Search Results for: mask

Mask

Mask of comedy (Accepted); mask of tragedy (Accepted)

Commedia dell’arte mask (Accepted)

A mask is an item of clothing that covers the face, usually to hide the wearer’s identity. Though period artifacts, masks don’t seem to have been known to period armory.

In Society armory, common forms of mask include the “masks of comedy and tragedy” or “Thespian masks”, from ancient Greek theatre; the “domino mask” from the Italian Renaissance; and the “half-face mask” or “commedia dell’arte mask”, worn by commedia players in the late 16^th Century.

Domino mask (Accepted); Pierrot mask (Disallowed)

The Society also has examples of the full-face “Pierrot mask”. However, the character of Pierrot didn’t exist until the late 17^th Century, and no examples of his mask have been found from before the 19^th Century. The Pierrot mask is thus no longer registerable as a charge.

Masks in general are guardant by Society default; the exception is the commedia dell’arte mask, which is shown in profile by default, the better to show its grotesque features.

For related charges, see eyeglasses, head (human’s), hood.

Marc Phillippe bears: Or chapé gules, a domino mask pean.

Hal of the Mask bears: Sable, a tragic mask Or, featured sable.

Gino di Palcoscenico bears: Or, a commedia dell’arte mask in profile reversed sable, hatted and plumed gules.

Edwyn the Player bears: Per pale gules and azure, a partisan spear Or, overall a Pierrot mask argent, orbed and capped sable, with lips gules.

Laurentina of Atenveldt bears: Per bend sinister wavy azure and argent, a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy within a bordure invected all counterchanged.

Rose

Rose (Period)

The rose is a beautiful flower, the most frequently used flower in heraldry. It is also one of the oldest, dating from the earliest heraldry in the arms of Darcy, c.1255 [Asp2 137]. Its standard heraldic form is somewhat stylized: shown affronty, with five petals separated by barbs, and central seeds. The barbing and seeding may be of a different tincture than the rest of the rose; when blazoned “barbed and seeded proper”, the barbs are green, the seeds gold. In Society heraldry, a “rose proper” is gules, barbed vert, seeded Or.

Early heralds made no distinction between heraldic roses and cinquefoils, considering both the blazons and emblazons interchangeable (as in the cadet arms of the Darcy family through the 14^th Century). They are thus negligibly different in Society armory. Period heraldry has rare instances of four-petaled or six-petaled roses (e.g., the arms of Rosenberger, 1605 [Siebmacher 215]); these variants are likewise negligibly different in Society armory, and indeed are often left unblazoned.

Roses may be slipped and leaved; the serrated leaves and thorny stems of nature are here employed. Examples of roses slipped and leaved are more prevalent on the Continent than in England: e.g., the arms of Güttingen, c.1340 [Zurich 55]. Note that “roses slipped and leaved” are distinguished, by blazon and heraldic difference, from “rose branches flowered”.

“Garden rose” slipped and leaved (SFPP); garden rosebud slipped and leaved (Disallowed)

For several years, Society blazons distinguished between the stylized rose of heraldry and the “garden rose”, depicted as found in nature: seen in side view, the petals overlapping and slightly spread. (The illustration shows a garden rose slipped and leaved.) This distinction is no longer made: all roses, be they heraldic or natural, are now blazoned simply as “roses” – with the understanding that they may all be legitimately drawn in the heraldic form. If the emblazon is submitted with a garden rose, however – seen from the side – it’s considered a step from period practice. Moreover, a naturalistic rose may not be blazoned “proper”, as roses in nature come in many colors. (The exception had been the “Damask rose proper”, which was treated as pink. This variant is no longer permitted, as being too naturalistic for medieval heraldry.)

A more specific variant of the garden rose was the “garden rosebud”, depicted with the petals closed, before the flower has fully bloomed. (The illustration shows a garden rosebud slipped and leaved.) This rose variant is no longer permitted in Society armory.

A “double rose” is an heraldic rose charged with another. When the inner petals are the same tincture as the outer petals, the double rose is treated as an artistic variation of the standard heraldic rose (indeed, the fact that the rose is doubled is currently left unblazoned), with no difference granted. When the inner and outer petals are of different tinctures, the outer petals are blazoned first: i.e., “a double rose gules and argent” and “a rose gules charged with a rose argent” are equivalent blazons.

