Heraldry is the science and art of describing coats-of-arms, also referred to as achievements or armorial bearings. Its origins lie in the need to distinguish participants in battles or jousts and to describe the various devices they carried or painted on their shields. // What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ... Resources Great Museums in the World (Louvre, Metropolitan Museum, MoMA, Picasso …) CGFA: A Virtual Art Museum Art-Atlas. ... The Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler. ... Depiction of a late 13th century joust in the Codex Manesse Jousting scene, by Jörg Breu the Elder (1510s, pen and black ink over black chalk) Jousting is a competition between two knights on horse-back, wherein each knight tries to knock the other off his mount. ... For information on the U.S. borough, see Paint, Pennsylvania. ... Indo-Persian Dhal Shield A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. ...

However, it is important to note that a given coat-of-arms is defined by a written description, called a "blazon". To draw it is to emblazon it. To ensure that the pictures people draw after reading the descriptions are accurate and reasonably alike, blazons follow a set of rules. The first thing the blazon describes is the tincture (colour) of the field (background) (though in some cases of "landscape heraldry" all or part of the field is some sort of landscape), and then it describes the placement and tinctures of the different charges (objects) on the shield. The charges on a shield are described from the top to the base, from dexter to sinister. Dexter ("right" in Latin) is the left side of the shield, and sinister ("left") is the right, as seen by the viewer. The reason for this is that they refer to the shield-bearer's point of view, not the observer's. This is an article about Heraldry. ... In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to blazon a coat of arms. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... In heraldry the background of the shield is called the field . ... Indo-Persian Dhal Shield A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

A given coat-of-arms may be drawn in many different ways, all considered equivalent, just as the letter "A" may be printed in many different fonts while still being the same letter.¹ For example, almost always the shape of the shield is immaterial and different artists can depict the same coat of arms on many different shapes of shield. Look up Letter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A letter is a written message from one party to another. ... In typography, a typeface consists of a co-ordinated set of character designs. ...

There are no strict definitions of the shades of colours used in heraldry, but the usual practice is to use bold, vivid colours rather than pastel shades. A bravura pastel portrait of Louis XV by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1748 Pastel or pastels is an artistic expression which involves the application of soft colors by painting with soft crayons wrapped in paper. ...

The word "crest" is commonly used to refer to a coat-of-arms. However, in heraldry, a crest is just one component of a coat-of-arms, so using the word to refer to the entire coat is in fact incorrect. In a complete depiction of a coat-of-arms, the crest is a design affixed to the helmet. Crests can also be used on their own; this is particularly useful when there is insufficient space to display the entire coat-of-arms, and this practice may be the origin of the popular usage. In heraldry, a crest is a component of a coat of arms. ... Pith helmet of Harry S. Truman For information about the band Helmet, see Helmet (band) Helmet of Swedish Royal Guard soldier A helmet is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or some other hard substance, typically for protection of the head from...

Shield and lozenge

Traditionally, as women did not go to war, they would not have a shield. Instead, their coats-of-arms would be shown on a lozenge, usually a square standing on one of its corners. As women may now serve in the armed forces in a number of countries, some armigerous women prefer to use a shield anyway. A parallel usage for noncombatant clergymen could be found sometimes on the European continent, with the occasional placement of arms on a cartouche (an oval-shaped vehicle for their display). For more detail on the use of the lozenge (subject to certain rules) by women in the British heraldic tradition, see the separate article on the lozenge. An act of war - the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan during World War II War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organisations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of violent, physical force between combatants or upon civilians. ... A pullover with a lozenge pattern A lozenge is a parallelogram which usually has two corners pointing up and down that are farther apart than the corners pointing sideways. ... A square as a geometric shape is described and illustrated at square (geometry). ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defence and fighting forces and organizations. ... An armiger is a person entitled to use a coat of arms. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... Europe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... An oval or ovoid was originally an egg shape (from Latin OVVM); it is now usually used to refer to ellipses, but can also mean any similar shape, such as egg shapes or race-course shapes (a semicircle on either side of a quadrilateral). ... A pullover with a lozenge pattern A lozenge is a parallelogram which usually has two corners pointing up and down that are farther apart than the corners pointing sideways. ...

