present day hatching system was developed during the 1630s by Silvester Petra Sancta and Marcus Vulson de la Colombière. Some earlier hatching methods were also developed, but did not come into wide use. Tricking is an alternative method which has the same purpose as hatching. Conventional system Genesis Hatching developed as a method of screening used by Ren ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Achievement (heraldry)
In heraldry, an achievement, armorial achievement or heraldic achievement (historical: hatchment) is a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled. An achievement comprises not only the arms displayed on the Escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon, the central element, but also the following elements surrounding it (from top to bottom): * Slogan (heraldry), Slogan or war-cry * Mantle and pavilion (heraldry), Mantle and pavilion * Crest (heraldry), Crest placed atop a: * Torse (or cap of maintenance as a special honour) * Mantling * Helmet (heraldry), Helm of appropriate variety; if holder of higher rank than a baronet, issuing from a: * Coronet or Crown (heraldry), crown (not used by baronets), of appropriate variety. * Console (heraldry), Console (decorative or aesthetic in purpose, and not officially part of the armorial grant) * Supporters (if the bearer is entitled to them, generally in modern usage not baronets), whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city in Virginia and List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous city in the United States. The city holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (sometimes called "Tidewater (region), Tidewater"), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the Metropolitan statistical area, 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Norfolk was established in 1682 as a colonial seaport. Strategically located at the confluence of the Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay, it quickly developed into a major center for trade and shipbuilding. During the American Revolution and War of 1812, its port and naval facilities made it a critic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