A “rose en soleil” is shown with solar rays, alternating straight and wavy, issuant from its edges; this was a badge of Edward IV, d.1483 [HB 97].

In English cadency, the rose is the brisure of the seventh son. In the War of the Roses, the white rose was the badge of the House of York, and the red rose the badge of the House of Lancaster; roses of those tinctures may not be used in Society armory when the submitter’s name includes “of York” or “of Lancaster”, respectively. The Tudor rose, combining the York and Lancaster roses (in any of several specific ways, such as impaled), is prohibited from Society use. Likewise, the crowned rose is an English Royal badge, and so not registerable in the Society.

Kendall flower (Disallowed)

Mamluk rosette (Disallowed)

Of rose variants unique to the Society, the most common is the “Kendal flower proper”: a simplified rose of six petals, alternately argent and gules, barbed Or, seeded vert. This form was once disallowed, as being a variant of the Tudor rose; while the motif is now registerable, it’s no longer blazoned by the Society-specific term. There is also the “Mamluk rosette”, a motif found in Arabic art, which is essentially a stylized sexfoil; it likewise has been disallowed, as having been too uncommon in period to be compatible with Society armory.

For related charges, see foil.

The Legion of Courtesy, of Caid, bears: A rose Or barbed and seeded vert.

Alys of the Midnight Rose bears: Or, a rose slipped and leaved azure.

Jonas Aquilian bears: Azure, three roses argent.

Sonja of Atenveldt bears: Per chevron azure and sable, a rose gules en soleil argent.

Aurelia of Ashton bears: Azure fretty argent, on an open book Or a damask rosebud slipped and leaved proper.

Kaidu ibn Yesugai bears: Azure, on a bend sinister Or between two Mamluk rosettes argent, an arrow inverted sable fletched gules.

Gerhard Kendal of Westmoreland bears: Or, a lizard tergiant displayed vert between in fess two Kendal flowers proper.

Head, human’s

While the use of human heads as crests was very popular from the earliest rolls, their use as charges on shields came later, as in the arms of Gundelsdorf, c.1340 [Zurich 431]. Some human heads are affronty or guardant by default, but others aren’t; it depends on the type of human. As a very general rule of thumb, men’s heads face dexter by default, while the heads of children, maidens, &c, are affronty.

Savage’s head couped (Period)

Maiden’s head (or bust) (Period)

The “savage’s head” and the “wild man’s head” are shown with a wreath of leaves on their heads, since the leaves on the rest of their bodies are not in evidence. In other respects, the characteristics of a human head are those of that type of human, and are described under human figure.

As with animal’s heads, human heads must be specifically blazoned as couped or erased; couped heads are far more common. While the dexter-facing heads are couped at the neck, children and maidens are sometimes shown as a bust, showing the shoulders (and, in the maiden’s case, the bosom). This is not an ironclad rule, and seems to be artistic license; if the shoulders are meant to be included, they should be blazoned.

Head of St. Cybi (Accepted)

Janus head (Period)

One instance exists in Society armory of “heads of St. Cybi”. St. Cybi was a 6^th Century Cornish bishop, and is shown as a tonsured monk with a mitre.

The “Janus head” is taken from representations of the Roman god of beginnings and endings. We’ve an example from period Italian heraldry, in the arms of Banda, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 276:15; cf. also Woodward 201].

Cherub (Period)

Seraph (Period)

Also included in this category are the heads of humanoid monsters, particularly those which exist only as a head. Preeminent among these is the “cherub”, or “cherub’s head”: a child’s head cabossed, with two wings. Cherubim are found in the canting arms (Italian angeli, “angels”) of Dianiolli, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 272:277]; Legh, 1576 [84] likewise describes the cherub’s use in armory.

The “seraph”, or “seraph’s head”, is a child’s head cabossed, with six wings; Guillim, 1610 [83] gives an example of its heraldic use (misblazoning it as a “cherub with three pairs of wings”). In the Society, the seraph’s “proper” coloration is with pink skin, red hair, and rainbow-colored wings. The seraph should not be confused with the “standing seraph”, a variant of the angel, which is shown with a full body; as an heraldic charge, the standing seraph appears to be unique to the Society.

