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Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual depiction of a coat of arms or flag has traditionally had considerable latitude in design, but a verbal blazon specifies the essentially distinctive elements. A coat of arms or flag is therefore primarily defined not by a picture but rather by the wording of its blazon (though in modern usage flags are often additionally and more precisely defined using geometrical specifications). ''Blazon'' is also the specialized language in which a blazon is written, and, as a verb, the act of writing such a description. ''Blazonry'' is the art, craft or practice of creating a blazon. The language employed in ''blazonry'' has its own vocabulary and syntax, which becomes essential for comprehension when blazoning a complex coat of arms. Other armorial ob ...
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Variation Of The Field
In heraldry, variations of the field are any of a number of ways that a Field (heraldry), field (or a Charge (heraldry), charge) may be covered with a pattern, rather than a flat Tincture (heraldry), tincture or a simple Divisions of the field, division of the field. Patterning with ordinaries and subordinaries The diminutives of the Ordinary (heraldry), ordinaries are frequently employed to vary the field. Any of these patterns may be Tincture (heraldry)#Counterchanging and countercolouring, counterchanged by the addition of a division line; for example, ''barry argent and azure, counterchanged per fess'' or ''checquy Or (heraldry), Or and gules, counterchanged per chevron''. Barry, paly, bendy, pily, chevronny When the field is patterned with an even number of horizontal (fesswise) stripes, this is described as ''barry'' e.g. of six or eight, usually of a colour and metal specified, e.g. ''barry of six argent and gules'' (this implies that the chiefmost piece is argent). ...
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Tincture (heraldry)
Tinctures are the colours, metals, and furs used in heraldry. Nine tinctures are in common use: two metals, ''Or (heraldry), or'' (gold or yellow) and ''argent'' (silver or white); the colours ''gules'' (red), ''Azure (heraldry), azure'' (blue), ''Vert (heraldry), vert'' (green), ''Sable (heraldry), sable'' (black), and ''purpure'' (purple); and the furs ''Ermine (heraldry), 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 Heraldry#National styles, heraldic tradition in question. Where the tinctures are not depicted in full colour, they may be represented using one of several systems of Hatching (heraldry), 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 ...
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Heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealogy, pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch of heraldry, concerns the design and transmission of the Achievement (heraldry), heraldic achievement. The achievement, or armorial bearings usually includes a coat of arms on a escutcheon (heraldry), shield, helmet (heraldry), helmet and Crest (heraldry), crest, together with any accompanying devices, such as supporters, Heraldic badge, badges, Heraldic flag, heraldic banners and mottoes. Although the use of various devices to signify individuals and groups goes back to Ancient history, antiquity, both the form and use of such devices varied widely, as the concept of regular, hereditary designs, constituting the distinguishing feature of heraldry, did not develop until the High Middle Ages. It i ...
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Division Of The Field
In heraldry, the field (heraldry), field (background) of a escutcheon (heraldry), shield can be divided into more than one area, or subdivision, of different tincture (heraldry), tinctures, usually following the lines of one of the ordinary (heraldry), ordinaries and carrying its name (e.g. a shield divided in the shape of a Chevron (heraldry), chevron is said to be parted "per chevron"). Shields may be divided this way for ''differencing'' (to avoid conflict with otherwise similar coats of arms) or for purposes of ''Heraldry#Marshalling, marshalling'' (combining two or more coats of arms into one), or simply for style. The lines that divide a shield may not always be straight, and there is a system of terminology for describing patterned lines, which is also shared with the heraldic ordinaries. French heraldry takes a different approach in many cases from the one described in this article. Common divisions of the field Common partitions of the field are: * ''parted'' (or '' ...
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Ordinary (heraldry)
In heraldry, an ordinary is one of the two main types of Charge (heraldry), charges, beside the ''mobile charges''. An ordinary is a simple geometrical figure, bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the Escutcheon (heraldry), shield. There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries, which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers, though most have been in use as long as the traditional ordinaries. Diminutives of ordinaries and some subordinaries are charges of the same shape, though thinner. Most of the ordinaries are theoretically said to occupy one-third of the shield; but this is rarely observed in practice, except when the ordinary is the only charge (as in the coat of arms of Austria). The terms ''ordinary'' and ''subordinary'' are somewhat controversial, as they have been applied arbitrarily and inconsistently among authors, and the use of these terms has been disparaged by some leading heraldic authorities. ...
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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 ...
