Simple tinctures

July 28, 2009 at 4:40 pm (Essentials, Introductory, Jargon) (Coat of arms, Heraldry)

Tinctures describe things, and refer to their appearance. The English language rather lacks the correct language to accurately describe the scope of the word “tincture”, but it encompasses three categories: colours, metals, and furs. The most simple are the first two, which are explained here. This short list is not comprehensive, since I’ll leave the most rare to more advanced posts. Or and argent are metals; the others here are colours.

If something as proper, it is shown in its normal colours in nature.

The term Or represents Gold, related with heraldry and royalty from the start. It is usually capitalised to avoid confusion with the conjunction. In line drawing or engravings, a pattern of light dots is used in its place. It normally represents the Sun and the life it brings and the virtues of courage and honour.

The term argent literally means ‘silver’ but it is almost always represented as white (and for this reason an argent field is never shown on a white background). In line drawing or engravings, the area is left blank, sometimes with the abbreviation Ar. written in them.

Sable represents the colour black, and is shown in line drawings and engravings as a hatch of vertical and horizontal lines.

The term gules denotes red, and symbolises martyrdom in particular. In engravings it is depicted with vertical lines or the abbreviation Gu., and is normally illustrated with a pure red.

Azure is used to describe blue. It is a dark, rich blue, and the only type of blue to be regularly described in heraldic language . It may be represented in a lighter or darker shade, however. In line drawing or engravings, horizontal lines are used to signify its presence, or the abbreviation Az. or B.

The term purpure refers to the colour purple. In engravings it is depicted with diagonal lines, running from the observer’s bottom-left to top-right, or the abbreviation Purp.

Vert, coming from the French for green, is used to describe it in English heraldry (the French use the term sinople). It is depicted in black-and-white by diagonal lines, running from the observer’s top-left to bottom-right, or the abbreviation Vt. It is associated with abundance and life.