The College of Arms has a rule commonly phrased as “we do not register fieldless badges that appear to be independent forms of armorial display.”
Below, I will attempt to explain this sometimes-confusing rule, catalogue which shapes are considered to be “forms of armorial display,” and note features which cause this rule to not apply. Continue reading “Charges Which Can Appear To Be An Armorial Display in a Fieldless Badge”
The Stemmario Trivulziano is a fifteenth-century Italian armorial featuring the Milan’s ruling family the Visconti and many of their allies and neighbors, believed to be painted by Gian Antonio da Tradate somewhere around around 1465. It takes its name from its owner, Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, an independent mercenary commander, who might have made good use of it in identifying military units on the battlefields of Italy.
Unfortunately, for a long time the only way to view the Stemmario Trivulziano has been to either finagle an invitation to the library where it is held inside Milan’s Sforza Castle, or to purchase a lovely bound edition for € 296 (about $350). As those options were both out of the reach of many amateur armorialists, the rest of us had to make do with a few isolated pages which had been scanned and posted online. Continue reading “Downloading the Stemmario Trivulziano”
More than one hundred and thirty new images have been added to the Traceable Heraldic Art collection over the last seven weeks.
Thanks to Ræv Kolfinnsson for contributing forty of those charges, including attractive sets of cats, dogs, foxes, and lions, each drawn in a variety of postures. Thanks also to first-time contributors Elizabeth Turner de Carlisle and Jessimond of Emerickeskepe, and to Iago ab Adam for continuing to dig up unique charges from period armorials.
Among the notable new charges this month, see the Archery Target, Ichthyocentaur, Sledge, Solleret, and Strike, as well as the Curule Chair, Domed Oven, and Thunderbolt. Continue reading “Traceable Art for June and July”
