Search Results for: coronet

Moorcock

Moorcock (Period)

The moorcock is a game bird, the male black grouse, characterized in heraldry by its two projecting tail feathers. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of Myddylmore c.1460 [RH], and more famously in the arms of Sir Thomas More, 1478 [Wagner 68]. The moorcock is close by default.

Vostroi Ivanov Kievich bears: Or, a pale bretessed between two moorcocks close respectant gules each gorged of a coronet argent.

Lovell Hastings bears: Argent, a fess wreathed vert between three moorcocks in fess and a patriarchal cross gules.

Jacopo Basilio Rosso bears: Or, a moorcock gules maintaining a lantern sable paned Or, on a bordure gules three bezants.

Jewelry

Hexagonal gemstone (Period); step-cut gemstone (Accepted)

Jewelry are items of personal adornment, usually made from precious metals or stones. While they are often shown worn on a human form, they are also used as charges in their own right. Examples from Society armory include cameo busts, wristlets and arm-rings, and necklaces.

Individual gemstones are also sometimes found as charges, as in the civic arms of Beihlstein, 1605 [Siebmacher 226]. Gemstones should be cut in a period style: for instance, the gem in the arms of Beihlstein is hexagonal. In Society armory the step-cut (or emerald-cut), as seen in Holbein’s portraits, is the most common. By default, gemstones are drawn as seen from above – gemstones in profile are considered a step from period practice – and should be solidly tinctured, not chased. Post-period gem cuts, such as the brilliant cut, may not be registered.

The illustration shows an hexagonal gemstone, as in the arms of Beihlstein, and a step-cut gemstone as frequently seen in Society armory. For specific entries, see: brooch, crown, paternoster, ring, torque.

The Order of the Gemme d’Or, of Gyldenholt, bears: Azure, a hexagonal gemstone Or.

Gerold Bright Angel bears: Gules, a double cameo bust within two wings conjoined Or.

Branwen of Cherry Bay bears: Gules, a boar’s-tooth necklace in orle throughout argent.

Lucia Greenstone bears: Argent, a step-cut emerald palewise vert.

Escarbuncle

Escarbuncle (Period)

An escarbuncle is a stylized heraldic charge, representing the boss and reinforcing bars on a shield. It is normally of eight spokes, with the ends fleury, as in the illustration; this form is found very early, in the arms of the Counts (later Dukes) of Cleves, c.1275 [Asp2 190; also Gelre 93]. Escarbuncles of six are also found in period arms, as well as pometty ends; such cases are explicitly blazoned. (Sometimes, the default fleury ends are explicitly blazoned as well.)

Escarbuncles may also be constructed by conjoining other charges: the arms of the Kings of Navarre, from the mid-14^th Century, had an escarbuncle of chains. In Society heraldry, other charges have been employed as well: an “escarbuncle of six swords, conjoined at the points”, for example.

Elephant

Elephant (Period)

The elephant is a gigantic beast characterized by its tusks, ears, and prehensile trunk; some early emblazons show it with cloven hooves as well. It was considered a symbol of modesty and chastity by the medievals. As an heraldic charge, the elephant dates from c.1340, in the canting arms of the Grafs von Helfenstein [Zurich 79].

The elephant is statant by default; its “proper” tincture is grey with argent tusks. It is sometimes shown with a castle or tower on its back, such as recorded in the Visitation of Wales, 1530 [Woodcock & Robinson 149]; in such a case, the fact must be explicitly blazoned. The castle is said to recall war elephants with howdahs, described by Alexander the Great when he tried to conquer India; if the elephant’s tower is actually drawn as a howdah, its use carries a step from period practice.

Tristan d’Alsace bears: Azure, three elephants statant argent.

‘Abd al-Hakim ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman Shaddad al-Tomüki bears: Argent, an elephant rampant sable maintaining in its trunk a coronet gules.

Edmund Foxe bears: Sable, an elephant argent maintaining atop its back a tower, a bordure embattled Or.

Katherine Meade bears as a badge: An elephant rampant ermine bearing on its back a howdah gules.

Chest

Chest (Period)

A chest is a wooden box with a hinged lid, often banded in metal and locked, used for the storage of valuables. Mundane heralds blazon it a “coffer” or “coffer box”; one Society armory blazons it a “casket”. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of William Cope (d.1513), cofferer to Henry VII [DBA2 215]. The chest’s lid is closed by default; in Society armory, it’s typically depicted affronty, but period examples (e.g. Bossewell, 1572 [III.16]) show it slightly in trian aspect, as in the illustration.

In Italian armory, there is also the cassa, “strongbox”, drawn as an unadorned rectangular metal box in trian aspect; it’s found in the canting arms of da Cassan, mid-15^th C. [Triv 121]. For related charges, see Ark of the Covenant, coffin.

The Keeper of the Regalia for the Prince of the Sun bears: Azure, on a chest argent a fireball sable enflamed proper.

Oriana of Xylina bears: Gules, a blonde mermaid proper crowned with a pearled coronet Or maintaining a wooden casket proper and a mirror argent, a chief wavy Or fretty sable.