College of Arms Newsletters 2022

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Chris Green
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College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Chris Green » 28 Jan 2022, 16:34

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Bertilak de Hautdesert

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Chris Green
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Chris Green » 28 Apr 2022, 13:40

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Bertilak de Hautdesert

Ryan Shuflin
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Ryan Shuflin » 07 May 2022, 19:43

The adaption of beasts and symbols that originate outside the European heraldic tradition to heraldry is something that especially interests me. So the Sasanian Simurgh stuck out to me. I have never heard of the creature, and googling it I found out a few things. Sasanian refers to an Empire in present day Iran, and the addition of the demonym is probably necessary, because the depiction of the Simurgh vary greatly. Some are basically griffins and others are more peacock like. The coat of arms of the Shah of Iran has a Simurgh, so this isn't the first heraldic depiction of the beast (which is often considered a bird). I think this animal presents a challenge for an artist, especially as a crest. It has an almost beaver like tail, and only two front legs, like a wyvern. The illustration from the College has bird like legs. This led me to think that it was a strange kind of demi-griffin at first. This differs from the Shah's arms, where the simurgh has paws.

When adapting a mythical animal, that is usually stylized in a style other than the traditional heraldic style. The artist has to choose how much of the traditional style to keep and how much to change to a more conventional heraldic style. The College artist appears to have gone half-and-half. The head and legs look like typical heraldic style, whereas the wings and tail looks like Sassainan art. The result is that the part don't look like parts of the same animal. The unusual tail could be mistaken for a third wing, or the wings and tail could be viewed as something else. Of course, most of the problems arise from the unfamilarly of the viewer with the simurgh. Presumably, someone who had seen a similar depiction of the simurgh would recognize the crest for what it is.

What is really strange is the "semy of ellipses in various tinctures" on the base of the wing. They are minuscule, and can barely be seen.

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Chris Green
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Chris Green » 07 May 2022, 21:34

The simurgh mentioned by Ryan as being in the Shah's arms is at Q4.

Image
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Ryan Shuflin
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Ryan Shuflin » 08 May 2022, 16:38

Thanks for adding the picture. The Zulfiqar sword is of course in Q3. The symbols represent the various regimes that ruled in Iran, with the mountain representing the dynasty of the last Shah.

Has anyone ever seen a blazon before that has charges that are too small to see?

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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Ryan Shuflin » 11 May 2022, 09:23

Here is a picture of the later, more peacock-like variety. Image

I am pretty sure that the beaver like tail, is a stylized depiction of a peacocks tail, as I have also seen it drawn that way. Artistic license is then taken with the depiction of the eyes on the tail. I wonder then if the Ellipses of various tinctures (although various colors would be better) were actually supposed to be on the tail, and represent this colorful aspect that we see in later depiction of the bird?
Last edited by Ryan Shuflin on 23 Jun 2022, 15:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Chris Green
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Chris Green » 11 May 2022, 10:31

Ryan: Your picture isn't viewable I fear.
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Arthur Radburn
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Arthur Radburn » 30 Aug 2022, 19:08

August 2022 newsletter now online : https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/news ... tter-no-69 .

A very small selection of recently-granted arms this time (interestingly, both with the same colour scheme of black, silver and gold) :

Robinson CC - CoA 2022.jpg
Robert C.C. Robinson

Kingsley E - CoA 2022.jpg
Emmanuel Kingsley (USA)
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Arthur Radburn

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Chris Green
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Chris Green » 30 Aug 2022, 21:23

Amusingly, Mr Kingsley's owl holds in one claw a narwhal's tusk and the in the other a unicorn's horn - they are (of course) identical.
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Jeremy Fox
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Re: College of Arms Newsletters 2022

Postby Jeremy Fox » 31 Aug 2022, 20:52

Only to look at - you can't purify water with a narwhal's horn. Accept no substitutes


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