Very rarely and almost invariably in non-European contexts, such as the arms of Nunavut, the former Republic of Bophuthatswana and some Algerian civic heraldry of French colonial origin, specific shapes of shield are specified in the blazon (and the specific type of shield is sometimes followed to the extent, as in the arms of Gauteng, that structures in the shield (in that case "shield thongs") function as charges). The coat of arms of the territory of Nunavut, Canada, known officially as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Nunavut, was granted by a warrant by Roméo LeBlanc, Governor-General of Canada, dated March 31, 1999, one day before the territory of Nunavut, Canada was created. ... Flag of Bophuthatswana Bophuthatswana was a former Bantustan (homeland) in the north of South Africa. ...

In rare instances the shield may be blazoned as being displayed on a cartouche, the tincture of which is then specified.

The arms of The Lady Thatcher and the late Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt
A lozenge, the traditional shape of a woman's coat of arms	A shield, traditionally used only by a man

The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), born Margaret Hilda Roberts, is a British stateswoman and was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, the only woman as of 2005 to serve in that position, and the... Arms of Sir Denis Thatcher Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet KBE, ( MBE ) (May 10, 1915 – June 26, 2003) was a businessman, and husband of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher. ... Thatcher, Lady This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Thatcher, Baronet This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ...

Tinctures

Main article: Tincture In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to blazon a coat of arms. ...

There are seven main tinctures, consisting of two metals (light tinctures) and five colours (dark tinctures), although there are a number of other rare tinctures. The names of the tinctures mainly come to us from French. The first rule of heraldry is the rule of tincture: metal must never be placed upon metal, nor colour upon colour, for the sake of contrast.

* "Or" is usually spelled with a capital letter (Gules, a fess Or) so as not to confuse it with the conjunction "or." Table of tinctures and hatchings (created by Montrealais and released under GNU FDL) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Furs, such as ermine, ermines, or vair, are regular variations of the field that represent various types of actual fur. Any charge may be of a fur. Binomial name Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758 The Stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... The term fur refers to the body hair of non-human mammals also known as the pelage (like the term plumage in birds). ...

• Ermine is in design a field argent, semé (see variations of the field) of ermine-spots sable, but is not so regarded; it is regarded as a plain tincture.
• Ermines is the reverse of ermine – a field sable semé of ermine-spots argent.
• There is also vair and its variants. Basic vair is a row of small items shaped like bells with straight edges. The bells on the next row down are placed with their bottoms facing the bottoms of the bells on the row above, and so forth down.

Proper: Objects may also be depicted in their natural colours. In this case, they are described as "proper". In heraldry, variations of the field are any of a number of ways that a field (or a charge) may be covered with a pattern, rather than a flat tincture or a simple division of the field. ...

Blazon: Historically the custom in English blazon was to reduce redundancy by referring to a particular tincture only once in the blazon, but the College of Arms has moved away from this practice in recent years. This is an article about Heraldry. ...

Divisions of the field

Main article: divisions of the field Divisions of the field: The field of a shield in heraldry can be divided into more than one tincture, as can the various charges. ...

The field of a shield in heraldry can be divided into more than one tincture, as can the various charges. The divisions are named according to the ordinary that shares their shape. (It should be noticed that French heraldry takes a different approach in many cases than the one described in this article, as do the heraldries of Italy, Spain, and Sweden.) Download high resolution version (347x945, 48 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In heraldry the background of the shield is called the field . ... Indo-Persian Dhal Shield A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. ... In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to blazon a coat of arms. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In heraldry, an ordinary is a simple geometrical figure on the arms, wider than a line or division of the field. ...

Common partitions of the field are:

• parted (or party) per fess (parted horizontally),
• party per pale (parted vertically),
• party per bend (diagonally from upper left to lower right),
• party per bend sinister (diagonally from upper right to lower left)
• party per saltire (diagonally both ways).
• party per cross or quarterly (divided into four quarters)
• party per chevron (after the manner of a chevron)
• party per pall (diagonal divisions from upper left and upper right meeting vertical division)

Charges

Charges can be animals, objects or geometric constructs (ordinaries).

