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In heraldry, the field (background) of a shield can be divided into more than one area, or subdivision, of different tinctures, usually following the lines of one of the ordinaries and carrying its name (e.g. a shield divided in the shape of a chevron is said to be parted "per chevron").
In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures ( colours or metals ) or furs . The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern .
When the shield is divided by both bendwise and bendwise-sinister lines, creating a field of lozenges coloured like a chessboard, the result is lozengy. [c] A field lozengy must be distinguished from an ordinary such as a bend which is blazoned of one tincture and called lozengy; this means that the ordinary is entirely composed of lozenges, touching at their obtuse corners.
The field of a shield in heraldry can be divided into more than one tincture, as can the various heraldic charges. Many coats of arms consist simply of a division of the field into two contrasting tinctures. These are considered divisions of a shield, so the rule of tincture can be ignored.
In the same way, the terms per bend and per bend sinister are used to describe a heraldic shield divided by a line like a bend or bend sinister, respectively. This division is key to dimidiation, a method of joining two coats of arms by placing the dexter half of one coat of arms alongside the sinister half of the other. In the case of marriage ...
The metals and common colours of heraldry. One system of hatching is shown at right. Tinctures are the colours, metals, and furs used in heraldry.Nine tinctures are in common use: two metals, or (gold or yellow) and argent (silver or white); the colours gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), sable (black), and purpure (purple); and the furs ermine, which represents the winter fur of a stoat ...
Argent a bar gules. In English heraldry, the bar is an heraldic ordinary consisting of a horizontal band extending across the shield. [1] In form, it closely resembles the fess but differs in breadth: the bar occupies one-fifth of the breadth of the field of the escutcheon (or flag); [2] the fess occupies one-third. [3]
The special term in Canadian heraldry for a couped pale is "a pale retrait" (this also applies to pallets; see below). If couped at the bottom it is blazoned as "a pale retrait in base". [4] The Canadian pale, invented by George Stanley for the flag of Canada, occupies fully half the field. On a 1:2 flag such as Canada's, it is square.