[ANSTHRLD] Help with blazon

[tmcd at panix.com]

On Wed, 28 Feb 2007, Brian O'hUilliam <brianoftheloch at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2/28/07, Mike Wyvill <wyvillmike at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Can a Vert Bordure be placed on an Azure field?

See my other Note about Capitalization.

With a question like this, it's good to go to the Rules for
Submission.  Part VIII talks about contrast issues.
RfS VIII.2 defines what "good contrast" means for the CoA:

    2.  Armorial Contrast - All armory must have sufficient contrast
    to allow each element of the design to be clearly identifiable at
    a distance. ...

    a.  Contrasting Tinctures - Good contrast exists between:

        i.   A metal and a color;

        ii.  An element equally divided of a color and a metal, and
             any other element as long as identifiability is
             maintained;

        iii. A color and a charge, blazoned as proper, that is
             predominantly light;

        iv.  A metal and a charge, blazoned as proper, that is
             predominantly dark.

Then it defines when good contrast is needed and when it is not:

    b.   Contrast Requirements

        i.   The field must have good contrast with every charge
             placed directly on it and with charges placed overall.

             For example, "a pale vair between two owls Or" might be
             placed on a field gules, but not a field ermine because
             the owls would not have good contrast.  Similarly, a
             field vert with a fess Or contrasts with a wolf rampant
             overall that is argent or ermine, but not a wolf that is
             gules or sable.

        ii.  A charge must have good contrast with any charge placed
             wholly on it.

             For example, a tree placed on a pale azure could be Or,
             argent, or ermine, but could not be pean or proper.

        iii. Elements evenly divided into two parts, per saltire, or
             quarterly may use any two tinctures or furs.

             For example, a field quarterly could be composed of azure
             and gules, argent and Or, Or and ermine, or vert and
             vairy gules and argent.

        iv.  Elements evenly divided into multiple parts of two
             different tinctures must have good contrast between their
             parts.

             For example, "checky argent and gules" is acceptable, but
             "checky azure and gules" is not.

        v.  Elements evenly divided in three tinctures must have good
            contrast between two of their parts.

A bordure is a charge.  Since neither the field (azure) nor the charge
on it (a bordure vert) is divided, none of RfS VIII.2.b.iii - v apply.
There's no charge on a charge in the example, so ii doesn't apply.
So there's only i:

        i.   The field must have good contrast with every charge
             placed directly on it and with charges placed overall.

RfS VIII.2.a above defines what "good contrast" is.  Since both azure
and vert are colors, none of the four clauses apply (not metal and
color; not divided; nothing proper).

There being no good contrast, this motif is sufficient cause for
return.  (Unless you can find period examples, which I doubt.)

> Maybe if it is fimbriated Or or Argent.

Again to the RfS.  Here it's easiest to search for "fimb".  There's an
example under the Grandfather Clause (armory division) that's not
applicable.  The only other occurrence is under RfS VII.3:

    3.  Armorial Identifiability - Elements must be used in a design
        so as to preserve their individual identifiability.

        ... Voiding and fimbriation may only be used with simple
        geometric charges placed in the center of the design.

A bordure is a simple geometric charge, I'd say, but it's not "in the
center of the design".  So you can't register a new design with a
fimbriated bordure.

Denyel de Lyncoln
-- 
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at panix.com