Common animals are lions, leopards, martlets, eagles, gryphons, fish, boars or dolphins. There are dragons and unicorns as well, but they are not nearly as common as most people suppose. Possibly the rarest animal in heraldry is found in the coat of arms of Maidstone, Kent, which bears an Iguanodon rampant on the dexter side. Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... A martlet is a type of heraldic bird similar to the swallow, but having no feet. ... Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Roman griffon, Turkey This article is on the animal. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) A fish is a poikilothermic (cold-blooded)* water-dwelling... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... Genera See article below. ... Saint George versus the dragon, Gustave Moreau, c. ... The gentle and pensive virgin has the power to tame the unicorn, in this fresco in Palazzo Farnese, Rome, probably by Domenichino, ca 1602 The unicorn is a legendary creature shaped like a horse, but slender and with a single — usually spiral — horn growing out of its forehead. ... Maidstone is the county town of Kent, in southeast England, about 30 miles from London. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Species (type) Iguanodon was the first dinosaur recognized, the second dinosaur formally named and described, and with Megalosaurus and Hylaeosaurus, one of the three originally used to define the new classification, Dinosauria. ...

The default position of an animal is looking to the left. Animals are found in various different positions — a flying martlet is a martlet volant, a swimming dolphin is a dolphin naiant, and a walking lion is a lion passant. Other words for positions are rampant (on hind legs), salient (leaping), sejant (sitting) and gardant (looking at the viewer). There are humans as well, although they are unusual, like wild men or Saracens. If you show only the head of an animal, cut off at the neck, it is an <animal>'s head couped if the cut is straight, and erased if it looks as if the animal's head has been ripped off. The term Saracen comes from Greek sarakenoi. ...

Common objects are escallops (shells), crosses, mullets (a conventional five-pointed star shape, as on the American flag, which in fact represent spurs), crescents, bugle-horns, water-bougets, gauntlets, and different kinds of trees, flowers, leaves, and other plants. Circles are generally called "roundels", but in England instead of being described "a roundel vert", they have different names depending on colour: "bezants" if they are golden, "plates" if silver, "torteaux" if red, "hurts" if blue, "pellets" or "ogresses" if black, "pommes" if green, "oranges" if orange, and "guzes" if sanguine. A roundel that is "barry wavy argent and azure" is called a "fountain". The hard, rigid outer calcium cumbonate covering of certain animals is called a shell. ... A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars intersecting each other at a 90° angle, dividing one or two of the lines in half. ... In heraldry the term mullet or molet refers to a charge or a difference in the conventional shape of a star - by default one with five points (compare pentagram). ... Flag ratio: 7:12; nicknames: Stars and Stripes, Old Glory The flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars... For the album of the same name by Gackt, see Crescent (album). ... The word bugle has two different meanings: A brass musical instrument, seeBugle (instrument) An often cultivated lamiaceae, Bugle (plant) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Look up gauntlet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up gantlet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Gauntlet (occasionally spelled gantlet) may mean: Gauntlet (gloves), protective gloves used as a form of armour. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ... Wildflowers A flower is the reproductive organ of those plants classified as angiosperms (flowering plants; Division Magnoliophyta). ... This article is about the leaf, a plant organ. ... Divisions Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants Adiantum pedatum (a fern... Bezants is a medieval name for gold coins. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Red is a color at the lowest frequencies of light discernible by the human eye. ... For other uses, see Blue (disambiguation) Blue is one of the three primary additive colours; blue light has the shortest wavelength range (about 420-490 nanometres) of the three primary colours. ... Black is a color with several subtle differences in meaning. ... Look up Green in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Green is a color seen commonly in nature. ... See also Orange (disambiguation) for other meanings of the word. ... Sanguine can refer to: Sanguine personality - optimistic, cheerful, even-tempered, confident, rational, popular, fun-loving Sanguine is the temperament of blood - one of the four humours Sanguine is a tincture in heraldry, otherwise one of the staynard colours (stains). ...

