Division of the field

Divisions of the field is a heraldic term referring to the pattern on a shield. The field of a shield in heraldry can be divided into more than one tincture, as can the various charges. The divisions are named according to the ordinary that shares their shape. (It should be noticed that French heraldry takes a different approach in many cases than the one described in this article.)

Common partitions of the field are:

• parted (or party) per fess (parted horizontally),
• party per pale (parted vertically),
• party per bend (diagonally from upper left to lower right),
• party per bend sinister (diagonally from upper right to lower left)
• party per saltire (diagonally both ways).
• party per cross or quarterly (divided into four quarters)
• party per chevron (after the manner of a chevron)
• party per pall (diagonal divisions from upper left and upper right meeting vertical division)

A field cannot be divided per bordure (as if this did exist it would be indistinguishable from the bordure); only a bordure can. Neither can a field (nor any charge) be divided per chief, for similar reasons.

A shield vertically divided into blue (left side) and gold (right side) would be blazoned: Per pale azure and Or.

The arms of the former Republic of Bophuthatswana were "per fess (at nombril point)" (lower than the regular per fess division; the "nombril point" is halfway between the fess point -- the exact middle of the field -- and the base point, at the bottom centre of the field).

The arms of the French department of Côtes d'Armor show émanché, which is shown in this case as equivalent to the English per fess dancetty of two full points upwards.

The arms of the State of Wisconsin show a quartered shield in which each of the four quarters has a field of Or, but this is of questionable propriety.

When a field is quartered in a swastika-like pattern, this is called quarterly en equerre. Use of a swastika-like form in heraldry is called the fylfot and predates any anti-Semitic associations. [1] (http://www.heraldica.org/shell/illustr.pl?051)

German heraldry, unlike British, acknowledges the form per bend... broken in the form of a linden leaf.

The arms of Mpumalanga Province in South Africa show per bend sinister, inclined in the flanks per fess.

The arms of the White Workers Union in South Africa are blazoned Per chevron inverted extended Argent and Gules, in chief a pile Sable charged with two chevronels respectively Argent and Or.[2] (http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm30ddf0?200502181704426479AC23&DN=00000008)

There can also be party per chevron reversed, which is like party per chevron except upside down. Party per chevron reversed throughout (with the point reaching to the very bottom of the shield) is sometimes referred to as chaussee.

Although it is alleged that per chevron enhanced (with the division occurring higher than it normally would) is called manteld in English, the least that can be said about this is that is a term of far from frequent application. [3] (http://www.heraldica.org/shell/illustr.pl?066)

Shields may also be divided into three parts: this is called tierced, as in tierced per pale, azure, argent, and gules (though in British heraldry this is not done and the foregoing shield would be blazoned [as the pale is supposed to be one-third of the width of the field and is always so depicted under these circumstances] per pale azure and gules, a pale argent.) A particular type of tiercing, resembling a Y in shape (division lines per bend and bend sinister coming down from the chief, meeting at the fess point, and continuing down per pale), is called per pall. (The arms of Sine ni Shranachain from the Society for Creative Anachronism Barony of the Forgotten Sea show this, but are inaccurately blazoned "Per pale argent and Or, on a chief triangular purpure a cat's face Or".)

The coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI is "tierced in mantle"

A field pily, as in the arms of the 2nd Baron Marks of Broughton, Michael Marks, is similar to a field per fess dancetty, except that the teeth are much more exaggerated.

The division line may be of any of the different line shapes.

When the term rompu is applied to a division of the field, the result will take a number of different forms depending on the manner of division. The arms of the Hon. Lois Hole show Per chevron rompu Or and Vert, the centre section heightened of two points. (Rompu can also sometimes be applied to "common charges.")[4] (http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm30ddf0?20050224200912133FAD84&DN=00000003)

More than one division of the field may be combined. The arms of Cheesman show per pale and per pall.[5] (http://whitelionsociety.org.uk/Slidesandblazon/Slide6.GIF)

One division of the field (though it is described by some as a charge) is restricted to the chief: when the chief is divided by a bow-shaped line, this is called chaperonnet.[6] (http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/U1.HTM)

See also: variations of the field.

2) Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopaedia of Armory (Benjamin Blom: London, 1904), p.62.

References

• Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 105th edition.