Armorial Accessories
The armorial shield, and, in a rather less degree, the crest, are in
an especial sense essential parts of an heraldic achievement, and have
always been considered fully representative of their bearers. Therefore
they may be used together, or singly, without the supporters or other
accessories to which their owner may be entitled. On the other hand,
supporters, though they may be employed without the arms to support
badges or monograms, have, in that case, little more than the force of
fanciful devices.
[Illustration: FIG. 158.--Seal of John de Segrave (_c._ 1300).]
[Illustration: FIG. 159.--Seal of Anne Countess of Devon.]
[Illustration: FIG. 160.--Seal of Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmoreland.]
Supporters were in their origin badges which had acquired permanence by
custom in the same way that the arms of the shield had acquired it at
an earlier time. Thus, in addition to the regular armorials which so
profusely adorned the Seals, certain badges were freely used which from
association acquired in many cases a permanence by frequent recurrence
equal to that of the arms with which they were associated. In this way
lions appear in many of the Great Seals, notably in those of Edward
III and in the beautiful seal of Henry IV. Such emblems were placed
decoratively in any spaces that were suitable, and in the simpler
seals the intervals between the circumscription and the more or less
triangular shield within it invited their display, as in Fig. 158, the
seal of John de Segrave (c. 1300), which has a garb on either side of
the shield. In Fig. 159, the seal of Anne Countess of Devon, lions
occupy similar spaces, but with their backs to the shields. The seal
of Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, Fig. 160, shows greyhounds,
which, though of subordinate proportion, have assumed the regular
pose of supporters; while in the splendid seal of Edmond Beaufort,
Duke of Somerset, Fig. 161, the finely designed supporting figures
have complete heraldic force. Another fine example is that of William
Lord Hastings, Fig. 162. The connexion between ancient Badges and the
Supporters in present use is easily traced, and, as one instance of
many, it will suffice to mention the white lion Badge of Mowbray, which
has become one of the supporters of the Duke of Norfolk. The actual
recognized use of these accessories appears to have begun at the end of
the fourteenth century; and to have become firmly established in the
following one.
[Illustration: FIG. 161.--Seal of Edmond Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.]
[Illustration: FIG. 162.--Seal of William Lord Hastings. Fifteenth
Century.]
The idea that supporters originated in fantastically dressed pages at
a tournament seems to have little or no foundation, and though there
may have been some such representation of already established devices,
later statements on the subject have probably been much over-valued.
Viollet-le-duc quotes an instance of a celebrated tournament, which was
held on May Day, 1346, at Chambery, when Amedee VI of Savoy had his
shield hung on a tree and guarded by two lions. The interesting fact is
mentioned that the shields, helms and crests of the knights who figured
at this tournament remained in the Church of St. Francis at Chambery,
until 1660 or thereabouts. Then the church was redecorated, and in the
disregard for antiquity, which we find so difficult to understand, the
relics of chivalry disappeared.
At first and for a considerable time the proportion of supporters to
the arms was very satisfactory, being bold without over emphasis, but
during the sixteenth and following centuries, a tendency to increase
their size was felt, and it is in this respect that modern sculptured
heraldry is lacking in balance, for to over-accentuate the supporters
is necessarily to minimize the arms, and so divert interest from the
central motive.
When the space to be filled by the achievement demands it, the pose of
the supporters may be varied to a considerable extent, but the rampant
position should always be adhered to when it is possible. Where, for
instance, the space is wide, as on a mantelpiece, there is no heraldic
objection to placing the figures in a couchant position on either side
of the shield, an arrangement that has been frequently resorted to in
Friezes.
Sanction is given to this freedom of treatment by the fact that it is
not usual in blazoning supporters to specify the heraldic attitude,
except in so far as it affects the pose of the head. That is to say,
if the head is in the normal position, in profile, the figure is
blazoned, for example, a lion Or. If it were guardant or regardant, the
fact would likewise be mentioned but not the general pose, rampant or
anything else.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the supporters were sometimes
employed in pairs, and sometimes singly, to hold up the banners of
arms that were represented in heraldic manuscripts or sculptured on
monuments, and they were then usually placed in a sejant position.