Ordinaries

Ordinaries (sometimes called "honourable ordinaries") are almost like partitions, but are handled like objects. Though there is much debate as to exactly which geometrical charges constitute ordinaries, certain ones are agreed on by everyone. A pale is a vertical charge starting from the top of the shield, ending at the bottom, and wide as a third of the shield's width. (The "Canadian pale", identical to the pale but taking up one-half the shield's width, was invented in 1964 by Conrad Swan, retired Garter King of Arms) [1]; it can be seen in the arms of Rehder. [2] A fess is the same thing as a pale, only horizontal. Download high resolution version (320x942, 40 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In vexillology and heraldry, a Canadian pale is the centre of a flag that is a square or rectangle covering half the width of a flag rather than a rectangle covering a third as in a tricolour. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Colleges own coat of arms was granted in 1484. ... A fess is a term used in heraldry to describe a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running from the left to the right side of the shield, centered from top to bottom. ...

There are also bends, saltires, flaunches and crosses, as well as chiefs, piles and chevrons. A blue-and-white striped bend (a bend barry wavy argent and azure), in the arms of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council In heraldry, a bend is a colored band that runs from the upper left (as seen by the viewer) corner of the shield to the lower right. ... The arms of St Albans: a gold saltire on a blue field A saltire is an X-shaped figure in heraldry. ... Flaunches, in the arms of the town of Harlow A flaunch, in heraldry, is (arguably) an ordinary, one of two (as the flaunch is never borne singly) semicircles protruding into the field from the sides of the shield. ... A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars intersecting each other at a 90° angle, dividing one or two of the lines in half. ... A pile is one type of building foundation. ... This page is about the pattern or symbol called a chevron. ...

A chief is a fess situated in the upper third of the shield. It can be associated with the fillet, a quite narrow horizontal band running along the bottom of the chief, [3] although it can be difficult if not impossible sometimes to distinguish between a fillet and a chief fimbriated, as the fimbriation of a chief occurs only along the lower line. (Fimbriation is the narrow bordering of the outline of a charge, with is then said to be fimbrated or fimbriated; a "fimbriation containing six diagonal 'tics' radiating" occurs in the badge of the 25th Flying Training Squadron of the United States Air Force.)[4] The term edged is sometimes used in a similar context. There is at least one example of a triple fimbriation.[5]) The fillet is sometimes inaccurately described as a diminutive of the chief, but the chief has no diminutive. It is important to note that a chief "enhanced" (which gives it a narrower appearance), as in the arms of Martin F. J. Matthews [6], is not a diminutive.

Probert [7], Guillim [8] and others say that if one chief is "surmounted of another" (one chief is charged on another chief) it will have the appearance of a chief divided by a line running along the upper part of the "chief". The rare "chief couped" is a chief that falls short of reaching the dexter and sinister sides of the shield; the representation of Stonehenge in the arms of Sir Cecil Chubb, "the Baronet who owned Stonehenge and gifted it to the nation", show an example.[9] Chiefs are more commonly seen, though not blazoned as, couped when within a tressure.[10] Stonehenge Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age monument located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Salisbury. ...

A chevron looks like a saw's tooth, arching from the middle of the left side of the shield to the middle of the right.

A bordure is just that, a border around the shield. A bordure separated from the outside of the shield, which looks like a shield with another shield cut out of it, is an orle. Confusingly, when a number of charges (by default, eight) are arranged in the position that a bordure (not an orle) would be in, they are said to be "in orle".

A quarter is the top left (dexter chief in heraldry) quarter of the shield; this is the default position. The top right quarter is a sinister quarter.

The pall is a Y-shaped charge throughout the field, common to Scotland. Y is the twenty-fifth letter of the Latin alphabet. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe and a constituent nation of the United Kingdom. ...

Diminutives

There are diminutives of charges as well.