Gorgon’s head cabossed (Period)

Demon’s head couped (Accepted)

The “gorgon’s head”, taken from the monster of Greek myth, is a woman’s head with serpents for hair. As an heraldic charge, it’s shown in Bossewell, 1572 [III.22º]. The gorgon’s head is cabossed by Society default, though many registrations blazon the posture explicitly. Finally, there is the “demon’s head”, horned and ugly, much like a Notre Dame gargoyle; this appears to be unique to the Society.

For related charges, see hat, helm, hood, mask, skull, wind.

David of Moorland bears: Vert, on a bend Or three Moor’s heads couped sable.

Owain of Holyhead bears: Vert, three heads of St. Cybi proper aureoled Or.

Talanque bears: Azure, a horned demon’s head erased Or.

Petra Malusclavus Africana bears: Per pale azure and gules, a gorgon’s head cabossed argent.

John of Coventry bears: Bendy gules and argent, a Turk’s head affronty couped proper impaled upon a spearhead couped sable.

Staffan Arffuidsson bears: Azure, three seraphs Or.

Sabina de Almería bears: Or, a cross flory, on a chief purpure three Janus heads argent.

Head, animal’s

Boar’s head couped (Period); boar’s head couped close (Period)

Fox’s mask (Period)

Animal’s heads are an ancient heraldic motif, dating from at least 1255: the boars’ heads in the canting arms of Swinburne [Asp2 220]. Almost any beast found in heraldry may have its head used as a separate charge; indeed, in several cases (e.g., the boar), the use of the head predates the use of the whole animal.

Most animal’s heads face dexter by default; the exception is the owl’s head, which is guardant by default. The line of division is specified, i.e., whether the head be couped or erased; the head is usually severed where the neck meets the shoulders. A head “couped close” is severed just behind the ears, with no neck included; the illustration compares a boar’s head couped with a boar’s head couped close. The exact manner of severance is worth no heraldic difference.

A head “cabossed” or “caboshed” is guardant, with no neck showing. Some animals have special terminology for this posture: Fox’s heads cabossed are called “fox’s masks”, cat’s heads cabossed are “cat’s faces” (ditto leopards).

Pelican’s head erased (Period)

Lion’s head jessant-de-lys (Period)

A pelican’s head includes its neck and part of its breast, distilling blood. A lion’s head “jessant-de-lys” is a lion’s head cabossed, with a fleur-de-lys issuant from the mouth and back of the head; this is an ancient usage, found in the arms of Cantelupe c.1298 [ANA2 473]. Other beasts’ heads jessant-de-lys are found in Society armory, but such usage is considered a step from period practice.

In other respects, the characteristics of any animal’s head are those of the animal, and may be found under the entry for that animal.

The Baron of Coeur d’Ennui bears: Argent, a laurel wreath vert within eight boar’s heads couped in annulo gules.

The Order of the Lions of Atenveldt bears: Per pale azure and argent, a lion’s head cabossed and a bordure Or.

Sabina de Lyons bears: Gules, three lion’s heads cabossed argent.

Adelaide Walcheman bears: Azure, a peacock’s head couped Or.

Malak Boga bears: Quarterly Or and ermine, four bull’s heads cabossed sable.

Aénor d’Anjou bears: Purpure, a lion’s head jessant-de-lys Or.

Sabina Heidwolf bears: Or, three wolf’s heads cabossed azure.

Ursula Messerschmitt bears: Vert, a bear’s head cabossed argent.

Fandral Silverfox bears: Sable, a fox’s mask argent.

Lianor de Matos bears: Or, three stag’s heads erased gules.

Hat

Albanian cap (Period)

Cap of maintenance (Period/Reserved)

A hat is an article of clothing which covers the head. There are a wide variety of hats used in heraldry; no type of hat is the default, and there exists no standard “generic” hat. The exact type of hat thus needs to be blazoned; this was frequently done by a simple description, e.g., “a conical hat”, as in the arms of von Bornstedt, 1605 [Siebmacher 177]. One form quite common in Continental heraldry is blazoned in modern French as un bonnet albanais, an “Albanian cap”, although we can find no connection between it and Albania.

One specific type of hat found in period armory was the “cap of maintenance” or “cap of dignity”. It was used in Scots crests to signify baronial status; but it was used in English crests after 1350 by non-peers [Hope2 155]. It was also used as a charge in its own right, as in the incredibly ugly civic arms of Gloucester, 1536 [Hope2 335, Parker 333]. In the Society, the cap of maintenance gules, trimmed either ermine or argent goutty de sang, is reserved to members of the Order of the Pelican.

