Tincture

2009-05-02T02:33:53Z

Ludger1961: /* Tinctures Chart */ wikification

'''Tincture''' is the word [[Herald]]s use for colour. There are three kinds of tincture: [[colours]], [[metal]]s and [[fur]]s. With one exception, everything on a heraldic [[device]] must be in these tinctures. Colours are sometimes [[blazon]]ed as being [[counterchanged]] within the device.

== Colours ==
The five colours, in approximate order from most to least common, are:
* [[Sable]] ([[black]])
* [[Gules]] ([[red]])
* [[Azure]] ([[blue]])
* [[Vert]] ([[green]])
* [[Purpure]] ([[purple]])

Less commonly used in heraldry are the three [[stains]]:
*[[Tenné]] (orange)
*[[Sanguine]] (deep blood red)
*[[Murrey]] (mulberry)
These are not recognised in [[SCA]] heraldry.

== Metals ==
The two metals are:
*[[Or]] ([[yellow]] or [[gold]])
*[[Argent]] ([[silver]] or [[white]])

== Furs ==
The furs are many, but the most common ones are:
*[[Ermine]] (black ermine spots on a white field)
*[[Counter-ermine]] (white ermine spots on black)
*[[Erminois]] (black ermine spots on yellow)
*[[Pean]] (yellow ermine spots on black)
*[[Vair]] (a regular pattern of blue and white)

(Note that counter-ermine is called ermines in the literature, but we use the longer name to help stave off typos.)

== Proper ==
The one exception to these tinctures is called '[[proper]]'. If an creature has a normal, unarguable colouration, then it may be described as proper. For example, a tree proper would have a brown trunk and green leaves, or a man proper would be pale pink (in [[Europe]] at least). This has some implications for matters of [[contrast]]. If there is no normal colour for a creature - lions, for example, can be anything from white through yellow to black - or if it's a [[heraldic beast|mythical beast]], then it doesn't have a proper colour, so this exception doesn't apply.

== Tinctures Chart ==
The following table shows the tinctures and their black and white equivalents.

{| border=1 align="center"

! Silver
! Gold
! Red
! Blue
! Green
! Purple
! Black
|-
| align="center" | [[Argent]]
| align="center" | [[Or]]
| align="center" | [[Gules]]
| align="center" | [[Azure]]
| align="center" | [[Vert]]
| align="center" | [[Purpure]]
| align="center" | [[Sable]]
|-
| bgcolor="#ffffff" height="83" |  
| bgcolor="#ffff00" |  
| bgcolor="#ec2504" |  
| bgcolor="#000090" |  
| bgcolor="#008000" |  
| bgcolor="#890089" |  
| bgcolor="#000000" |  
|-
| [[image:argent_bw.gif]]
| [[image:or_bw.gif]]
| [[image:gules_bw.gif]]
| [[image:azure_bw.gif]]
| [[image:vert_bw.gif]]
| [[image:purpure_bw.gif]]
| [[image:sable_bw.gif]]

|}

[[Category:Heraldry]][[Category:Device heraldry]]

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Tincture