In some instances, more frequent in Italy and Germany than in this
country, supporters bear crested helms on their heads in a very curious
way. An English instance is on the seal of Edmond Mortimer, A.D. 1372,
mentioned by Boutell.
On the seals of the fifteenth century onwards, the supporters were
freely adapted to the available spaces, without much, if any, regard
for actual physical support to any other part of the achievement. It
was heraldically sufficient that they were present, and the rest was
left to the taste and skill of the designer.
The variety of supporters has of course increased with the number of
those entitled to bear them, and creatures are now used which, though
perfectly suitable in an allusive way, are not equally adapted to the
ordinary heraldic treatment, and the result of working in an outworn
groove appears when Troop horses, Camels, Elephants, and so forth are
seen climbing up the side of a shield, instead of standing beside it.
Admit that the rampant attitude in an animal that does not ramp is not
obligatory, and the difficulty is easily overcome with every advantage
to the dignity of the composition.
The idea of moral support would also be much to the advantage of
symbolic human figures that are already burdened in a variety of
ways, for the sight of a figure, with both hands full, trying to obey
a non-existent law as to touching the shield that it “supports” is
pathetically ridiculous. Nevertheless, the hold on the shield is of
value in linking a design together, when it can be effected without
violence to ease and probability.
Too great freedom of natural treatment is not desirable, for it is
out of harmony with the especial decorative quality of heraldry, so
that one objects to the natural animal supporters that characterized
the illustrations of the eighteenth century, prowling from behind the
shields, not as heraldic error, but as wanting in dignity as decorative
design.
As a general rule, with some few special exceptions, the right
to bear supporters is confined to Peers and Peeresses and to the
highest classes, Knights Grand Cross or analogous ranks, of Orders of
Knighthood. Knights of the Garter, of the Thistle, or of S. Patrick are
entitled as such to bear Supporters, but as members of those orders are
now invariably Peers, the question does not arise.
[Illustration: FIG. 163.--Amorini Supporters from Venice.]
Figures of Angels and Amorini that are not considered to have the
technical qualification of heraldic supporters are of constant
occurrence in ornamental art, and symbolical figures holding the
shields of arms are posed in the spandrels of arches with admirable
effect and perfect propriety, and the fact that symbolic figures are
sometimes adopted as actual heraldic supporters can hardly be allowed
to cramp decorative art in so important a particular, nevertheless the
distinction should be recognized.
At Venice there is an admirably designed incised tablet in which
Amorini stand beside the shield, each supporting on a pole one of the
two large crests, Fig. 163; and the demi-angels which support the Royal
Arms on the spandrels of the screen of Henry V. Chantry at Westminster,
and the series of similar figures holding Badges in various parts of
the Abbey should also be noted.
Another admirable work in which Amorini figure is the fine panel of the
Arms of Cardinal Wolsey, which faces the Crown Court at Hampton Court
Palace, Fig. 164, a work that is no less remarkable for the strength
and bold relief of its heraldry than for the grace and beautiful
modelling of the figures.
Under the head of supporters reference may also be made to the eagles,
double or single-headed, on which in certain cases armorials are
borne as a mark of special privilege. The arms of Princes and Peers
of the Holy Roman Empire are borne on the double-headed Imperial
Eagle, like those of the Duke of Marlborough as Prince of Mindelheim,
as a privilege inherent in their rank. The single-headed eagle of
the Kingdom of Prussia supports in a similar way the armorials of
The Countess of Derby, to one of whose ancestors, Lord Carnarvon,
Ambassador at Berlin at the end of the seventeenth century, the
privilege was granted by Frederick William I. It therefore appears on
her book plate, which I am permitted to reproduce here, Fig. 165.
[Illustration: FIG. 164.--Sculptured Arms of Cardinal Wolsey. Hampton
Court Palace.]
Other accessories consist of Crowns, Coronets, Insignia of Order of
Knighthood, Mottoes, Symbols of Office, Medals or any other emblem of
personal dignity or ornament.
