The Armour Archive

Sometimes you see a single charge repeated over and over. I think this is called "powdering." My question is this- is a powdered pattern random or does it only consist of rows?

* * * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * * *

As far as I can tell it doesn't imply any specific pattern, just that the ground is covered fairly evenly with the device. For example, have a look at the punch patterns on the quaterings of the BP shield especially the blue- diagonal lines in some areas and random in others.

The term you often see is "semy of ----".

IT depends largely on the period, the locale, and the charge.

For example, it's *generally* a grid on alternating levels (e.g.:

OXOXOXOXOX
XOXOXOXOXO
OXOXOXOXOX
XOXOXOXOXO

Where O is the field and X is the charge.

The question of "cutoffs at the edge" occurs. The classic example is France Ancient (azure, semy-de-lys or), where the fleurs overhanging the edge were cut off. Ermine fields are usually done the same way. But if there is something like a bordure ermine, rather than have random XOXOX placement with half a charge here and half there, they are "arranged" to fill up the available space.

What exactly are you thinking of?

Effingham

Powdered is a rather rarely used synonym for semy/semé. Either is understood, though I think the SCA style leans heavily to using "semy." Some heralds a little more ignorant of French than they ought to be put it "a semy of..." which isn't right, as the term is an adjective; "semy of..." does just fine; the concept is "seeded." The more swiftly we can nip that solecism in the bud, the better blazon we'll have, and the sooner.

The term "powdering" probably originated in the fur industry, where the practice consisted of cutting holes in a skin, inserting a contrasting-colored tail (like the black-tipped ermine tail) or bit of fur, and sewing in place. This is how the classic black spots appear on ermine fur. A cheaper and popular alternative to using actual tails was to take long-ish lengths of black lamb fur from the legs of lambs and powder them on a field of white fur, in imitation of the black-tipped ermine tails.

This information gleaned and extrapolated from Elspeth Veale's The English Fur Trade in the Later Middle Ages.

I would also comment that instead of a square-grid pattern, go for a diamond grid pattern, and it'll look more like the "powdering" of fur and heraldry.

-Tasha

Edited to change "fabric" to "fur" ("ermine fabric"... uh... no.)

Effingham, thanks for the info.