[ANSTHRLD] Heraldic Regalia

[Jon South]

This brings to mind another thought that crossed my mind when I was 
starting to get into this subject of regalia.  In Heraldic Designs, A. 
C. Fox-Davies, (I suspect an excerpt to Art of Heraldry) several of the 
illustrations show Heralds in their official dress wearing Collars of 
Office (a fancy heavy necklace with a symbol of the order or office 
pendant from the necklace).  Most notable is the King of Arms for the 
Order of the Golden Fleece, but the illustration of Garter, King of Arms 
also shows a Collar of Office.  The Collar of Office is also seen for 
various office holders such as the Lord Mayor of London, heads of 
officially incorporated Guilds, etc.

Our Shire currently uses various emblems for the officers of the shire, 
i.e. the Seneschal has a somewhat large brass key pendant from a cord 
that he/she wears from their belt.  It occurred to me that Collars of 
Office might be cool, i.e. a chain made up of the arms of the shire on 
individual small plaques/shields/rectangles linked together to form a 
chain and the emblem of the office pendant at the front.  Then at formal 
occasions the officers would wear their Collar of Office over their 
court dress or even a tabard with the Shire arms.  This would resolve 
the issue of a tabard with the body bearing the arms and the sleeves 
bearing the badge/device of the office.  Besides, collars of office 
would make great A&S projects <g>.

Just another thought thrown into the maelstrom....

Yours,

Ivo FitzDonald
Acting Herald Ffynnon Gath
mka Jon South

Jennifer Smith wrote:

>On Tue, Feb 03, 2004 at 11:53:54PM -0600, Tim McDaniel wrote:
>  
>
>>On Tue, 3 Feb 2004, Jon South <jonsouth at centurytel.net> wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Others in the shire feel that it should bear the arms of the shire
>>>and the badge of a herald - this would result in a tabard with the
>>>front and right sleeve bearing the Shire arms and the back and left
>>>sleeve being vert charged with crossed trumpets Or.
>>>      
>>>
>>Why?  It's non-period for no good reason.  You're likely the only
>>person at the event wearing a heraldic tabard and making announcements
>>-- since when do they need to see crossed trumpets to tell you're a
>>herald?
>>    
>>
>
>In general I agree wholeheartedly with Daniel. However, I must confess
>that one of my unfinished projects is a new herald's tabard for my local
>group, and in the interests of compromise (all our existing tabards are
>the all-green types) I chose a design with the front and back being the
>group's device, and the little sleeve panels being the
>green-with-gold-trumpets. It's still not perfectly authentic because of
>that, but it's a heck of a lot closer than wearing a giant pair of
>crossed trumpets on your front (or back).
>
>-Emma
>
>  
>