Arms of George Washington University

 
Michael Fryer
 
Avatar
 
 
Michael Fryer
Total Posts:  6
Joined  15-05-2006
 
 
 
25 July 2007 05:18
 

Hi there, I’m sure this information is on this website somewhere, but would anyone be able to provide a blazon for the rather fine arms of George Washington University please? An image can be found here: http://graphics.gwu.edu/graphics/coatofarms.htm. Many thanks.

 
arriano
 
Avatar
 
 
arriano
Total Posts:  1303
Joined  20-08-2004
 
 
 
25 July 2007 11:37
 

Michael Fryer;47803 wrote:

Hi there, I’m sure this information is on this website somewhere, but would anyone be able to provide a blazon for the rather fine arms of George Washington University please? An image can be found here: http://graphics.gwu.edu/graphics/coatofarms.htm. Many thanks.

 


Yes, you can find a mention of these arms in the story about George Washington’s arms:

 

http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=President.Washington

 
Joseph McMillan
 
Avatar
 
 
Joseph McMillan
Total Posts:  7658
Joined  08-06-2004
 
 
 
25 July 2007 12:12
 

But not the blazon.  I recall that the bars are described as "wavy invected counter-engrailed of one downward point," or some such convoluted formulation.  So it would be "Or two bars [however described] between three mullets in pale Azure."

 
Jonathan R. Baker
 
Avatar
 
 
Jonathan R. Baker
Total Posts:  625
Joined  27-03-2007
 
 
 
25 July 2007 12:50
 

Isn’t the point of blazon to communicate the design so that it is easily understood and reproducible?  I don’t know if I would ever have come up with that shield from that blazon.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
Avatar
 
 
Joseph McMillan
Total Posts:  7658
Joined  08-06-2004
 
 
 
25 July 2007 13:38
 

I’m not sure I could have either, but I’m also not sure I could have come up with a better way of verbally describing the shield. This is where the phrase in English and Scottish patents of arms comes into play: "as is more plainly depicted in the margin."

As I think of it, I think the bars may be "wavy dancetty."  I’ve got it written down somewhere and will try to find it.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
Avatar
 
 
Joseph McMillan
Total Posts:  7658
Joined  08-06-2004
 
 
 
25 July 2007 22:27
 

Found it!

"Or two Bars wavy each composed of two troughs and one wave the wave invected of one point on the upper edge and engrailed of one point on the lower edge between three Mullets in pale Azure."

 

 

 
Michael Fryer
 
Avatar
 
 
Michael Fryer
Total Posts:  6
Joined  15-05-2006
 
 
 
26 July 2007 01:26
 

Joseph McMillan;47847 wrote:

Found it!

"Or two Bars wavy each composed of two troughs and one wave the wave invected of one point on the upper edge and engrailed of one point on the lower edge between three Mullets in pale Azure."

 

 


Joseph, many thanks for this. I was very puzzled by the question of how to blazon those bars, but it all becomes clear now!