Esquarre (heraldry)

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Esquarre (also escarre, Fr.) Esquarre demo.svg
Esquarre (also escarre, Fr.)

Esquarre (Fr., alternately escarre, esquierre; [1] as Anglo-Norman alternately esquarie, esquire, esquierre, esquerre [2] ) is a name for both a heraldic ordinary [3] and a set of related mobile charges. [4] As an ordinary, the Esquarre is defined as a charge that borders a quarter (Fr. franc quartier, or a singular quarter as charge) [5] on its two interior edges abutting the field. [6] The Esquarre isolates the quarter from the rest of the field. [7] De Galway suggested that the Esquarre is employed when both quarter and field are the same tincture. [8] The shape of the ordinary is likened to a carpenter's square, a tool formed of two arms joined perpendicularly. [9] When the two arms are of unequal length, the term potence (Fr.) [10] is also used, a term likening the form of this variant to a joined post and crossbeam, or gallows/scaffold. [11]

Contents

Esquarre as mobile charge

The source of the term, a builders square, informs its use when referring to a mobile charge. [12] [13] The term is an archaic form of the modern French équerre—the ‘square’ as implement used to measure or set right angles. [14] [15] These are the tools employed by masons and carpenters, woodworkers, architects and engineers, surveyors, students, etc. They take the form of either (voided) triangles or two arms joined perpendicularly. [16] As a mobile charge, esquarre refers frequently to the figurative representations of these tools, as well as abstract versions (see #Gallery). Another term favored by some authors for the Esquarre is the gama grec (Fr.), from the Greek letter gamma. [17] This gives rise to another heraldic use: gama grec is applied to figurative representations of these implements, and in turn escarre is used to denote representations of the Greek letter gamma. [18] [19]

Coats of arms and emblems

As ordinary

As mobile charge

Figurative

On flags

As Ordinary

Many contemporary flags approximate the classical or strict definition of the Ordinary, using a 'fillet esquarre' to border cantons and quarters, separating them from other charges as well as the field.

As Mobile Charge

Abstract
Figurative
As letter

See also the Flag of Lelystad, Flevoland, Netherlands (above)

Charges in esquarre

See also

esquarre
Fillet (heraldry)
Esquire (heraldry)
Gyron
Gusset (heraldry)
Fylfot
Ordinary (heraldry)
Charge (heraldry)
Fimbriation
Liste de pièces héraldiques

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The base, more formally the terrace in base or champagne, is a heraldic charge that occupies the lower third of the field. It is in that sense the inverse correlate of the chief. In French heraldry, the champagne is considered an ‘honourable ordinary’, but in English heraldry it is frequently omitted from lists of the ‘honourable ordinaries’, and grouped, if at all, with the subordinaries. The diminutive of the base, occupying one half the height of the ordinary, is termed ‘plaine’ in French heraldry. Another, now less common, English language term for the base is the ‘Foot’, a usage the recalls the Germanic Schildfuß, Danish skjoldfod, or Dutch schildvoet.

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In English-language heraldry, the fillet is considered a diminutive of the chief. It is defined as occupying one fourth the width of the chief and typically positioned at its bottom edge. When so positioned the chief is blazoned as supported by the fillet; but, when the chief is charged by the fillet, as when the fillet positioned at its top edge or middle, the chief is blazoned as surmounted. In French heraldry, terms for this charge are divise and filet en chef. The term chef retrait has also been used. The fillet or divise placed beneath the chief is of a different tincture than the field, evidently to avoid violations of the rule of tincture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esquire (heraldry)</span> Anglophone heraldry charge

The Esquire is a heraldic charge that is classed as a subordinary in Anglophone heraldry. Its form is defined as resembling the Gyron, as formed of a right triangle; but, with the difference that whereas the Gyron extends from the outer edge of the field to the center, the Esquire extends across the whole of the field, from one edge to its opposite.

References

  1. ↑ d'Argicourt, L.-A. Duhoux (1896). Alphabet et figures de tous les termes du blason. Paris: Librairie L. Joly. p. 116.
  2. ↑ "Esquarre (s.xiii)". Anglo-Norman Dictionary. Modern Humanities Research Association. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Gheusi, Pierre-Barthélemy (1892). Le blason héraldique: Manuel nouveau de l'art héraldique de la science du blason et de la polychromie féodale d'après les règles du moyen age avec 1300 gravures et un armorial. Paris: Librairie de Firmin Didot et c. p. 44.
  4. ↑ de Saint-Allais, Nicolas Viton (1816). Dictionnaire encyclopédique de la noblesse de France. Paris: Valade. p. 344. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Bouton, Victor (1887). Nouveau traité des armoiries ; ou, La science et l'art du blason expliqués. Paris: E. Dentu et cie. Editeurs. p. 87.
  6. ↑ d'Argicourt, L.-A. Duhoux (1896). Alphabet et figures de tous les termes du blason. Paris: Librairie L. Joly. p. 50.
  7. ↑ Gheusi, Pierre-Barthélemy (1892). Le blason héraldique: Manuel nouveau de l'art héraldique de la science du blason et de la polychromie féodale d'après les règles du moyen age avec 1300 gravures et un armorial. Paris: Librairie de Firmin Didot et c. p. 44.
  8. ↑ de Galway, Alphonse Charles Albert O'Kelly (1901). Dictionnaire archéologique et explicatif de la science du blason origine des emblèmes et des symboles héraldiques d'après les monuments, les sceaux, les monnaies, les médailles, les traditions, etc., Volume 1. Bergerac: Imprimérie Générale du Sud-Ouest (J. Castanet). p. 224.
  9. ↑ "esquarre". Dictionnaire de Français Larousse. Larousse. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Définition ancienne de ESCARRE - Dictionnaire universel de Furetière (1690)". Le Robert Dico en Ligne. Le Robert. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "potence". Le Robert Dico en Ligne. Le Robert. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  12. ↑ de Saint-Allais, Nicolas Viton (1816). Dictionnaire encyclopédique de la noblesse de France. Paris: Valade. p. 344. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Esquarre (s.xiii)". Anglo-Norman Dictionary. Modern Humanities Research Association. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  14. ↑ de Galway, Alphonse Charles Albert O'Kelly (1901). Dictionnaire archéologique et explicatif de la science du blason origine des emblèmes et des symboles héraldiques d'après les monuments, les sceaux, les monnaies, les médailles, les traditions, etc., Volume 1. Bergerac: Imprimérie Générale du Sud-Ouest (J. Castanet). p. 224.
  15. ↑ "équerre". Dictionnaire de Français Larousse. Larousse. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "équerre". Dictionnaire de Français Larousse. Larousse. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  17. ↑ de Saint-Allais, Nicolas Viton (1816). Dictionnaire encyclopédique de la noblesse de France. Paris: Valade. p. 344. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  18. ↑ de Saint-Allais, Nicolas Viton (1816). Dictionnaire encyclopédique de la noblesse de France. Paris: Valade. p. 344. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "escarre". Blason des Armoiries. Hervé Dupuis. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
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