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Field (heraldry)
In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the ''field''. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures (colours or metals) or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern. In rare modern cases, the field or a subdivision thereof is not a tincture but is shown as a scene from a landscape, or, in the case of the 329th Fighter Group of the United States Air Force, blazoned as ''the sky proper''.''Air Force Combat Units of World War II'', p.210 Landscape fields are regarded by many heralds as unheraldic and debased, as they defy the heraldic ideal of simple, boldly-coloured images, and they cannot be consistently drawn from blazon. The arms of the Inveraray and District Community Council in Scotland have as a field ''In waves of the sea''. The correct language of heraldry is very flexible and virtually any image may be blazoned in a correct manner; for example "sky proper" might be blazoned simply ''Azure'' or '' bleu celeste'', whil ...
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John Brooke-Little
John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little (6 April 1927 – 13 February 2006) was an English writer on heraldry, heraldic subjects, and a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, now known as the The Heraldry Society, Heraldry Society and recognised as one of the leading learned societies in its field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as its president from 1997 until his death in 2006. In addition to the foundation of this group, Brooke-Little was involved in other heraldic groups and societies and worked for many years as an officer of arms; beginning as Bluemantle Pursuivant, Brooke-Little rose to the second highest heraldic office in England: Clarenceux King of Arms. Early and private life John Brooke-Little was born in Blackheath, London, Blackheath, Kent. His mother, Constance Egan, was the author of many children's stories including the ''Epaminondas an ...
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Coat Of Arms Of Nunavut
The coat of arms of Nunavut was granted by a warrant of Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada, dated 31 March 1999, one day before the territory of Nunavut, Canada, was created. The same document specified the flag of Nunavut. Overview The symbol was designed in collaboration with Inuit elders, leaders, artists, groups, and the general population of the territory. Each symbol was chosen individually from the 800 submissions for the flag and coat of arms that were received. Five draft designs were created in collaboration between the heraldic artist at the Canadian Heraldic Authority and Andrew Qappik, an Inuk artist from Pangnirtung. The shield is blue and gold, symbolizing the riches of the land. According to the blazon, the shield should be presented on a roundel shaped shield, rather than the traditional escutcheon shape in European heraldry. In chief is a representation of the midnight sun and of the North Star, or ''Niqirtsuituk''. Below are a '' qulliq'', a sto ...
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Purpure
In heraldry, purpure () is a tincture (heraldry), tincture, equivalent to the colour purple, and is one of the five main or most usually used ''colours'' (as opposed to ''metals''). It may be portrayed in engravings by a series of parallel lines at a 45-degree angle running from upper right to lower left from the point of view of an observer, or else indicated by the abbreviation purp. Purpure has existed since the earliest periods, for example in the purpure lion of the arms of Kingdom of León, León; at that time, it was painted in a greyer shade. However, it has never been as common as the other colours, and this has led to some controversy as to whether it should be counted among the common colours. In French heraldry, the colour is usually excluded from the common colours as well as considered "ambiguous" (could be either ''colour'' or ''metal''), and Finnish heraldry restricts its use to certain additaments. There is at least one instance of it being blazoned as "Imperial ...
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Sable (heraldry)
In British heraldry, sable () is the tincture equivalent to black. It is one of the five dark tinctures called ''colours''. Sable is portrayed in heraldic hatching by criss-crossing perpendicular lines. Sable is indicated by the abbreviation s. or sa. when a coat of arms is tricked. Etymology Sable can be traced back to Middle English, Anglo-French, and ultimately to the Middle Low German ''sabel'', which refers to a species of marten known as a sable. This is related to the Middle High German ''zobel'', which is of Slav origin and akin to the Russian ''sobol, which likewise refers to the sable. Since at least the 14th century, sable has been used as a synonym for the colour black. Both ''sable'' and ''negro'' are used for black in Spanish heraldry. In Portugal, black is known as ''negro'', and in Germany the colour is called ''schwarz''. ''Sabel'' is the spelling used in Dutch heraldry. Poetic meanings The different tinctures are traditionally associated with particular hea ...
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Gules
In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatching by vertical lines, or indicated by the abbreviation g. or gu. when a coat of arms is tricked. Etymology The term ''gules'' derives from the Middle English ''goules'', which itself is an Old French word meaning "neckpiece made of red fur". ''Goules'' is derived from the Old French ''gole'' or ''guele'', both of which mean "throat", which are ultimately derived from the Latin ''gula'', also meaning "throat". Gules is similar to the English word ''gullet''. Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, A. C. Fox-Davies states that the term originates from the Persian language, Persian word , meaning "rose", but according to Brault there is no evidence to support this derivation. The modern French spelling of the tincture is ''gueules''. Both ''gules'' an ...
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