The diminutive of the pale is the pallet and the diminutive of the fess is the bar. (The diminutive of the bar is the barrulet; barrulets are never borne singly. Bars are likewise rarely borne singly, though the arms of Scheffeld are amazingly blazoned as having one-and-a-half bars.[11]) "Barry of <number>" means that the background is divided into that number of horizontal stripes. There are diminutives of most partitions, like "bendy of" or "paly of". It should be noted that in order to be described as "barry" or "paly" there must be an even number of stripes, otherwise it is a field of x tincture and y pallets or bars. Thus the shield of the United States of America, though officially described as "Paly of thirteen argent and gules, a chief azure", is no such thing; it is "Argent, six pallets gules and a chief azure". Obverse The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States government. ...

The diminutive of the bend sinister is the scarpe.

The diminutive of the chevron is the chevronel.

The diminutive of the quarter is the canton, a square occupying, in theory, the upper left third of the shield. In theory a canton is never an original part of the shield, but some form of later addition, but this is not true in practice. Another charge can be completely hidden by the canton (sometimes, if the charge is not part of a predictable pattern of like charges laid out elsewhere on the shield, making it impossible to correctly blazon the shield); the charge so hidden is then called "absconded". (A highly unusual example of a quarter absconding charges can be seen when Robert Stewart, Lord of Lorn, marshalled his arms with those of Lorn: "Or a fess chequy of four tracts Azure and Argent between two buckles in chief and a garb in base of the Second; a sinister quarter Or bearing a lymphad Sable with sail set absconding one of the buckles and part of the fess; in the dexter base another quarter of the same absconding part of the fess". [12]) When a shield contains both a fess and canton they are always shown in their theoretical size, and with no dividing line between them; as they appear to be one continuous thing, blazoning a shield with a fess and canton can be confusing for the novice. The canton can be borne sinister (unless blazoned "a canton sinister" the canton is dexter), but this rarely happens. Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh Sir Robert Stewart (composer) Robert L. Stewart (astronaut) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

A charge "in canton" is located in the position in which a canton would be.

The diminutive of the canton is the chequer of the chequy field (but this never occurs alone).

An escutcheon is a shield; it is usually shown in the shape of the larger shield it is on. An orle is a voided escutcheon.

If you put a mullet on a bend, the bend "is charged with" the mullet.

Any type of charge, but usually ordinaries and subordinaries, can be "voided"; without further description, this means that the charge has been "emptied" with a hole in the shape of the charge revealing the field behind it, and only a border has been left. It is possible, however, though highly unusual, that the voiding, the hole, is of a different tincture than the field behind the charge, which tincutre must then be specified; for example, "Argent, a mullet gules, voided or". It is also possible that the voiding is of a different shape than the voided charge, as in the arms of Newton Technical High School in South Africa: "Quarterly gules and sable; a lozenge or voided of a quatrefoil; at its centre a cog wheel argent; the whole within a border or".

Special charges known as "differences" may distinguish otherwise similar blazons; these often indicate "cadency", or what number son owns the shield, to distinguish him from other sons and the father. Cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing similar coats of arms belonging to members of the same family. ...

Blazons

Full descriptions of shields range in complexity:

• "Ermine" (the arms of Brittany)
• "Azure, a bend Or" (over which the families of Scrope and Grosvenor fought a famous legal battle)
• "Sable, two swords crossed in saltire argent, between four fleurs-de-lis Or, all contained within a bordure purpure"
• "Party per fess argent and sable, in chief a falcon close vert, in base a plate charged with a fleur-de-lis vert"
• "Party per fess: The chief Argent, charged with five bezants, the centre bezant charged in chief with a Latin cross of the field, on a canton in sinister base of the first, a bucket: The base party per pale Azure and Argent, the dexter side charged with three rings conjoined at their centres in pairle, the sinister side charged with a bend sinister Azure bearing three quatrefoil of the field. Behind the shield a pastoral staff. The shield contained within a cartouche and ensigned with an ecclesiastical hat supporting six tassels on either side of the shield."
• "Quarterly, I three lions' heads affrontés crowned Or; II chequy Gules and Argent; III Azure, a river in fess Gules bordered Argent, thereupon a marten proper, beneath a six-pointed star Or; IV per fess Azure and Or, overall a bar Gules, in the chief a demi-eagle Sable displayed addextré of the sun in splendour, and senestré of a crescent Argent, in the base seven towers three and four, of the third; enté en point Gules, a double-headed eagle Proper on a peninsula Vert, holding a vase pouring water into the sea Argent, beneath a crown Proper with bands Azure; overall an escutcheon barry of eight Gules and Argent impaling Gules, on a mount Vert a crown Or, issuant therefrom a double cross Argent; overall an escutcheon tierced in pale a lion rampant Gules crowned Or, Gules a fess Argent and Or on a bend Gules three allerions Argent."