Jew’s hat (Period)

Another hat in period armory was the judenhut or “Jew’s hat”; this form of hat was mandatory garb for Jews starting in the 11^th Century, but soon became a mark of honor among them. It’s found in the canting arms of Judden, c.1370 [Gelre 94], and was used in the armory of both Jews and Gentiles [Edward Kandel, “The Origin of Some Charges:, Coat of Arms vol.1 (N.S.) No.95, Autumn 1975, p.208]. It is accepted for use in the Society.

Cardinal’s hat (Period)

Mitre (Disallowed)

Of religious headgear, the “mitre” was used as a charge almost exclusively in arms and crests of bishops and bishoprics; the few secular examples, such as the arms of Kirchberg, mid-16^th C. [NW 175], are not sufficient to dispel this appearance of presumption. The mitre has been disallowed, pending further examples of its secular use. The “cardinal’s hat” or “protonotary hat”, on the other hand, is commonly found in secular armory with no religious implications, such as the arms of von Dobeneck, 1605 [Siebmacher 151].

Jester’s cap (Accepted)

Flat cap (Accepted)

Of hats unique to Society armory, a popular type is the “fool’s cap” or “jester’s cap”: a forked hat of two or three points, with bells at the points. This sits on the head, as opposed to the (more period) jester’s hood, which completely covers the head. There is also the “flat cap”: a brimmed beret, which may be jewelled or befeathered, as exemplified in the drawings of Holbein, 16^th C.

Phrygian cap (Accepted)

Double-horned hennin (Accepted)

The “Phrygian cap” is a floppy, conical hat found in Greek art. The “hennin” is a woman’s head covering, from the 15^th C., with either a single conical point or a double-horned form; the type must be specified. Though the hennin was usually worn with a veil, in Society armory it may be drawn with or without a veil, at the artist’s discretion; the illustration shows a double-horned hennin. The “arming cap” is a close-fit skullcap, worn inside a helm as insulation.

Cap of Mercury (Accepted)

Finally, the “petasus” or “cap of Mercury” is a flat wide hat with wings; it was one of the accoutrements of the Greek god. For related charges, see head (human’s), helm, hood.

Alice Jean Huewy bears: Azure, on a bend sinister argent three Albanian caps reversed palewise azure.

Casamira Jawjalny bears: Azure, a jester’s hat lozengy gules and Or and a chief Or.

Edmund Renfield Wanderscribe bears: Per bend potenty gules and argent, a sun in his splendour Or and a cap of Mercury azure, winged argent.

Lucrezia di Bartolomeo bears as a badge: Purpure, on a heart Or a double-horned hennin gules, trimmed argent, a bordure Or.

Joshua ibn-Eleazar ha-Shalib bears: Azure, in saltire a ladle inverted and a recorder between four Jewish hats Or.

Christopher Thomas bears: Argent, a flat cap purpure plumed and on a chief azure three Pierrot masks argent.

Valentine Christian Warner bears: Vert, three long conical caps Or turned up ermine.

Declan of Drogheda bears: Argent, a Phrygian cap purpure.

Brendan Kanobe bears: Argent, a sugar-loaf hat gules and a bordure sable.

Dirk of Drei Eichen bears: Or, a cardinal’s hat gules and on a chief sable, three fleurs-de-lys Or.

Sveinn Harðfari bears: Per bend Or and bendy gules and Or, a demon’s head couped affronty gules wearing an arming cap sable.

Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses (Period)

Eyeglasses are a set of lenses mounted in a frame, used to correct faulty vision, dating from the 14^th 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.

Clothing

Clothing are those items of garb worn by people for warmth or display, usually made of cloth or leather. When blazoning the clothing on a person (as distinct from the person), the term “vested” is used: e.g., “a maiden Or vested argent”. In such cases, the type of clothing is blazoned in the broadest terms, and is worth little if any heraldic difference.

While clothing is most often found worn on a person, items of clothing may also be used as heraldic charges in their own right. For specific entries, see: apron, belt, breeches, chemise, gauntlet (glove), habit, hat, hood, hose, jerkin, mantle, mask, maunch, shoe.

For related charges, see armor.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings