The International Association of Amateur Heralds

"Less is more". Some very attractive coats of arms can be designed using a minimal palette, e.g. one colour plus both metals.
Here are examples from four countries.


Australia : Damian M. Benson (Chief Herald of Ireland grant, 2005).


Belgium : Pieter P. Jaspaert (Flemish Heraldry Council grant, 2018).


Canada : Gerald A. McKinnon (Canadian Heraldic Authority grant, 2014).


South Africa : Jeppe Boys' High School (Bureau of Heraldry registration, 1989 (based on a design dating from 1906).

Any thoughts about these designs?

I particularly like the Irish grant to Damian Benson, but, do not like the Canadian grant to Gerald McKinnon.

I am not sure about the arms of Jeppe Boy's High School - I would have preferred a chief instead of a fesse.

How about 'two colours, one metal', Arthur?

Regards,

Iain

Iain Boyd wrote:I particularly like the Irish grant to Damian Benson, but, do not like the Canadian grant to Gerald McKinnon.

My thoughts too. Benson's helmet is intriguing. In England and Scotland, this pattern would be for a knight or baronet. I wonder what CHI's reasoning was.

I am not sure about the arms of Jeppe Boy's High School - I would have preferred a chief instead of a fesse.

The design evidently refers to the school's location in Johannesburg, which is built on a gold reef on the Witwatersrand (which means "white waters ridge").

How about 'two colours, one metal', Arthur?

Thanks for the topic suggestion, Iain.

Another example, which is reasonably topical : the arms of the Brooksbank baronets :


A member of the family, Jack Brooksbank, married Princess Eugenie of York last year.

Arthur Radburn wrote:

Iain Boyd wrote:I particularly like the Irish grant to Damian Benson, but, do not like the Canadian grant to Gerald McKinnon.

My thoughts too. Benson's helmet is intriguing. In England and Scotland, this pattern would be for a knight or baronet. I wonder what CHI's reasoning was.

I would imagine that this is because he is a knight in the Australian Association of the Order of Malta. See p. 32 here,

https://issuu.com/australianhospitaller/docs/2017_hospitaller_-_web_edition

James Drabble wrote:I would imagine that this is because he is a knight in the Australian Association of the Order of Malta.

Very likely. It would also explain what appears to be the badge of the order on the helmet. Thanks for the reference to the magazine.

What's the source of the Benson emblazonment? The CHI record copy on the National Library of Ireland website shows only shield and crest and the text doesn't mention the knighthood. Could it be a privately commissioned emblazonment? Although there is a watermark.

JMcMillan wrote:What's the source of the Benson emblazonment? The CHI record copy on the National Library of Ireland website shows only shield and crest and the text doesn't mention the knighthood. Could it be a privately commissioned emblazonment? Although there is a watermark.

The source is an image of the Letters Patent, which was on the old CHI website a few years ago.

I came across this example of "one colour two metals" on the Canadian Heraldic Authority website : the arms of Victor Vilmont, with a "cadet shield" for his son Danil, both granted in 2019.


Arms : Argent a vol Sable issuant from a cross fretty Or and charged on each wing with three mullets Argent, on a chief Sable a Celtic knot Or.

Crest : A horse salient seated thereon a knight in armour Sable plumed and cloaked Argent holding in the dexter hand a lance Sable flying therefrom a pennant of two points Argent charged with a cross fretty Sable and bearing on the sinister arm an escutcheon Argent charged with a cross Gules, all issuant from a coronet of maple leaves and Maltese crosses Or.


Danil Vilmont's arms are differenced by substituting a hibiscus flower Or for the cross fretty. This is a temporary difference; he will inherit the undifferenced arms on the death of his father.

The Celtic knot makes an interesting and decorative charge.

Personally, I would describe the charge on the chief of Victor Vilmont's arms as a 'celtic interlacing pattern' rather than a 'celtic knot' although I would tend towards describing it as some sort of 'fretty' figure - especially as it appears to be an expansion of the 'cross fretty' in base.