[ANSTHRLD] Blazon Question

[tmcd at panix.com]

"C. L. Ward" <gunnora at vikinganswerlady.com> wrote:
> http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ladyknights/arms/Bolverk.jpg
>
> I'm guessing it's something like:
> Per bend sinister counter-ermine and argent, in an annulet a Bowen
> knot gules.

The centermost charge is usually the primary charge and is blazoned
first.

    Per bend sinister counter-ermine and argent, a Bowen knot within an
    annulet gules.

I'm not sure the default orientation of a Bowen knot, whether it's as
depicted as in that illustration or whether it's with the loops up,
down, left, and right (+).  If the latter, it's "a Bowen knot
bendwise".

> I know these arms don't have good contrast

They have fine contrast for SCA purposes.  A field divided equally of
a color and a metal is considered neutral, and any tincture can be put
on it so long as identifiability is maintained -- and with gules on
black and white, it is.  An ermined tincture has some of the other
tincture class on it (via the ermine spots), which could impair
recognizability -- but here the ermine spots are metal, which *helps*
the gules.

Daniel de Lincolia
-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com; tmcd at us.ibm.com is my work address