|
Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!
You asked for our help in documenting the use of indented, charged stripe ordinaries such as a pale, fess or bend in pre-16th century armory. Here is what we have found:
You noted that you had designed the following arms: "Vert, on a pale indented argent five cinquefoils purpure." This design was returned by Lady Laurel because the 'dents' were drawn in opposition rather than parallel, with a cinquefoil in each of the 'fat parts' of the pale, with a note that the 'opposition' pattern of the 'dents' was inappropriate.
You then asked whether we had seen an example of indentation of a pale (or fess, or bend, or similar sort of ordinary) with the 'dents' in opposition.
The pale indented, the pale fusilly, and the pale engrailed all have a similar origin where the variety of jagged line was not clearly distinguished in blazon in early heraldry. Later they became blazoned as distinct lines, early enough so that the SCA continues to preserve the blazon distinction, since it applied through most of period (1).
We have seen the arms of Streynsham, "Or, a pale indented gules," confirmed 4 May 1577 (2). Your design is a reasonable example of a pale indented.
We also have the examples of the arms of John del Strother, "On a bend indented three eagles displayed," confirmed in 1423/24, as well as the arms of Robert de Pulteneye, "On a bend indented three leopard's(?) heads," confirmed in 1360. (3) These designs are also similar to yours, in that they show charged stripe ordinaries.
We have also seen the 16th century Portuguese arms of Pacanha, "Argent on a bend indented gules three fleurs de lys argent." (4) The bend is thick, it has 8 indentations on a side (making them small indentations) and quite large, space filling, bend following, fleurs de lys. This design is somewhat similar to yours, in that it features a charged, indented stripe ordinary.
We suggest that you appeal the return citing, in particular, the Pacanha arms discussed in the previous paragraph as an exemplar.
We hope that this letter has been helpful to you. If we may be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Talan Gwynek, Herveus d'Ormonde, Tangwystyl verch Morgaunt Glasvryn, Margaret Makafee, Evan da Collaureo, Arval d'Espas Nord and Zenobia Naphtali contributed to this letter.
In Service,
Giulietta da Venezia
Academy of St. Gabriel