As part of the arms I made up for my nephews, which you guys so graciously have been helping me with, I’d also come up with a set for my sister and her husband (the twins’ parents). (See "Jumping in with both feet…" in the Open "Heraldic Design" area.)
http://www.worcesterems.com/DKSN/Images/Kristen+Darrell3-1.png
Shield: Sable a raguly pale between two mullets of seven points one point to chief all Or.
Crest: From a wreath of the colors, a lion rampant Or armed and langued Azure.
The black is to signify their grief and the "constancy" of the fact that Kristen is always going to be my sister. The two-seven pointed stars represent them, and the raguly line represents their recent struggles. The placing of the stars on either side of the pale can also be said to show the separation between them and the boys. The gold color was chosen to represent Darrell’s pursuit of his Ph.D. and that Kristen is the more "refined" of the two of us. The lion in the crest represents the courage they showed in making the decisions they had to while the boys were in the NICU.
I wanted something simple, clean and striking for them so this is the result.
Very nice Jim.
I’ll mention only one thing and that is that most here, including myself, would argue that in the wreath the metal should come before the color. So the wreath should be or and sable and not sable and or.
Although if I recall correctly Fox-Davies mentions wreaths that violate this general norm. And while visiting the website of the heraldic artist, and I dare say a masterful one, one can see several cases of foreign arms that have color and then metal. So, if this is an option with Continental European arms I don’t know. I just know that usually it is metal and then color.
Donnchadh wrote:
Although if I recall correctly Fox-Davies mentions wreaths that violate this general norm. And while visiting the website of the heraldic artist, and I dare say a masterful one, one can see several cases of foreign arms that have color and then metal. So, if this is an option with Continental European arms I don’t know. I just know that usually it is metal and then color.
Generally, I think that you will find that it’s just plain heraldic ignorance on the part of the artist concerned. Actually, Fox-Davies in his "A Complete Guide to Heraldry" (1909 - P.406) says of the torse, "As always officially painted it must consist of six links alternately of metal and colour of which the metal must be the first to be shown to the dexter side."
May I also make a suggestion regarding the blazon in the first post in this thread
Quote:
Sable a raguly pale ...
- the precedence for correct blazon is to mention the charge first then the position etc., and finally the tincture, therefore giving ‘Sable a Pale raguly ...’.
Thanks, Geoff. I’m still trying to get my few heraldry books from storage, but we really buried them!
