Furison

Furison (Period)

A furison is a fire steel, used with flint to strike sparks for starting fires. It is also blazoned a “ferris” in mundane heraldry. The furison is a period charge, found in the arms of Grassawer, c.1340 [Zurich 237]; but its most famous usage is as a badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece, c.1430. It is fesswise by default, with its flat edge (its “steel”) to base.

ffride wlffsdotter bears: Gules, three furisons and a bordure Or.

Evangeline Bajolet bears: Per fess vert and argent, three furisons counterchanged.

Eiríkr Hrafnkelsson bears: Sable, three furisons one and two argent.

Frying pan

Frying pan (Period)

A frying pan is a flat, shallow metal vessel on a long handle, used for cooking food over a fire; it may also be termed a “skillet”. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of von Scever or Schever, c.1370 [Gelre 109], and the canting arms [Italian padella] of dala Padela, mid-15^th C. [Triv 282]. The illustration is taken from Gelre. The frying pan is palewise, handle to base, by default. For related charges, see pot.

Æduin of Skye bears as a badge: A frying pan bendwise sable.

Musa-Æstriþ Þorvalðzdottir bears: Per bend sinister argent and azure, a frying pan palewise sable.

D’vorah bint Dā’ūd bears as a badge: A frying pan gules.

Fork

Eating fork (Accepted)

Hayfork (Period)

A fork is an implement with two or more prongs at one end. There are several varieties of fork; while no type has been explicitly ruled to be the Society’s default, the “eating fork” seems to take that honor. The eating fork was used by diners in Italy in the 16^th Century, though its use doesn’t seem to have spread before the end of period (being adopted in England only in Stuart times) [Paston-Williams, The Art of Dining, pp.75, 170]. In period, the eating fork typically had only two tines, and this is the Society default; the number of tines is nonetheless often explicitly blazoned. Though a period artifact, we have no examples of its use as a period heraldic charge; the illustration is based on a drawing by Bartolomeo Scappi, 1570 [Thornton, The Italian Renaissance Interior, pl.88].

The “hayfork” (also called the “pitchfork” or “mowing fork”) is used as a farm tool. Period heraldic examples might have either two or three prongs: two-pronged hayforks are found in the canting arms (German Gabel, “fork”) of von Gabelthofen, 1605 [Siebmacher 86], while three-pronged hayforks are found in the canting arms (German Heu, “hay”) of Hawstorffer, mid-16^th C. [NW 58]. The illustration shows the three-pronged hayfork.

The heads of forks are also occasionally found as period charges. The “hayfork head” is found in the canting arms of von der Gabel, 1605 [Siebmacher 149].

All of these fork variants have their prongs to chief by default. For related charges, see eel-fork, handgun rest, mash rake, pall, streitgabelklinge, trident. See also spoon.

Uilleam Thorken Hardhans bears: Azure, three two-tined eating forks Or, on a chief argent three sets of three passion nails in pall inverted conjoined at their heads sable.

Cerdic Cenfrithes sunu bears as a badge: Gules, an eating fork bendwise sinister argent.

Andrew of the North Shore bears: Per fess raguly argent and vert, in saltire a wooden-handled spade and a two-pronged mowing fork sable, hafted proper.

Gregory of Devon bears: Gules, a hayfork erect within a bordure rayonny Or.

Fireplace

Fireplace with flames (Accepted)

A fireplace is an open place in a room’s wall, lined with brick, in which fires may be lit to warm the room. The fire is evidently blazoned explicitly. Though a period artifact, the fireplace has not been adduced in period armory. See also edifice.

Kalida Ivanovna bears: Sable, within a fireplace argent, masoned sable, flames of fire proper.

Willeam Rudhall bears: Quarterly azure and sable, within a fireplace Or a flame gules.

Fetterlock

Fetterlock (Period)

A fetterlock is a semi-circular manacle, put on a horse’s ankle to prevent it from running away. It is open (unlocked) by Society default. While the bolt mechanism may be either to chief or to base in mundane heraldry, the most common attitude is with bolt to base, as in the Yorkist badge of the fetterlock-and-falcon, used since Edward IV [Hope2 169, HB 97]; this is the Society default. For related charges, see padlock, shackle.

Mons von Goarshausen bears: Per pale gules and sable, three closed fetterlocks Or.

Nikolai Jagger bears: Per chevron gules and sable, a fetterlock within a bordure argent.

Marsle Lokart bears: Azure, a closed fetterlock argent and in chief three hearts Or.

Fan

Winnowing fan (Period)

Fan (Accepted)

A fan is a device for generating a current of air. In medieval heraldry, the default fan was more fully termed a “winnowing fan” or “vannet”; it was used to blow the chaff from grain. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of Septvans or Sevans, c.1275 [ANA2 556]; the handles are to chief, the wide part to base, by default.