The principal of these, the Imperial Crown, was, in its earliest form,
a decorated circlet which was frequently of a most beautiful and
elaborate character, but whose decoration, apart from its general form,
had not acquired specific symbolic force, unless the fleur-de-lis that
sometimes appeared as part of it may be so regarded. If so, it was
probably introduced with the same idea of religious symbolism, as an
emblem of the Resurrection, or of the Virgin Mary, or of the Trinity,
which caused it to be used on sceptres and in other ways. The crowns
of the early seals show traces of arches in some instances, but it was
only in the time of Henry V that the crown, the one that succeeded the
“golden care” of Shakespeare, finally became arched.
The number of the arches, as of the fleurs-de-lis and the crosses
pattée that were added, varied from time to time, but since the
restoration of Charles II the essential details have remained constant,
though the general shape has changed with the contemporary taste in
other ornament. A considerable variety of form is also found in the
same period, the arches in Tudor times having sometimes the Gothic
pointed character, as it appears in Fig. 166, on the reverse of the
beautiful golden Bulla with which Henry VIII sealed the treaty of the
Field of the Cloth of Gold. In this instance it will be observed that
the number of arches is doubled, and the fleurs-de-lis and crosses
pattée proportionately increased. In a similar way the Scottish Royal
Crown is represented with an unusually large number of crosses and
fleurs-de-lis on the rim.
[Illustration: FIG. 165.--The Countess of Derby’s Bookplate.
Geo. W. Eve.]
In other examples, notably those sculptured on St. George’s
Chapel in Windsor Castle, the arch is much flattened and the crosses
and fleurs-de-lis stand high on the rim, thus producing a certain
squareness which is very happily suggestive of strength. It was this
type of crown that influenced the treatment of those on the present
Royal bookplates. In the seventeenth century the arches were depressed
where they cross, and in the Georgian period the extent of the
depression was very considerable, as may be seen in the maces of that
time.
[Illustration: FIG. 166.--Golden Bulla with which the Treaty of the
Field of the Cloth of Gold was Sealed. Sixteenth Century.]
It seems to evidence the want of intention, and that ignoring of
symbolic value that was characteristic of the time, for otherwise the
idea would certainly have suggested itself that the orb, the emblem
of sovereignty, should be held strongly up, and the crown be made to
suggest its adequacy to its pre-eminent dignity.
Doubtless this was in sympathy with the somewhat heavy curves of other
ornament, but its effect is common-place, weak and unfortunate. The
general character of the present day shape is a return to the more
beautiful pointed arch, and Fig. 167 is the form approved by His
Majesty for official use. It is to be understood that this does not
refer to the actual crown, which has remained much as it was in the
time of Charles II, but to its heraldic equivalent.
[Illustration: FIG. 167.--The Royal Crown as sanctioned for official
use.]
The decoration of the arches may take many forms, sometimes consisting
of large pearls, as in the usual way, sometimes of architectural
crockets as in much of the carved decoration, or as jewelled running
ornament composed of national Badges, or of oak-leaves and acorns as in
that which is known as the Imperial State Crown. A fine example of the
Tudor crown occurs in the stained glass roundel of the Arms of Queen
Jane Seymour, in which the arches are crocketted, and the crosses have
the cusped character that was prevalent at this period, Fig. 168.
In the jewels on the rim, no attempt is usually made to copy those of
the actual crown and great variety of jewelled decoration is therefore
possible. The gems are most often represented of antique form, that is
to say, cut _en cabuchon_, instead of in facets, thus presenting a
decorative simplicity that is very suitable to ornamental effect.
[Illustration: FIG. 168.--Arms of Queen Jane Seymour, Stained Glass
Roundel. Sixteenth Century.]
With regard to the cross on the orb the former remarks concerning
crosses pattée are especially applicable, and in addition it should be
observed how much more satisfactory it is for the lines of the lower
limb of the cross to be produced from the circumference of the orb than
for the corners to be projected beyond it. In the latter case the cross
has the unfortunate effect of being balanced on the orb instead of
rising from and being part of it.
The essential form of the crown, then, is a circlet heightened with
crosses and fleurs-de-lis alternately, from which rise two arches that
spring from behind the crosses pattée and uphold the orb, which is
itself surmounted by a cross.
Care is necessary in order that the curves of the arches may be kept
sufficiently flat, for otherwise too much tendency to a half-circle may
result.
