Acorns

[Chas Charles-Dunne]

Does anyone know the default orientation for an acorn?

In nature, gravity tends to pull the nut downwards, so if blazoned 'proper', I would expect to see it that way. That is to say, cap to chief and nut to base.

I have become aware in recent days of acorns being displayed in all directions, but at least half of them are what I would call reversed, with nut uppermost and cap to base.

Fox-Davies's Complete Guide shows this:

, but gives no description as to attitude.

So, does anyone have an idea?

[steven harris]

They do seem to come in all manner of directions
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... n_heraldry

It might be most safe to not assume a "default" possition at all, and simply blazon it as you want it.

If left unspecified, I would assume the cupule to cheif orientation, but another herald might want to put the calybium to chief.

[Arthur Radburn]

My understanding, as a bearer of armorial acorns myself, is that the 'default' is as shown by Fox-Davies.

Some examples of College of Arms grants of civic arms [ http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/weald_downs.html#surrey cc ] show acorns in that position, blazoned simply as 'acorns'. Then, of course, there are the Middleton arms, where the acorns are also depicted in that way.

The Bureau of Heraldry in Pretoria also depicts acorns that way, without specifying it in the blazon.

[Ton de Witte]

to my knowledge there is no default position, any artist can depict it as he/she likes. That said the position is normally one that fits best with the other charges.

[GJKS]

... In nature, gravity tends to pull the nut downwards, so if blazoned 'proper', I would expect to see it that way.
So, does anyone have an idea?

I'm afraid that I would have to refute that general statement. In nature, Acorns grow at all angles!

As has been mentioned, an acorn with foliage would (should?) be placed as 'per artistic licence' on all occasions unless something otherwise was specificly mentioned in the blazon. I believe that from common usage a single acorn defaults to 'per pale with nut in chief, and cup in base'.

If single acorns (i.e., without foliage) are referred to, I would specify just which way they should be depicted so as to remove any ambiguity.