Compartment (heraldry)
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Background
If the compartment is mentioned in the blazon it forms part of the grant and is an integral part of the arms e.g. the current
The decorative flourish which was often placed by
A rare instance in which the supporters stand on the motto scroll is in the arms of New Jersey.[5] The coat of arms of the Netherlands, likewise, features the two lion supporters standing on the motto scroll.
Usually when arms are augmented by supporters, a compartment will be added too. In rare cases, a compartment might be granted as an
A compartment is usually some kind of landscape (in the case of Scottish chiefs it is generally a "mount vert" - grassy mount covered with the clan's flower) or seascape, and these can be quite elaborate. These elaborate designs particularly feature in more recent Canadian grants,[citation needed] such as the compartment of the University of Northern British Columbia, in which the female Kermode bear and woodland caribou buck stand on a forest, mountain peaks and ears of wheat, all rising out of the conventionalised heraldic representation of water, which is itself charged with an orca.[6]
Compartments can have a specific piece of geography; Kenya's compartment is Mount Kenya and the compartment of Arbeláez, Cundinamarca, Colombia is a globe.[7]
There are some unusual compartments. The compartment of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is a quadrangle.[8] The arms of the former Cumberland County Council have a wall as a compartment,[9] while the Canadian Academy of Engineering has a bridge spanning water.[10][11] The chief of Clan Donnachaidh has a man in chains as a compartment, while that of Dundas of that Ilk is "a salamander in flames of fire".
Recent compartments can also feature indigenous non-European features. The arms of Gisborne, New Zealand contain another unique compartment, a Māori waka (canoe).[12]
Examples
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A seascape compartment in the former coat of arms of Malta.
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A mount vert compartment in the coat of arms of Anne, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom.
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A vegetal compartment (branches) in a 1915 depiction of the Austrian coat of arms.
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A pedestal (terrace) compartment in the middle version of the coat of arms of the German Emperor until 1918.
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A cloud compartment in thecoat of arms of the Kingdom of France.
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A compartment of columnar basalt in the Icelandic coat of arms.
References
- ^ Woodcock & Robinson 1990, p. 106.
- ^ Fox-Davies 1909, p. 444.
- ^ Fox-Davies 1909, p. 441.
- ^ "State Coat - of - Arms; Emblazonment - Mich. Comp. Laws Section 2.22 - Michigan Attorney Resources - Michigan Laws". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
- ^ "U.S. Heraldic Registry » Registrations/New Jersey, The State of, United States of America". usheraldicregistry.com.
- ^ University Of Northern British Columbia. online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges. Vol. II, p. 321
- ^ "Fotw.net". www.fotw.net.
- ^ Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges. Vol. IV, p. 376
- ^ Civil Heraldry - The arms of the Cumberland County Council
- ^ The Canadian Academy of Engineering. online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges. Vol. II, p. 169
- ^ Archives of Canada - Academy of Engineering coat of arms
- ^ "Gisborne - Coat of arms (crest) of Gisborne". www.ngw.nl.
Bibliography
- Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1909). A Complete Guide to Heraldry. London & Edinburgh: T.C. & E.C. Jack.
- Woodcock, Thomas; Robinson, John Martin (1990). The Oxford Guide to Heraldry. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press.