The Intricate Border Of Heraldic Coat Of Arms

Coats of arms, also known as armorial bearings or shields of arms, are a principal part of a system of hereditary symbols that dates back to early medieval Europe. They were originally used to establish identity in battle but later denoted family descent, adoption, alliance, property ownership, and profession. The central element of a coat of arms is the escutcheon (shield), which is surrounded by a border known as a bordure. This border is usually one-sixth as wide as the shield and is considered either an ordinary or a subordinary. The bordure can be used to indicate the status of a younger son or brother or, in England and Scotland, illegitimacy.

The border of a coat of arms is called a 'bordure'

Coats of arms are a heraldic visual design on a shield, surcoat, or tabard. They are traditionally unique to an individual person, family, state, organisation, school, or corporation.

The border of a coat of arms is called a bordure. A bordure is a band of contrasting tincture that forms a border around the edge of a shield. Traditionally, a bordure is one-sixth as wide as the shield itself.

A bordure encloses the whole shield, except when two coats of arms are combined by impalement, in which case the bordure usually stops at the partition line and does not run down it. A bordure may be of a single plain tincture or divided, and it may be smooth or subjected to any of the lines of variation. It can also form a field for other charges.

A bordure is often used for cadency rather than to distinguish between original coats. Therefore, it is not strictly held to the rule of tincture. For example, many cadets of the French royal house bore red bordures on a blue field.

In French heraldry, the diminutive of the bordure, one-quarter of its width, is the filière. In English-language heraldry, the term "a bordure diminished" is occasionally used.

A bordure is a band of contrasting colour

The bordure's purpose is to provide a clear and visually distinct border to the shield, which is the central element of a coat of arms. The shield, or escutcheon, is typically divided into sections called the chief (top) and base (bottom), as well as sinister (left) and dexter (right) from the bearer's perspective. The bordure encloses the entire shield, with a few exceptions. For example, when two coats of arms are combined by impalement, the bordure usually stops at the partition line and does not extend down it.

The bordure can be of a single plain tincture or divided into multiple sections, each with a different colour or pattern. It can also be subjected to various lines of variation, creating a field for other charges or symbols. In some cases, the bordure may be smooth or embellished with additional decorative elements. One example of a bordure in modern sovereign flags is the gold bordure on the flag of Sri Lanka.

The use of a bordure in heraldry is not limited to shields but can also be applied to other elements of a coat of arms, such as surcoats or tabards, which are outer garments bearing the heraldic design. The bordure plays a significant role in identifying and differentiating coats of arms, as it provides a clear frame that sets off the central elements of the design. This is particularly important in the identification of noble families, genealogy, and the display of social status.

It is one-sixth as wide as the shield

A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on a shield, surcoat, or tabard. In heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture forming a border around the edge of a shield. The width of the bordure is traditionally one-sixth that of the shield.

The bordure is a mark of cadency, displaying the status of a younger son or brother, or a mark of illegitimacy. It is a heraldic tradition carried over from when it was necessary to distinguish rightful heirs from others who might have had a claim to the family title and fortune. The bordure is no longer used for these purposes, except in England, where a "bordure wavy" remains a mark of illegitimacy.

The bordure encloses the whole shield, with two exceptions. Firstly, when two coats of arms are combined by impalement, the bordure usually stops at the partition line and does not run down it. Secondly, a chief overlies a bordure unless the bordure is added to a coat that previously included a chief.

The bordure may be of a single plain tincture or divided. It may be smooth or subjected to any of the lines of variation. It may also form a field for other charges. These variations are effectively exploited in the Scottish system of cadency.

A bordure may be plain or divided

In heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture that forms a border around the edge of a shield. It is traditionally one-sixth as wide as the shield itself. A bordure may be of a single plain tincture or it can be divided. It can be smooth or subjected to any of the lines of variation. It may also form a field for other charges.

A bordure encloses the whole shield, with two exceptions. Firstly, when two coats of arms are combined by impalement, the bordure usually stops at the partition line and does not run down it. Secondly, a chief overlies a bordure, unless the bordure is added to a coat that previously included a chief.

A bordure semy of some charge is shown as if it were charged with a great number of those charges, rather than the typical practice with a field, where some of the charges are shown as "cut off" by the edges of the field.

It may be smooth or subjected to lines of variation

In heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture that forms a border around the edge of a shield. It is traditionally one-sixth as wide as the shield itself. A bordure encloses the whole shield, except when two coats of arms are combined by impalement, in which case the bordure usually stops at the partition line.

Like any ordinary or other charge, a bordure may be of a single plain tincture or divided. It may also be smooth or subjected to any of the lines of variation. These patterns may be created by counterchanging with a division line, for example, barry argent and azure, counterchanged per fess, or checquy Or and gules, counterchanged per chevron.

When the field is patterned with an even number of horizontal stripes, this is described as barry; with vertical stripes, it is described as paly; and with diagonal stripes, it is described as bendy. A field that seems to be composed of a number of triangular pieces is barry bendy and bendy sinister.

The diminutives of the ordinaries are frequently employed to vary the field. For example, in French heraldry, the diminutive of the bordure, one-quarter of its width, is the filière.

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