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Scots Heraldry - The Heraldry
Society of Scotland |
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THE MODERN USE OF
HERALDRY - by Romilly Squire
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Heraldry
developed as a means of identification and those who wish to
use it should bear this fact in mind. Some armigers are
reluctant to use their heraldry as they feel that to do so may
seem somewhat pretentious. Only if an individual were to use a
coat of arms to which he were not entitled could the use of
heraldic display be seen to be pretentious. It is an honour to
bear arms and anyone entitled to do so should be proud to use
their heraldry in any situation in which it can discreetly and
tastefully ornament and identify. |
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The object of
using heraldry should be to make identification as instant and
complete as possible and, with this in mind, an armigerous person
may use his arms in a great variety of ways which are still
relevant to daily life. He may embellish his writing paper and
business card with a simple line drawing of his crest or shield of
arms, or he may wish to commission a more elaborate design for a
bookplate with which to ornament and identify his library. He may
have his arms engraved on his silver, cutlery or glassware and,
even today, the commissioning of a full crested dinner service is
not unknown. Indeed, manufacturers have become increasingly aware
of the potential market for heraldic display and a whole range of
products can be easily obtained.
In Scotland,
heraldry is much used in dress. The crest in silver is worn on the
bonnet and the arms may appear on the buckle of the belt, the
cantle of the sporran and on the handle and sheath of the dirk or
sgian dubh. Jewellery for women, such as brooches and pins, lends
itself to heraldic adornment. On their house, armigers may carve
or affix a full or partial representation of their arms, install
stained glass windows and fly that most striking and historical
means of heraldic display, the flag. |
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One of the most
common misconceptions with regard to heraldic display is that a
coat of arms must always be depicted exactly as it appears on the
Grant of Arms document. Within heraldic art both taste and style
are dictated by personal preference and therefore a coat of arms
may be depicted in an infinate variety of ways. It is only the
blazon, or written description, of the coat of arms which is
unalterable. As long as the blazon is followed implicitly, the
resulting design is entirely a matter of individual taste,
artistic interpretation and final application. No heraldic artist,
for example, would ever design a coat of arms to be carved in
stone on a modern building in the same way as he would design
those arms were they to be engraved on a piece of 18th century
silver.
Designers and
manufacturers must also remember that in Scotland the use of
heraldry is a matter of law and is regulated by the Court of the
Lord Lyon. If a designer is unsure about the authenticity or
accuracy of a piece of heraldic artwork, he should not hesitate to
contact either the Court of the Lord Lyon or the Standing Council
of Scottish Chiefs, both of whom will be happy to advise.
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© The Heraldry Society of
Scotland last Update
27 Oct 2021 |
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