Research on Shield and Crest

Shield And Crest research is better because…..

I was only thirteen when I read my first heraldry book, it was called “Shield And Crest” and it opened up an entire world of amazing history and legend. My heraldry research continues today, the subject constantly presents objects and stories hitherto unknown. When I began my heraldic artist life I was presented with vast forms of written stuff that appeared senseless at the time. For example, the coat of arms (family crest) for Diez, from Paramo, is recorded in the reference book “Repertorio de Blasones de la Comunidad Hispanica” is the usual written form “ En sinople, cinco fajas ondeadas de plata, resaltadas todas ellas de una espada de oro puesta en banda”. It’s a fairly simple coat of arms (family crest) consisting of a green shield with five fesses ( horizontal stripes) in silver (white) and on top of these we have a gold (yellow) sword placed with it’s point in the top left part of the shield, and it’s hilt in the bottom right.

Most people expect to find a reference book with a nice illustration of the coat of arms (family crest) but these are not the usual way that arms are recorded. While the wording may appear odd to those who have not studied the language of blazonry, it is, in fact, the perfect way to record a coat of arms (family crest) as it is very exact in the placement and colors used in each arms. The research work is further complicated by the use of different European languages in reference works from each country. The ability to reproduce EXACTLY what is written is paramount in heraldry.

There isn’t a day in our work at www.shieldandcrest that we don’t come across an error in some image found online by a customer who wanted “that” arms because he or she saw it on their computer and assumed it was the correct one. We always encourage potential customers to give us as much information as they can so we can locate the coat of arms (family crest) most appropriate. Call us anytime at Toll-Free (866) 289-2798 or e-mail us at shieldandcrest@gmail.com  we have the experience, and the reference books, to get the job done right.

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Italian Coats Of Arms (Family Crest)

The earliest surviving example of a family coat of arms ( family crest) in Italy is a carving on a stone tomb in the Church of Aracoeli in Rome dating to 1213. The arms is, however, believed to be of Norman origin.

 The Italian family Colonna can date their arms to Vatican archives of 1290. The arms feature a Roman column, a pun on the name itself. This is known as “canting arms” and while it occurs in coats of arms from every European country, the Italian usage of canting became widespread in the middle ages. A mural in the city of Milan, painted in 1341, shows the arms of the Visconti of Milan, one of the most famous, and striking,  of all the Italian family crests. The shield depicts a crowned serpent, on a white background, devouring a man.

At www.shieldandcrest.com we research Italian coats of arms (family crests) in Dizionario Storico Blasonico, a reference work compiled by G.B. Di Crollalanza. The arms, as usual in reference books, are in strict written form, and in the Italian language. Here is an example. “D’azzurro, a tre stele di otto raggi d’oro; col capo di rosso caricato di un giglio d’oro” It’s a blue shield with three eight pointed gold stars, with a red stripe across the top with a gold lily ( Actually a fleur de lys) Our expert knowledge of both Italian, and the more complex language of heraldry, take the written form and translate it into a hand-painted work of art for you to treasure for decades to come. If you need more information on this, or any other heraldry subject, contact us Toll Free (866) 289-2798 or at www.shieldandcrest.com.