In The Art of Heraldry, the author explores the history of heraldic art from the poetic legends that sought to explain the origin of unusual animals and unexpected charges, to the interpretations and misrepresentations that evolved into those images. He also considers the contributions of the most prominent heraldic artists and catalogs the various schools and periods of heraldic art including the modern. Profusely illustrated. Includes a glossary of heraldry.

From the late twelfth century kings and noblemen began to devise emblems to display on their shields and later on the surcoats they wore over their armour - hence 'coat of arms' - in order to recognise each other and their followers. The complex system of rules that has evolved around the use of heraldic charges is explained in fascinating detail with illustrations showing how the designs have developed. English, Scottish and European heraldry is covered and there is a chapter devoted to the central role played by the College of Arms and its heralds and the Court of Chivalry. The history of English regalia and the coronation ceremony are central to the second part of the book, which also looks at civic regalia and regalia worldwide. A detailed list of the existing royal regalia in England and Scotland is included as well as a chronological list of English coronations, their dates, locations and officiating prelates. There is also a summary of existing royal regalia throughout the world, which notes those that are on public display.
 

The story of heraldry is an intriguing one - with a wealth of history behind the rules that are still enforced today. The introduction to this selection of heraldic designs explains how the art of communicating through heraldry evolved, as well as describing basic heraldic jargon and practice. Originally, heraldry had a practical purpose - coats of arms were decorated so that heralds delivering messages could identify who was who in battle. Outside the battlefield, heraldry has subsequently had a much wider application, whether proclaiming the owner's presence or marking his property. This book includes a wide range of heraldic designs that will appeal to all those who want to explore this exciting symbolic art form, as well as to historians, illustrators, and designers.
 

For this volume, Carol Belanger Grafton has selected 1,047 authentic heraldic designs and motifs from The Art of Heraldry, a classic study by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (1871-1928), an English barrister and foremost authority on the subject. Dating from the fourteenth to the twentieth century, the illustrations include 192 full-color and 654 black-and-white designs: arms of individuals, among them such notables as Edward the Black Prince, John Milton and Maximilian I, arms of institutions, corporations, guilds, towns, and cities; heraldic charges and lines of partition; heraldic windows; examples of heraldic lions, eagles, dragons and antelope; banners, crests and more.
 

The art of heraldry is a living vestige of the great medieval world of European chivalry. Gone are the knights-in-armor, the castles are in ruins, and many of the families who bore these proud coats of arms have disappeared, but the tradition of the heraldic crest survives in the flags, emblems, and corporate logos of the modern world. Where does heraldry come from? How did it begin? What do the colors and symbols mean? Read and discover a world of splendid pageantry.
 

It is not the aim of this book to describe in precise detail the rules of heraldry, but rather to introduce the reader to the role of heraldry and to provide examples of how it was used in the 14th and 15th centuries.