blazonry

Blazonry is the practice of describing heraldic arms in a formal language known as blazon. It provides precise, conventional descriptions of a shield's appearance so that arms can be recognized and reproduced across time and languages. Blazonry covers the whole coat of arms, including the shield (escutcheon), its field and ordinaries, any additional charges, and their arrangement on the surface of the shield, as well as colors, metals, furs, and heraldic decorations.

A blazon specifies tinctures (colors and metals) such as or (gold), argent (silver), gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), sable (black), and furs such as ermine. The Rule of Tincture governs contrast, typically avoiding placing a metal on a metal or a color on a color. Charges include animals, plants, objects, or geometric devices; their counts, positions, and groupings are described, often with terms like "rampant," "passant," "in chief," "in base," or "counterchanged."

Blazonry emerged in medieval Europe as a method for identifying armored combatants and property. It was systematized by heralds and later by national heraldic authorities, which grant arms, regulate blazons, and maintain armorial records. Today, blazonry remains essential for genealogical research, heraldic museums, and institutions that display or inherit arms. It is used by individuals, cities, universities, and noble houses, among others.

Example: Blazon: "Azure, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules." Interpretation: On a blue field, a gold lion standing on its hind legs with red claws and tongue.