Supporters and other additions

The coat-of-arms of Saskatchewan, with parts labelled

An armiger may be entitled, depending upon their rank to several other items. optimized version of Image:Coatarms_labld. ... The first part of the coat of arms of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, officially the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of the Province of Saskatchewan, was the shield, which was assigned by royal warrant of King Edward VII on August 25, 1906. ...

• Supporters: peers of the realm, senior members of British orders of knighthood and some corporate bodies have supporters on either side of the shield. Often these can have local significance (such as the Fisherman and the Tin miner granted to Cornwall County Council) or a historical link (such as the lion of England and unicorn of Scotland on the two variations of the Royal Arms in Great Britain).
• A coronet of a design appropriate to a peer's rank would be placed on top of the shield.
• Helm: all coats of arms may be displayed with a helm or helmet, which sits over the shield and carries the crest (see below). The form of the helmet may vary with the rank of the armiger.
• The crest rests above coronet (if applicable) and helm, usually on a 'wreath' of twisted cloth in the two principal colours of the coat of arms. Often but not exclusively an animal, crests were used to identify a knight at the joust and were, therefore, at first, a sign of the superior rank expected of participants in medieval tournaments. Since Tudor times, however, crests have been granted with all English coats of arms. The City of Sunderland's crest is a wild boar, a remembrance of the parish of Hetton-le-Hole, which became part of the City in 1974. A woman does not display a crest (just as no woman would have fought in a medieval tournament). The crest rests on the helm, as it would have done in real life, or it may be illustrated directly above the shield without a helm (as in the illustration of the arms of Sir Denis Thatcher). His wife, Lady Thatcher, as a woman, displays no crest but her coronet as a baroness is placed above her arms.
• Clergy, like women, and for the same reason (their non-participation in combat), traditionally do not display a helm or crest. Higher clergy, such as bishops or abbots, may display appropriate headwear (the mitre) above the shield, similar to the display by peers of their coronets. Lower clergy often use clerical hats with tassells appropriate to their seniority: this practice began in the Roman Catholic church but was subsequently adopted by some Anglican clergy. The Chief Herald of Ireland has granted Father William Richardson the crest A dexter hand couped at the wrist Gules holding a crown of thorns Proper., but this is often shown next to the shield, the only item above the shield being the historical tasselled hat of a priest.

In heraldry, supporters are figures placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. ...

Besides the shield

In addition to the shield, most coats-of-arms include a crest, placed above the shield, and a motto (see below), usually placed below it. In heraldry, a crest is a component of a coat of arms. ... A motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of a sociological grouping or organization. ...

Other items may be added to the coat, such as a helmet (decorated with mantling) in a variety of meaningful postures and designs; supporters on either side of the shield and the compartment on which they usually stand; and a variety of medals, ribbons, mural crowns and other decorations. These items are often granted as special honours by the sovereign. In heraldry, mantling is drapery depicted tied to the helmet above the shield. ... In heraldry, supporters are figures placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. ... In heraldry, a compartment is a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount, or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing (a compartment without supporters is possible but practically unknown, with the exception of South Australia[1]). It is sometimes said... Coat of Arms of Malta includes a Mural Crown The term Mural crown (from Latin corona muralis) as used in Roman antiquity, was a golden crown, or a circle of gold intended to resemble a battlement, bestowed to a soldier who first climbed the wall of a besieged city or...

Coat of Arms Motto

A Coat of Arms motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of families with coats of arms. In heraldry, a motto is often depicted in a coat of arms, typically on a scroll under the arms, or else above it as in Scots heraldry. These mottos are traditionally in Latin or Romance languages, as well as in English or German.

