Proper

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In heraldry, the term proper indicates either (1) normal or natural colouration, or (2) a standard colouration used in heraldry. As an oversimplified example, 'a tree proper' has green leaves and a brown trunk, whereas 'a tree vert' is green all over.

Table of Proper Colours by Charge

Most heraldic beasts have no proper colour as they are mythical creatures who only exist in heraldry. A creature who may have any of a number of different colourings, including brown, for instance a bear, may be blazoned a brown bear proper.

Charge Proper Colours Tincture Class
Acorn Brown Colour
Antler/Ivory White or light yellow brown Metal
Arrow Brown shaft, black head, tincture of fletching specified Colour
Axe No defined proper tincture n/a
Barbed and seeded Green sepals, yellow seeds Ignored
Bear No default; must be specified n/a
Boar Brown Colour
Bread Brown Colour
Bull/Cow No default; must be specified n/a
Camel No default; must be specified n/a
Carrot No defined proper tincture n/a
Cherub No defined proper tincture n/a
Chough Black with red beak and legs Colour
Cloves Dark brown Colour
Daisy Argent seeded Or Metal
Deer/Stag Brown Colour
Dog/Wolf No default; must be specified n/a
Dolphin Green with red fins Colour
Dolphin, natural Grey Metal
Dove White with pink or red beak and legs Metal
Elephant Grey with white tusks Metal
Falcon Brown Colour
Fire/flame Alternately red and yellow or yellow and red Neutral
Ford A base wavy barry wavy blue and white Neutral
Fountain A roundel barry wavy blue and white Neutral
Fox Red with black "socks" and white at tip of tail Colour
Hammer Sable shafted of brown wood Colour
Hare Brown Colour
Harp Brown Colour
Horse No default; must be specified n/a
Humans/human parts Caucasian by default, i.e., pink or white (See also Moor) Metal
Ibex Brown Colour
Ladybug No defined proper tincture n/a
Lavender Purple flowers, green leaves and stem Colour
Leaf Green (sometimes with a brown stem) Colour
Leather/leather items Brown Colour
Mermaid Caucasian human with green tail and yellow hair Neutral
Moor Brown with black hair Colour
Moose Brown Colour
Mouse No default; must be specified n/a
Owl No default; must be specified n/a
Parchment Tan or yellow Metal
Peacock Mostly blue and green with "eyes" in the tail Colour
Pickaxe Black, shafted brown Colour
Pomegranate Green, seeded red Colour
Popinjay Green with red details Colour
Rabbit Brown Colour
Rainbow (on colour field: from top to bottom)
Yellow, red, green, white; white clouds
Metal
(on metal field from top to bottom)
Blue, green, gold, red; cloud color must be specified
Colour
Rainbow, natural (from top to bottom)
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, white clouds
Neutral
Raven Black Colour
Rose Red, barbed green and seeded yellow Colour
Seraph Caucasian skin, red hair, multicolored wings n/a
Slipped and leaved Brown or green stem and green leaves Colour
Stone/stone items Gray Metal
Sword White with yellow hilt and quillons Metal
Thistle Green sepals, stem, leaves; purple or red flower Colour
Tiger No default; must be specified n/a
Tree Brown trunk, green leaves Colour
Urchin Brown with white face and belly Colour
Weaver's slea Brown Colour
Wood/wooden items Brown Colour
Zebra White striped black Metal

See further discussion under colour.