Chaussé (Period)

Chaussé ployé (Period)

Chaussé (French for “shod”) is a Continental partition of the field, formed by two lines drawn from the corners of the chief to the base point.  The partition thus strongly resembles a pile, or a field party per chevron inverted; and it will conflict with either, all other things being the same.  But a chaussé field differs from these others in one respect:  In normal usage, only the central part of the field is charged; the shod portion of the field remains uncharged.  (Despite this, there are still a number of chaussé fields in Society heraldry with charges in the lower portions.)

The standard chaussé field uses straight lines; there is also a variant, “chaussé ployé”, with arched lines.  For related entries, see chapé, pile, vêtu.

Duncan Fearmac MacLeod bears:  Barry and per pale sable and argent, chaussé gules.