In Society heraldry, the default fan is the handheld folding fan, used to cool humans. This form is open or spread, with the wide part to chief, by default. The folding fan is found in later period portraits (as in the “Ditchley” portrait of Elizabeth I, by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, c.1595), but no examples are known in European armory. However, a similar form, with paper covering the ribs, is found in Japanese Mon; this form (ogi) was borne by Satake Yoshinobu, 1569-1633 [Hawley 59].

Feather fan (Period)

Liturgical fan (Accepted)

Three other fans are found in Society armory. There’s the “feather fan”, with plumes attached to a handle; it’s similar to a feather-edged fan found in the arms of Hintaller, mid-16^th C. [NW 56]. There’s also the “liturgical fan”, a solid piece of stiffened fabric, used in church to keep insects away from the Host [EB X:168]. Finally, we have the “flag fan” (ventuolo) of 16^th C. Italy, a stiff vane of woven fiber or parchment on an offset handle, as seen in Boissard’s Habitus Variorum Orbis Gentium, 1581.

Flag fan (Accepted)

All of these fans are palewse, with handles to base, by default. Additionally, the asymmetrical flag fan has its vane to dexter by default; it is granted no difference from a banner (cf. flag).

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.

Distaff

Distaff (Period)

A distaff is a long staff that holds the fiber ready for spinning. It is a period charge: the illustration is taken from the civic arms of Lüdger, 1413 [Conz.Const. ccv]. The distaff is normally shown “dressed”, or with the fiber loaded in chief; it is palewise by default. See also drop-spindle, quill of yarn.

The Costumer’s Guild of An Tir bears: A distaff Or.

Gwennan nic Ailpein an Locha Seile bears: Vert, a distaff between two flaunches Or.

Þóra Grímudóttir bears as a badge: A distaff azure.

Cushion

Cushion (Period)

Cushion lozengewise (Period)

A cushion is a pillow or stuffed pad. The standard heraldic cushion is square or rectangular, with a tassel on each corner; if rectangular, as in the illustration, it is fesswise by Society default. Square cushions were also found lozengewise (i.e., bendwise) in period armory – more frequently, in fact, than fesswise. The cushion is found as a charge as early as c.1255, in the arms of Redman [ANA2 350]. For related charges, see bag of madder, wool-pack.

The Chamberlain of the East Kingdom bears: A cushion purpure.

La Rana bears: Vert, on a cushion Or a frog sejant affronty vert, crowned Or.

Pillow of Oertha bears: Azure, in saltire five pillows Or.

Cup; Beaker

Cup (Period)

A cup is a drinking vessel, consisting of a bowl atop a stem and base. It may also be termed a “chalice” or “goblet”, especially if ornamented or jewelled; such details are considered artistic license. The cup is an ancient charge, found in the arms of de Argentine c.1244 [Asp2 216].

Covered cup (British) (Period)

Covered cup (Continental) (Period)

In Society armory, the cup is usually shown with open mouth; this matches examples from period Italian heraldry, such as the arms of de Bonfilliis, mid-15^th C. [Triv 64]. In most other period armory, the cup is normally covered: with a domed lid in English armory, with stiffened cloth in Iberian and German armory. Such covers seem to have counted for little if any heraldic difference; they are nonetheless blazoned in Society armory. The mouth of the cup is to chief by default.

Beaker (Period)

Prunted beaker (Period)

Related to the cup is the “beaker”, a basically cylindrical shape (slightly tapering) without stem or base. It too is a period charge, found in the canting arms (Italian bicchiere) of di Bizeriis, mid-15^th C. [Triv 65]. A slightly modified form was found in the canting arms of Escher vom Glas, 1605 [Siebmacher 199]; this form shows a beaker “prunted” in the typical German mode.

Mazer (Accepted)

Other drinking vessels found in Society armory include the “mazer”, a festive drinking bowl traditionally made from maple wood. It is usually shown footed and decorated.

For related charges, see bowl, pitcher, saltcellar, tankard. See also cupping-glass, mortar and pestle.

The Baron of Rising Waters bears: Gyronny arrondi gules and argent, a goblet Or within a laurel wreath vert.

Snorri Styrr Bolli bears: Gules, a chalice argent.

Armand de Mortain bears: Per pale azure and sable, three cups Or.

Kolfinna Thorgrimsdottir bears: Argent, a covered cup and a gore purpure.

Elen Greenhand bears: Or, a mazer sable grasped by a pair of hands fesswise vert, within an orle of acorns proper.

Brangwain nic Stiubhard bears as a badge: On a beaker azure a dolphin hauriant Or.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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