Hey everyone!
While looking through heraldic book plates, I found this very interesting one that features a herald wearing a tabard of the Canadian arms.
http://www.bookplate.info/Bookplate/images_2/bruce13.jpg
I am curious to know, are any tabards still worn by any heralds ceremoniously? I know British heralds do, I’d be interested in seeing pics of that.
I know that Spanish heralds wore tabards on the installment of King Juan Carlos I, but I can’t find a pic of it at the moment.
Also, were tabards ever made of the arms of non-soverigns? IE just nobles? I remember reading somewhere that very powerful and influential nobles had their own arms, and they had names taken from the charges of the arms (Earl of Chester’s garbs come to mind) but I’m not quite sure what I read or where, to be honest!
Also, is there any other heraldic clothing made out of the arms? A heraldic sash perhaps?
Cheers,
Mohammed,
Take a look at the heralds webpage for the recent INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
OF GENEALOGICAL AND HERALDIC SCIENCES for some great pictures of tabards in use.
http://www.congress2006.com/Heralds.html
Dave Shorey
Very cool, thanks. Here are some Spanish tabards and other related things I found online:
http://heraldry.freeservers.com/Surcoat.jpg
Quote:
Tabard from the reign of Philip II (Vienna, Kunsthistorische Museum)
http://heraldry.freeservers.com/alburquerque.jpg
Quote:
Drawing of a tabard of the arms of the Duke of Alburquerque
http://heraldry.freeservers.com/Navarra.jpg
Quote:
Navarra King of Arms
http://heraldry.freeservers.com/Tabard.jpg
Quote:
Drawing of a tabard of the Chronicler of Arms of Castile and Leon
personalized with the arms of the Marques de La Floresta
More to follow:
http://heraldry.freeservers.com/Insignia.jpg
Quote:
Insignia of the Navarra King of Arms (16th cent. Pamplona, Archivo General de Navarra)
http://heraldry.freeservers.com/Badge.jpg
Quote:
Insignia of the Chronicler of Arms of Castile and Leon (1991)
http://www.cs.usu.edu/~watson/bartholomew/frenchArmor/j2.jpg
Quote:
Héraut d’Armes qui porte le tabard des ducs de Bourgogne
DRShorey;45517 wrote:
Take a look at the heralds webpage for the recent INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
OF GENEALOGICAL AND HERALDIC SCIENCES for some great pictures of tabards in use.
But how many of those tabards are actually worn as a part of state ceremonial (or corresponding occasions) and not just like costumes at a fancy-dress party?
Many of the heraldic officers present used the occasion of the Congress as the driving force behind having tabards made in the first place. But I’m curious as to whether or not it is assumed that wearing a tabard at "state ceremonial" makes it more "real" in the minds of some? Some of those heraldic officers present are private heralds of individual Scottish noblemen rather than members of the Court of Lord Lyon. So, they don’t take part in state ceremonial but their tabards are no less authentic than those of the heralds and pursuivants of the Lyon Court. Many orders of chivalry maintain their own heraldic officers and their tabards are not merely costumes.
The Congress, in addition to its other academic and artistic features, was also a chance to advertise heraldry to the world in general and the folks back home (or at least to those who happened to see any of it). It would have been a great loss for those relatively few who have an active tradition of armorial tabards, not to wear them. Since some would, it would have also been a lost opportunity, and a source of unnecessary division, for the rest not to have also created & worn tabards reresenting their own national or official heraldry. Whether this will start a fashion trend "back home" seems somewhat doubtful, but at least "for one birght shining moment" there was that armorial Camelot, in which nearly all the major participants joined in the once-traditional practice.
The US was for better or worse not part of the tabardry. I suspect that, as interesting as it might have been, it would have seemed so…un-American??...as to have not been worth the risk. Ah well…
There was a post by Michael Swanson, on the old forums I think, that showed mock ups of tabards for the various American institutions based on their coats of arms. I am at work now and can’t spend much time looking for it, but will look tonight.
Dave Shorey
Institutional tabards for e.g. Harvard or Yale, or in other arenas TIOH or NEHGS, would have been most interesting, though the design quality might have been a bit unsettling—not for these three, but there are lots of others less well armorially endowed. The plain arms (shield design) of the US on a tabard, British-style, would IMO be less than felicitous; better the whole achievement on a plain background, as was the case with a few of those used at the Congress.
And just for giggles…..
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e221/pblanton/Heraldry/AHS.jpg
The AHS tabbard. 
Take care,
DRShorey;45545 wrote:
There was a post by Michael Swanson, on the old forums I think, that showed mock ups of tabards for the various American institutions based on their coats of arms. I am at work now and can’t spend much time looking for it, but will look tonight.
Dave Shorey
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I have actually asked my mother to sew up a small tabard for my daughter, using the arms of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. She is the official mascot (so proclaimed the first time she attended a meeting of that Society, at the age of two), so it would be appropriate for her to wear it.
Now if my mother could only find the time….
Madalch;45597 wrote:
I have actually asked my mother to sew up a small tabard for my daughter, using the arms of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. She is the official mascot (so proclaimed the first time she attended a meeting of that Society, at the age of two), so it would be appropriate for her to wear it.
I remember her achieving this status at the AGM of the RHSC at Victoria, BC. She was quite cute in her plaid ensemble that she wore to the meeting. I suspect that the membership of the RHSC would be quite pleased to see her in a tabard of their society’s arms. By the way, it has been some time since I have seen her, why not post a photograph as she is the mascot of a heraldry society, this would not be off topic.
Just throwin’ this out there…why doesn’t the AHS look into this sort of thing? If you are ever able to get general meetings in person you could have one worn by whomever…maybe a herald for the society…at these events.
I know it is strange, but it’d be a nice touch…plus you have the perfect candidate to wear one - Mr. Alex Kurov (sp?) that magnificent artist who is a member here & who rendered the society’s arms.
And before we think of the republican nature of our nation, which I agree with and hold dear, not being complimentary to this sort of display, might I remind everyone that that great republic of Switzerland has heralds complete with tabards, as does the republics of South Africa and Ireland that we can see in the links that Dave so kindly posted at the beginning of this thread.
***Disclaimer: I do not say by mentioning Mr. Kurov that there are no other worthy persons to do such a thing…just that his work is so splendid that it’d be a nice fit…please do not take this as a slap at anyone else***