Modern heraldry

Heraldry continues to flourish today. Institutions, companies, and members of the public may obtain officially recognized coats of arms from governmental heraldic authorities. This typically has the force of a registered trademark. The first recorded corporate coat of arms was granted to the Drapers' Company of the City of London in 1438 (see Coat of Arms of The Drapers Company). However, many users of modern "heraldic" designs do not register with heraldic authorities, and some designers do not follow the rules of heraldic design at all. Arms of the Drapers Company The Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London; it has the formal name of The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of... This article is about a small section of central London. ... Events Pachacuti who would later create Tahuantinsuyu, or Inca Empire became the ruler of Cuzco January 1 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Hungary March 18 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Germany Eric of Pomerania, King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway looses direct control of Sweden. ... Coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Drapers Usually known as the Drapers Company, The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London, was probably the first corporate body...

Some people who have interests in heraldry as a hobby participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism and other such medieval revivals, or in micronationalism. Many more people see heraldry as a part of their national, and even personal, heritage, as well as a manifestation of civic and national pride. The Society for Creative Anachronism (or SCA for short) is a non-profit educational organization devoted to studying and re-creating the Middle Ages and Renaissance. ... This article is about small nations that are not recognized by any world government. ...

See also

• Academie Internationale d'Heraldique
• Cadency
• Canadian Heraldic Authority
• Chivalry
• Chief Herald of Ireland
• College of Arms
• Court of Chivalry
• Heraldic badge
• List of coats of arms
• Lord Lyon King of Arms
• Mon (Japanese heraldry)
• Polish Heraldry
• Sashimono
• Time immemorial
• UK topics

The International Academy Of Heraldry (Academie Internationale dHeraldique) was founded in 1949, in order to group specialists in heraldry from around the world. ... Cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing similar coats of arms belonging to members of the same family. ... The full armorial bearings of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. ... See also order of chivalry Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... The office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, (sometimes, though incorrectly, called the Office of Arms) is the Republic of Irelands authority on all heraldic matters relating to Ireland and is located at the National Library of Ireland. ... The Colleges own coat of arms was granted in 1484. ... The Court of Chivalry is a civil court in England. ... Heraldic badges were common in the Middle Ages particularly in England. ... Here is a list of articles that depict, or better yet are about, coats of arms. ... Arms of the Office of the Lord Lyon The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that kingdom, issuing new grants of arms, and... The chrysanthemum (kiku in Japanese) is the mon of the Japanese Emperor. ... History The history of Polish heraldry is an integral part of the history of szlachta, or a local class of nobility. ... An illustration depicting a typical sashimono, worn with battle gear Sashimono (指物, 差物, 挿物) were small banners worn by Japanese medieval soldiers for identification during battles. ... Time immemorial is time extending beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition. ... Shortcut: UK topics This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

Coats of arms

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Authorities

• Canadian Heraldic Authority
• College of Arms for England, Wales, Northern Ireland
• Court of the Lord Lyon of Scotland
• New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary
• Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland
• U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry
• The American College of Heraldry (Chartered non-profit, not a state authority)

Societies

• The Heraldry Society
• The Heraldry Society of Scotland
• The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
• A Heraldic Primer (Society for Creative Anachronism)

Heraldry-generating software

• Blazon (non commercial)

Other

• Rietstap's Armorial General - over 130,000 fully searchable names and blazons
• Heraldica
• Committee on Heraldry of the New England Historic Genealogical Society
• Scotscourts.gov.uk
• Page on the Flemish Heraldic Council
• Page on the Lyon Court
• Page on the Lyon Court
• Page on the South African Bureau of Heraldry
• Maltese Heraldry
• Information on the customs and practices of Heraldry and contemporary Heraldry
• Heraldry; Coats of Arms and Crests
• A DISPLAY OF HERALDRIE: by John Guillim (c1551 - 1621) being a complete transcription of the first edition (1610) of this work

Note

1. One possible exception might be the arms of the University of Northern British Columbia.[13]