The crosses and fleurs-de-lis offer remarkable opportunities for
strong, graceful, and varied treatment, and if they are kept fairly
high, and well defined, the dignity of the design is much enhanced.
The cap which is enclosed in the actual crown is of purple velvet, but
is represented heraldically as of crimson, and is lined with ermine,
which being turned up at the edge, appears round the lower rim.
The Coronets of the sons and daughters of the Sovereign have similar
circlets to that of the crown, but are not enarched, except in the case
of the Prince of Wales, who has one arch supporting an orb. The latter
coronet is usually drawn from a point of view from which the complete
arch is seen spreading from side to side. Fig. 169.
Other Princes and Princesses bear coronets that are varied according
to nearness to the Throne, the grandchildren of the Sovereign having
ducal leaves in place of two of the crosses, while nephews have similar
leaves in place of all the fleurs-de-lis. This must not be taken as
an invariable rule of heraldry but as an indication of the system that
is observed in framing the Royal Warrants by which alone the right
to these coronets, and also to the Royal marks of cadency (q.v.) is
conferred.
[Illustration: FIG. 169.--Coronet of the Prince of Wales.]
Royal coronets, other than that of the Prince of Wales, do not change
automatically as private marks of cadency do, but being arranged under
the same Royal Warrant by which the arms are assigned, they remain as
so designated until they are changed by the same authority.
The Coronets of Peers were definitely assigned to the various ranks
by warrant of Charles II, having by that time become developed into
distinctive forms, as the Crown had been, from the circlets which in
themselves were marks of high rank and were so used ceremonially in
conferring a title.
The coronet of a Duke is composed of eight ornamental leaves of
equal height, wrongly called strawberry leaves, set on a rim which
is ornamented with jewel-like tracery but not with actual gems.
Eight being the full number of leaves, five of which are visible in
representation.
A Marquis’s coronet has four leaves alternately with an equal number
of silver balls, called pearls, which are set on points to the height
of the leaves, and the coronet is always represented as so posed that
three leaves and two balls are visible. It is directed that in all
coronets the balls shall be of silver and not counterfeit pearls.
An Earl’s coronet has eight balls raised on high points and showing
between them leaves which are set low down. Five balls and four
alternate leaves are usually shown. This form is evidently derived
from the beautiful coronet that is sculptured on the tomb of Thomas
Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, 1445, and in the same way that the coronet
of another Earl of Arundel (A.D. 1487) foreshadowed that of a duke.
The former of these is very fine, having groups of three pearls on
alternate points, and with the leaves also on points to the same height
as the others.
A Viscount’s coronet is a circle with surface decorations which, like
all the preceding, is as in that of a Duke and has sixteen silver balls
set close on the rim, and of them nine are shown.
A Baron’s coronet has six silver balls, also set directly on the rim
and not on points, the circlet in this instance being plain, i.e.,
without indications of jewel forms.
In the warrant of Charles II it is directed that all the coronets shall
be worn over a cap of crimson velvet lined with ermine, and having a
tassel of gold at the top. This cap, however, is not an essential part
of the coronet, although a head covering of considerable distinction in
itself. During the greater part of the Middle Ages the temporal peerage
consisted principally of earls and barons, the former distinguished by
the circlet of gold, which was variously decorated, and the latter by a
cap of crimson lined with fur. For military purposes, the coronet was
fixed to the helmet, and at other times it was placed, for practical
reasons of comfort among others, round the cap which formed part of
contemporary costume, as may be seen in many of the beautiful French
and Italian medals of the fifteenth century, notably in one of Louis
XII at the end of that period. Fig. 143. In another composition of
about the same time, a head of King Herod has a crown which encircles
a cap of the shape usually ascribed, in modern times, to a Cap of
Maintenance. The last-named head covering is one of much interest as
an early subject of privilege, although but little appears to be known
about it. Its shape was obviously not its distinctive quality, and
it must therefore have been the material or colour which constituted
its especial value; and having regard to the sumptuary restrictions
concerning the wearing of ermine, among other things, it seems probable
that its lining of this fur was its distinctive quality, and that being
prohibited to those of inferior rank, it would naturally be the cap
that would be associated with a coronet when it was actually worn. Thus
was formed the prototype of the coronets as described in the warrants
of the end of the seventeenth century, when caps of this character had
ceased to be part of the ordinary costume of people of position. The
cap is therefore a means of wearing the coronet and no indication of
definite rank and may certainly be omitted in heraldic design, since it
adds nothing to what is signified by the coronet itself and is not an
essential part of it.
