[MR] Heraldic Term of the Day: Ermined Tinctures

[Beverly Robinson-Curry]

>From the College of Arms _Glossary of Terms_:

 

"Ermined Tinctures. 

These are heraldic furs. There are many possible varieties of these, all
based on the design of strewn ermine spots (abstract designs representing
ermine tails). The most common are ermine (argent with sable ermine spots),
counter-ermine (sable with argent ermine spots; also known as ermines, a
term that is not used in the SCA due to the possibility of typographic
errors), erminois (Or with sable ermine spots) and pean (sable with Or
ermine spots). Other combinations do not have unique names and must be
explicitly blazoned as <tincture> ermined <tincture>, e.g., gules ermined
argent (gules strewn with argent ermine spots). Unlike other designs
featuring strewn charges, the ermine variants are furs and are classed as
separate tinctures in their own right, rather than as charged fields.
However the ermine spots have the same constraints as charges for purposes
of contrast under RfS VIII.2, in that they must have good contrast with the
tincture on which they are placed. Azure ermined gules does not have
acceptable contrast. For contrast purposes, these furs are classed either as
colors or metals according to their underlying tincture (so ermine is
classed as a metal, and pean is classed as a color). Ermine spots can also
be used as normal charges; if not in a strewn arrangement they are treated
no differently from any other charges."

The four "uniquely named" designs can be seen in the third section of Master
Eldred's article here:  http://dragon_azure.tripod.com/UoA/BasicBlazon.html

 

 

Rhiannon

 

Mistress Rhiannon ui Neill

Triton Principal Herald

House Corvus, Atlantia