Marshalling of Arms
If the shield you are blazoning is divided and displays two or more distinct armorials, then you are blazoning a marshalling of arms. These armorials fall into three basic categories:
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Shields with two sections, divided vertically. |
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These often represent the arms of a husband and wife (baron and femme, in heraldic terms) as in Example 1(a). |
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A vertical division is also used to marshall the arms of a bishop or clergyman, combining the religious arms of the position held with the individual's family arms, as in Example 1(b). |
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2. |
Shields with four sections, divided quarterly (i.e., both vertically and horizontally. |
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Such shields display two, three, or four distinct armorials. The armorial displayed in the upper left corner is always the most important one. |
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3. |
Shields with six or more sections, displaying five or more distinct armorials. |
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Such shields can very precisely represent the genealogy of an individual by the placement of the various armorials. Unfortunately, they are not always drawn carefully enough to do so. |
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