This view would appear to have been the contemporary official one, for
many of the Garter plates subsequent to the warrant of Charles II have
no caps to the coronets, and that of John, Duke of Argyle, 1700, may be
cited as an example, among others.
By the before-mentioned warrant, the use of the ermine-lined caps was
extended to barons equally with other ranks of the peerage.
The rank of Baronet, also hereditary, is of two classes, one of which
was instituted in 1611 to encourage the plantation of Ulster, and the
other in 1624 for the plantation of Nova Scotia. All new creations of
the rank of baronet are of the former kind, and the Badge consists of
the well-known red hand of Ulster on an argent field. This is borne on
the coat of arms either on a canton or on a small escutcheon, whichever
is most convenient, and if the latter it may be anywhere on the main
shield in the same way that a mark of cadency is placed. The Badge of
a Baronet of Nova Scotia is an actual jewel like that of an order and
usually appears below the shield pendent from its ribbon of orange
tawny silk. It is also worn round the neck like the insignia of an
order, and consists of an oval medallion on which is the Cross of St.
Andrew behind a shield ensigned with the Imperial crown and charged
with the Arms of Scotland, and on the margin of the badge is the motto
“Fax mentis honestæ gloria.”
The Insignia of Orders of Knighthood are also among the most important
and decorative accessories, either surrounding the shield, such as
collars, the Garter, and the motto circle of other orders; or suspended
below it as crosses and jewels.
[Illustration: FIG. 170.--Arms of John second Earl of Mar, K.G., 1634.
Modelled gesso, afterwards painted. Geo. W. Eve.]
Knights of the Garter surround the shields of their arms with
representations of the Garter inscribed with the motto of the order,
“Honi soit qui mal y pense,” in the well-known way. It was formerly
light blue, but since the time of George I has been of the dark rich
colour to which it has given the name of Garter Blue. The buckle,
motto and other embellishments are of gold and it is now edged with
the same. This last, however, is purely decorative, but has become
usual from about the sixteenth century. The motto begins above the
buckle, which is always placed in the dexter side, and may be in any
character of lettering that seems fit. Fig. 170 shows a gartered shield
from the series at Alloa House. The collar consists of twenty-six
small garters (in allusion to the Sovereign and twenty-five Knight
Companions), each enclosing a rose, alternately with an equal number
of knots, the whole being joined together with links of gold. It is
notable that the roses are Tudor ones, the collar having been added
to the insignia of the great Order by Henry VII, and are a red rose
within a white one and a white within a red alternately. Depending from
the collar is the representation of St. George slaying the Dragon, the
jewel which is known as the Great George. Composed of gold and enamel
it was frequently richly jewelled, and otherwise treated as a splendid
subject for artistic elaboration. When the collar is used with the arms
it is placed outside the Garter. These constitute the insignia that are
immediately associated with the shield, but there are in addition the
Star, the Ribbon and the Lesser George. The Star is worn on the left
breast, consists of groups of rays, in silver or diamonds, arranged
in eight points, and bearing in the centre the enamelled Cross of St.
George encircled with the Garter.
The Lesser George, the jewel which is worn pendent at the side from
the ribbon of the order which is worn over the left shoulder, consists
of an oval badge of a similar group to that of the Great George, but
placed within the Garter which forms a frame to the badge. It will be
noticed that the Great George has no containing form.
The Collar when it surrounds the shield is placed outside the Garter,
and either one or both may be used to enclose a crest or other device.
In thus using the collar of an order in a decorative way, it will
not be necessary to represent the actual number of pieces in it, but
only their nature and the proper order in which they occur, and a
considerable latitude may be taken in treating the details so long as
their essential character remains clear.
The custom of encircling arms with the Garter has influenced the whole
British practice with regard to orders of knighthood, other orders
using in a similar way the motto circle which forms part of their badge.
