Eyeglasses are a set of lenses mounted in a frame, used to correct faulty vision, dating from the 14th Century. Period eyeglasses used thick circular lenses; the frames were either tied in place with ribbons, or else held in place by the hand for reading. The illustration shows the latter type, as found in the arms of Latini, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 268:243].
Eyeglasses are normally solidly tinctured, i.e., the frames and lenses are one tincture. If the lenses are of another tincture, they must be explicitly blazoned, e.g., “a pair of eyeglasses argent lensed vert”. If the lenses are removed, so that the field shows through, the charge may simply be blazoned “eyeglass frames”. See also mask.
The Order of the Grey Beard, of Trimaris, bears: Per pale sable and azure, in saltire a crutch Or and a sword inverted proper, in chief a pair of eyeglasses argent, stringed Or.
Edward Glass bears: Or, a pair of eyeglass frames sable.
Leif Andersson bears: Argent, a pair of eyeglasses sable lensed and on a chief vert two boar’s heads couped Or.
An eye is an organ for seeing. It was used as an heraldic charge in the arms of di Belugi, mid-15th C. [Triv 80], and in the badge of Blount, c.1520 [HB 79]. The default heraldic eye is the human eye. At one time, the Society defined proper tinctures for the eye, but that practice has been discontinued; eyes not solidly tinctured must be specified, e.g., an “eye argent irised azure”.
Other eye variants unique to Society heraldry include the “cyclopean eye”, which is perfectly round; the “cat’s eye”, with a slitted pupil; and the “dragon’s eye”, which has been described as a Germanic rune, and is no longer permitted for use in Society heraldry.
Kelan Greeneye bears: Azure, three eyes argent irised vert.
Melisande Shadow bears: Sable, two cat’s eyes vert pupilled sable and fimbriated argent.
Hywel ap Riccerch bears: Per saltire vert and gules, a barrel helm affronty argent, within the eyeslit a cyclopean eye argent irised sable.
Frederic of the West Tower bears as a badge: Or, a dragon’s eye gules.
Occasionally, I update the images already posted in the Pictorial Dictionary. Sometimes, it’s because I just wasn’t happy with the older image, and I feel I can do better. Other times, it’s because changes in the College’s artistic standards make it prudent: the older image might not still be acceptable, or perhaps it’s now questionable. In any case, I do not wish anyone using PicDic images to suffer for that choice.
In this case, the lynx-eyed among you may notice a new depiction of the polypus, just posted.
The vulture is a carrion-eating bird, whose medieval reputation was for greediness and gluttony. It’s characterized by the lack of feathers on its face. The vulture was also called a “gripe” in period blazon [Bossewell II.118]. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (German Geier) of Geyer von Osterberg, 1605 [Siebmacher 34]. The vulture is close by default.
The vulture should be drawn as the European form of the bird, and not as the buzzard of the New World. The latter is deemed a step from period practice. For related charges, see eagle.
Serlo of Litchfield bears: Gyronny gules and Or, a vulture close sable.
Edvard Gayer bears: Argent, two vultures rising respectant, wings inverted and addorsed, a chief engrailed sable.
The “falchion”, or “faucheon”, is a slashing sword with a curved single-edged blade. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of di Folcion, mid-15th C. [Triv 150], and maintained by one of the supporters of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, 1575 [Bromley & Child 93]. Cf. scimitar.
Guy de Falchion bears: Azure, three falchions Or, on a chief argent three crosses crosslet gules.
Mustafa Kamaal of Antioch bears: Vert, a falchion inverted between in chief two cat’s eyes argent.
A skull is the shell of bone found within a beast’s head; the default skull is a human skull, and is also called a “death’s head”, especially when drawn without the lower jaw. It’s found in the arms of Bolter, 1632 [Guillim2 161], but is more famous as the attributed arms of Death [Neubecker 222].
Period armory gives us a few examples of animal skulls, such as the “cow’s skull” in the canting arms of Capo di Vacca, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 275:23]. Such animal skulls should have distinctive characteristics (e.g., horns) that permit them to be identified. Absent period evidence, they should not be depicted in profile.
Unique to Society armory is the “demon’s skull”, defined to be a human skull with horns (and optionally fangs); no difference is granted from a standard human skull.
All skulls are affronty (cabossed) by default. The field should not show through the eye and nasal cavities. For related charges, see head, skeleton.
Conrad Sturmere bears: Argent, three skulls sable.
Calam Stiùbhard bears: Per pale gules and argent, a death’s head counterchanged.
Bodo Rosti bears: Quarterly sable and gules, in bend sinister two jawless skulls argent.
Bjorn Rhys bears: Per bend sinister argent and sable, a stag’s skull caboshed sable.
Rhys ibn al-Makhdoom bears: Sable, a demon’s skull and on a chief argent three demon’s skulls gules.
A sickle is a crescent-shaped blade with a short handle, used for cutting grasses and weeds; it is also known as a “reaping hook”. It’s a period charge, found as early as c.1340, in the arms of Zürnler [Zurich 323]. The blade is to chief, embowed to sinister, by default. For related charges, see pruning hook, scythe. See also knife.
Ian the Strange bears: Sable, a sickle argent.
Rorik Gunnulfsson bears: Sable, a sickle fesswise, blade to chief, within a bordure all Or.
Meyer von Koch bears: Sable, on a heart throughout Or, in pale a reaping hook sable and a pellet.
A punch is a coiner’s tool, consisting of a solid slug of steel with a flattened end for hammering. It’s used to either shape the coin into a more circular form, or as a die to stamp the design in relief on its surface. It’s a period artifact, dating to at least 1568 [Amman 39], but no examples have been found in heraldry. See also rivet.
The Moneyers Guild of An Tir bears: Argent, a goat clymant maintaining in its dexter forehoof a hammer and in its sinister a punch sable within a bordure sable bezanty.
The popinjay is a brash and flashy bird, which the ancients knew could be taught to talk; it’s also termed a “parrot” in mundane blazons. As a charge, it dates from the earliest heraldry, as in the arms of Thwenge or Tuenge, 1255 [ANA2 401]. The popinjay is close by default, but period emblazons often showed it with one foot raised, even when not so blazoned (as in the illustration). When “proper”, its coloration is vert, beaked gules; frequently it is also drawn with a red ringed neck as well.
Parrot-like birds that were known to period Europeans (e.g., the cockatoo) may be registered in Society heraldry, but their use is considered a step from period practice.
Damian Papyngeye bears: Plumetty argent and vert, a popinjay purpure.
Leonor Alcon bears: Per chevron vert and argent, three popinjays counterchanged.
Rosamund von Schwyz bears: Argent, a popinjay vert within an orle of fleurs-de-lys purpure.
Plumetty is a fur, evidently a variant of the vair furs; it is made up of panes resembling feathers. Visually, it’s similar to a lozengy field, and its tinctures are blazoned the same way. Plumetty is a period field, found in the arms of Mydlam, c.1460 [RH].
The interior details of the feathers are diapering, and are considered artistic license. When no internal details are shown, plumetty becomes very close to a form of papellony. See also field treatment.
Duncan Brock of Greyfeather bears: Plumetty argent and sable, on a fess purpure a brock statant argent.
Damian Papyngeye bears: Plumetty argent and vert, a popinjay purpure.
