Cool, now would this crest be emblazoned, "Upon a wreath Or and Gules, rising out of a circlet of three California Poppies a Passion Cross Proper" ?
So Steve why is the mantling Gules doubled Or? I may well be mistaken here and Joe et al can correct me if I am, but isn’t the primary metal Argent (the field and first mentioned in a blazon) and the primary color the Sable of the bee’s "proper" coloring (as the main charge of the field)?
Or is it because the bee is "proper" that the main color is the Gules of the roses? I hope someone clears that up for me…
so it would be Sable Or?
Practices re: manteling (as with most everything!) have varied from time-&-place to time-&-place. For example, the red & white manteling was all but universal in Britain & Ireland at some periods; now its an option in Ireland (regardless of the colors of the arms) and only used in Scotland where it was shown that way in the latest matriculation. The more usual practice is principle color & metal of the arms. However, some other color scheme - while perhaps unusual - isn’t wrong so long as it reflects, or is rel=flected in, the written blazon. (As Professor Higgins said of the French, "They don’t care what you do, so long as you say it properly.")
So IMO anyway, you can pick the colors as you wish (from the heraldic palette, anyway—no plaid or paisley) so long as you describe them properly in the blazon.
Michael F. McCartney wrote:
...So IMO anyway, you can pick the colors as you wish (from the heraldic palette, anyway—no plaid or paisley) so long as you describe them properly in the blazon.
Agreed—which is why "bleu celeste" is not needed in a blazon.
—Guy
ElSteveo wrote:
so it would be Sable Or?
::smile::.... I’m assuming this is relating to the "proper" discussion…. the bee should be blazoned ...a bee proper.. Proper just means that the charge should be colored what ever color(s) it occurs naturally.
For example, the arms of our society feature "an American Bald Eagle proper"
Incidentally since "proper" is neither metal nor color the rule of tincture doesn’t apply to it.
I would go with Gules doubled Argent. Not only does is fit as a default is would be approriate for these arms as the first metal is Argent and the first color is gules. I would not use sable as it detracts away from the bee.
The discussion of Sable & Or vs. "proper" got me to thinking (a practice some would say I gave up for Lent…in about 1970…)
How would the bee look with golden wings? Less "proper" zoologically (bugologically?) but a bit more visible against the white field.
Or [the conjunction] possibly winged Sable with gold lining or diapering on the wings, for that matter…
Just thoughts…
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3385/bigbeecoatofarms2as3.jpg
How is this? Somehow it doesnt look right to me. Or would argent be the lining, and Gules be the outside would look better?
That’s Argent (silver) doubled Or (gold), so no, it’s not right. It’s usually the first color and the first metal…you have 2 metals. You might try Gules (red) doubled Argent, like mine…see avatar to the left.
