[ANSTHRLD] A sheaf of quill pens

[Tim McDaniel]

On Mon, 3 Dec 2012, Darnell Daniels <dmage121 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I was wondering what was the proper blazon for three quills (two in
> saltiare at the points with a third intersecting at the point). An
> example can be found at the following link.
>
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4464886552938&set=a.1471610042896.59331.1612997228&type=3
>
> The whole blazon would be Argent within a bordure embattled azure
> bezanty  two quills proper in saltaire with a third palewize
> intersecting at the points, but I know that is not right.

This has white charges on a white background, so it would be returned
for contrast (metal on metal).  "Proper" doesn't save it from a
contrast return.

Neither the Glossary of Terms nor the Pic Dic define a heraldic
"proper" for quill pens or feathers.  Anyway, if there's a heraldic
tincture available that's just as short it tends to be used instead.
They would be simply blazoned as "argent".

The CoA Glossary of Terms, Appendix 1, at
http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/coagloss.html , has

     Feather.
         The feather of a bird.
     Quill.
         An heraldic term for a spool about which yarn or thread is
         wound. Also called Embroiderer's quill, Quill of yarn.
     Quill Pen.
         A feather, the lower end of the quill of which has been cut
         into a nib.

http://oscar.sca.org/index.php?action=145&id=22531 is a pretty decent
quill pen.

Since no feathery bits have been cut away from the shafts at the lower
ends, and the tips aren't clearly cut into nibs, these might well be
blazoned as "feathers".  (The Pic Dic says that in English heraldry
the default feather is an ostrich plume, but in the SCA it's a generic
feather like from a goose.)

The primary charges -- the charge (group) at the center -- are
blazoned before secondary or peripheral charges.  So the final blazon
is

"Argent, a sheaf of three feathers crossed at the points argent within
a bordure embattled azure bezanty."

It would probably be blazoned as "a sheaf of three feathers crossed at
the points", but I agree with Tostig that you may well have to
document that arrangement.  Off the top of my head, I know of no
period examples.  Simply having three quill pens (in their default
orientation, palewise) would certainly be period style.  Would the
submitter be just as happy with that, or would they/you prefer some
other arrangement (either the one originally proposed or some other)?

Daniel Lindicolinum
-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com