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Parts of a Coat of Arms

Posted by Jeff Ezzell on

Formally known as an achievement, armorial achievement, or heraldic achievement, what is commonly referred to as a "coat of arms" consists of several parts: the shield, the mantling, the helm, the wreath, charges, and the crest (note that not all arms have crests). THE HERALDIC DESCRIPTION OF A COAT OF ARMS The official, written description of the coat of arms is called the "blazon of arms," such as "azure, a fess argent between in chief two fleurs-de-lis and in base a lion passant of the same." The blazon may seem like a foreign language, but it is simply a system of...

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The Bayeux Tapestry

Posted by Jeff Ezzell on

Introduction The Bayeux Tapestry (French: Tapisserie de Bayeux) is a 50 cm by 70 m (20 in by 230 ft) long embroidered cloth, done in painstaking detail, which depicts the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. Once thought to have been created by William the Conqueror’s wife Matilda of Flanders it is now believed to have been commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half brother. The Tapestry is valued both as a work of art and as a source concerning the history of the Norman Conquest. Decorative...

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Medieval Heraldry: Personal Identity and Family Lineage

Posted by Jeff Ezzell on

Introduction Heraldry, that is the use of inherited coats of arms and other symbols to show personal identity and family lineage, began on the mid-12th century CE battlefield as an easy means to identify medieval royalty and princes who were otherwise unrecognizable beneath their armour. By the 13th century CE, the practice had spread to nobles and knights who began to take pride in bearing the colours and arms of their family predecessors. Shields and tunics were particularly good places to display such symbols as lions, eagles, crosses, and geometric forms. As more and more knights employed coats of arms...

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College of Arms News Letter October 2019

Posted by Jeff Ezzell on

The White Lion Society has generously given the College of Arms a portrait of Philip Walter Kerr MVO FSA (1886-1941), who became Rouge Croix Pursuivant in 1928. The fourth son of Admiral Lord Walter Talbot Kerr, he was educated at the Oratory School, Edgbaston, and Pembroke College, Cambridge. After serving in the army in the First World War and in the Egyptian Civil Service from 1919-24, he died on active service as a Pilot-Officer (Intelligence) RAF at Shallufa in Egypt during the Second World War. He is dressed for the coronation of King George VI in 1937, in his tabard, and holding...

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College of Arms January 2020 Newsletter (no. 61)

Posted by Jeff Ezzell on

The College of Arms in winter: this image of the main entrance of the College was taken by photographer and illustrator Humphrey Joel, probably during the notably cold winter of 1928-1929. The cars in the courtyard no doubt belonged to Officers of Arms; both bear London registration numbers. Joel also created some striking images of the interiors of the College which are preserved in the archives. This image shows the Waiting Room, where enquirers are received. This interior remains much the same today. The Arms of Sir Henry Farnham Burke, Garter King of Arms, can be seen above the doorway into...

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