The foreign practice is to use the collar with its badge to surround
the arms, or in other cases to suspend a badge from its riband below
the shield.
A knight of several orders uses principally that which is of superior
rank either alone or in conjunction with others. In the latter case
the emblem of the superior is innermost in surrounding the shield; and
is the dexter of two, or the most central of a greater number, when
dependent from it. When, however, some special allusion is intended the
insignia of an inferior order may be used alone.
Thus in the case of an achievement that was to be used in connexion
with a specific order, the insignia of that order would be properly
used to the exclusion of one of superior rank.
It will be understood that the heraldic bearing of such insignia is a
privilege that need not always be exercised, and when it is, may be
used in a variety of ways. Thus the Garter may closely surround the
shield in the familiar way or may encircle the whole achievement as in
some coins and medals, or even be straightened out as in the design of
some of the Tudor bookbindings.
In view of cases that have actually occurred, it should be noted that
stars of orders must not be suspended below a shield as a badge may
be, though they may be embodied in accessory design in a suitable way.
That is to say, that only those decorations should hang below the
shield which actually have a pendent character and hang from collars,
ribbons, and so forth, while stars may decorate panels, be enclosed
in tracery, or be employed in any other way that is not unsuitable to
their naturally _appliqué_ character.
The Order of the Thistle has a Collar composed of thistles alternating
with a badge made of four sprigs of the ancient rue interlaced, the
whole being enamelled in the proper colours. Depending from the centre
thistle of the collar is the Badge, a star of eight points bearing the
figure of St. Andrew supporting his white cross. His gown is green and
the surcoat purple, and he stands on a mount of green. When not used
with the collar the Jewel hangs from the dark green ribbon that is worn
over the left shoulder. Fig. 171 from the series at Alloa House shows
a method of treating the collar in gesso photographed before painting.
The star of the order consists of a silver St. Andrew’s cross having
rays issuing from its angles and bearing in the centre a thistle within
a circle of green enamel, that is edged with gold and bears in golden
letters the motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit.” It is this circle and
motto that are placed round the shields of the knights of the order and
sometimes with the collar in addition.
[Illustration: FIG. 171.--Shield with Collar of the Order of the
Thistle. Arms of John, sixth Earl of Mar, K.T. Gesso, before painting.
Geo. W. Eve.]
The Knights of the Order of St. Patrick surround their arms with
the sky-blue circle of that order inscribed with the motto, “Quis
separabit,” and the date MDCCLXXXIII. The Collar is composed of roses
and harps alternately, tied together with knots of gold. The roses are
double and are white within red, and red within white alternately,
like those of the Garter collar. In the centre is an imperial crown
ensigning a harp from which hangs the badge of gold, oval in shape,
and surrounded with a wreath of shamrocks which encloses the circle of
light blue enamel on which is the motto and the date MDCCLXXXIII in
golden letters. Within the circle is the cross of St. Patrick, Gules on
a field Argent, surmounted with a trefoil slipped and with each of its
leaves charged with an imperial crown, Or. The star is of eight points,
the perpendicular and horizontal rays being larger than the diagonal
ones, and bears the device within a motto circle exactly similar to
those of the badge, but without the shamrock wreath. These are the
three principal orders which form a group that is somewhat apart from
the rest.
In the foregoing orders consisting, as was customary in earlier times,
of a Grand Master and of Knight Companions ranking equally among
themselves, the amount of insignia associated with their arms is
unimportant as a mark of rank, the simplest being equally efficacious
heraldically with the more elaborate. In the case, however, of orders
which are divided into classes, the different parts of the insignia
have acquired a special importance as indications of rank within the
order which must be very carefully observed.
Taking the Order of the Bath as typical, the lowest rank, that of
Companion (C.B.), is shown by suspending the badge below the shield.
The next grade, Knight Commander (K.C.B.), in addition to the suspended
badge, encircles the shield with the motto of the order. And finally,
a Knight Grand Cross (G.C.B.) adds to the preceding the collar of the
order round his arms, outside the motto circle. It must be noted that
the order has two divisions, civil and military, whose badges differ.
The rest of their insignia is identical, except that a wreath of laurel
accompanies the motto circle of the Military Division.