Wingcloth

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Herb Polski.svg
A current coat of arms of Poland, with white wingcloth.
POL wojewodztwo wielkopolskie COA.svg
A current coat of arms of Greater Poland Voivodeship, with yellow wingcloth.
POL wojewodztwo dolnoslaskie COA.svg
A current coat of arms of Lower Silesian Voivodeship, with crescent-shaped wingcloth.

In heraldry, the wingcloth (Polish: przepaska), is an element of the eagle charge, in the form of a curved bar, or a crescent, on the wings, and sometimes breast, of an eagle. [1] Most notably, it is present in the coat of arms of Poland, and Lower Silesia, and their derivatives.

Characteristics and usage

There are two commonly-used versions of the wingcloth. One of them is a upwards-curved bar, usually ended with trillium-like shape, placed on both wings of an eagle. It usually is of either yellow (golden), or white (silver) colour. [1] Such version, with white colour, is used in the current coat of arms of Poland. Historically, the yellow (golden) colour had been also used. [2] Additionally, it is present in various coat of arms derived from this one, including the coat of arms of the voivodeships of Poland: Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Lubusz, Świętokrzyskie, and Warmian-Masurian. [3] Historically, a yellow (golden) wingcloth had been also used in some versions of the coat of arms of Prussia. [4]

The other version, is a white (silver) crescent with an cross pattée on its top, in its middle, that is located across wings and breast of an eagle. [1] [5] It originates from the coat of arms of Silesia, that had been originally introduced in 1224 by Henry II the Pious, duke of Silesia. [5] Currently, as part of a charge derived from Henty's coat of arms, it is present in the coat of arms of the Chechia, and Liechtenstein, as well as the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, and Central Bohemian, Moravian-Silesian, and Olomouc regions of Czechia.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Alfred Znamierowski: Heraldyka i weksylologia, Warsaw, 2017.
  2. Stanisław Russocki: Godło, barwy i hymn Rzeczypospolitej. Zarys dziejów. Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna, 1978.
  3. "Herby województw polskich". herbyzbliska.com (in Polish).
  4. Christiane Brandt-Salloum (edditor): Adlers Fittiche. Wandlungen eines Wappenvogels. Dokumentation einer Präsentation des Geheimen Staatsarchivs Preußischer Kulturbesitz (hier zitiert als: Adlers Fittiche), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-428-12959-1.
  5. 1 2 Alfred Znamierowski: Insygnia, symbole i herby polskie : kompendium. Warsaw: Świat Książki, 2003, p. 87. ISBN 83-7311-601-X.