False Heraldry, Arms to Inquire

French: Armes à enquerre,

Gu a chief  or bordered arg

Anything contrary to the established rules of the science, particularly the placing of metal upon metal, or colour upon colour, which does, however, sometimes occur in old bearings. This is a contravention of the rules of blazon, the purpose of which was to emphasize the armorial bearings, in order that they might be recognised from a distance on the shield of a knight. For this to happen, a charge of colour was painted on a yellow or white (Or or Argent) field, and vice versa, so that it might stand out.

It is probable that in the majority of the cases this infringement to the rules was the consequence of an error on the part of  the artist or that the metals and colours employed in painting armorial bearings deteriorated through the passage of time, e.g., silver (Argent) could tarnish to black and gold (Or) to green. See Cousu.

On the other hand, some early authors considered them special bearings, maintaining them to be the most honourable because, according to Boyer, they were bestowed only for great achievements and thus more effectually perpetuate their memory. See Jerusalem Cross.

 Animals borne of their natural colours are exceptions to this general rule. Furs may likewise be placed upon either metal or colour, or vice versa, the furs being neither. False heraldry, nevertheless, does sometimes appear in old coats of arms, and, often in a trivial way, cannot well be avoided, as in pommels, hilts, and blades of swords, the heads of spears, lances, arrows, axes and the like which, in the blazon may be termed proper, and thus the allowable exception to animals borne of their natural colour, then termed proper, may extend to inanimate things in the same manner.