Armorial Palettes

Because of the variation in the evenness of pigments and photo quality these are inherently approximate. My admittedly unscientific method was to sample pixels in a section of tincture until it looked about right, then drew a line in the sampled tincture over the section; if the tincture didn’t stand out against its surroundings I considered it a close enough match.

For the palettes with accent tinctures, those are the tinctures used to highlight or lowlight parts of charges and/or were used for diapering.

May Armorials Update

Thirty new armorials have been added, bringing the total up to 545.

Highlights start with Wriothesley heraldic collections, volume II, c. 1530 English (London, British Library, Add MS 45132). Many examples of standards, plus a bunch of shields at the end.

Wriothesley heraldic collections, volume II, c. 1530 English (London, British Library, Add MS 45132)

From c. 1460 Germany, we have Donaueschinger Wappenbuch (Badische Landesbibliothek, Cod. Donaueschingen 496). The manuscript is heavily damaged, but the artwork is very nice; everything is drawn in a simple, sketch-like style, but with a lot of precision and care.

Donaueschinger Wappenbuch, c. 1460 German (Badische Landesbibliothek, Cod. Donaueschingen 496)

There’s also Wappenbuch, 16th C Czech (Knihovna Národního muzea v Praze, Ms a 20), which is over 1000 pages, and appears to be at least 4 separate armorials bound together.

Wappenbuch, 16th C Czech (Knihovna Národního muzea v Praze, Ms a 20)

There’s also a Wappenbuch from c. 1567 Germany (Klagenfurt, Kärntner Landesarchiv, Geschichtsverein, Cod. 5/29), which has some lovely artwork (but is unfortunately rather exuberantly watermarked by the digitizing museum).

Wappenbuch, c. 1567 German (Klagenfurt, Kärntner Landesarchiv, Geschichtsverein, Cod. 5/29)

And in the ‘Treatises’ category, there’s Manieres d’armóiries, 16th C Spanish (Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de España, MSS 1467), which is weird even by treatise standards, but also has some beautiful artwork.

Manieres d’armóiries, 16th C Spanish (Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de España, MSS 1467)

Here is the full list of added items:

England

  • Wriothesley heraldic collections, volume II, c. 1530 English (London, British Library, Add MS 45132)
  • Coats of arms of Scottish nobility, 4th quarter of the 16th C English (London, British Library, Harley MS 115)

France

  • Description de la vie et généalogie des seigneurs du pays de Clèves, 16th C French (France, Chantilly, Musée Condé, Bibliothèque, Ms. 791)
  • Extraicts d’aulcunes sépultures et verrières anciennes et modernes, 15th-16th C French (France, Chantilly, Musée Condé, Bibliothèque, Ms. 785)

Germany and Eastern Europe

  • Necrologium Minor Ratisponensium, 15th C German (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Clm 1004)
  • Donaueschinger Wappenbuch, c. 1460 German (Badische Landesbibliothek, Cod. Donaueschingen 496)
  • Wappenbuch, 16th C Czech (Knihovna Národního muzea v Praze, Ms a 20)
    • Over 1000 pages – appears to be at least 4 separate armorials bound together.
  • Wappenbuch Simon Haendel’s, 2nd half of 16th C Czech (Vědecká knihovna v Olomouci, M I 472)
  • Pappenheim, Matthäus von: De origine et familia, 1554 German (Augsburg, Staats- und Stadtbibliothek — 2 Gen 48)
  • Ehrenspiegel des Hauses Österreich (Buch I – VI), 1555 German (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Cgm 895)
  • Augspurgisches Geschlechterbuch, c. 1558 German (Augsburg, Staats- und Stadtbibliothek — Rar 114)
  • Francolin, Hans von: Weyland Kaysers Ferdinandi, c. 1560 German (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Res/Herald. 209 w)
  • Explicatio Salzburgensis, 1560 German (Diözesanarchiv St. Pölten, Hs 88)
  • Egerische Chronik, 1560-1600 German (Prague, Knihovna Národního muzea, VI F 43)
  • Wappenbuch, c. 1567 German (Klagenfurt, Kärntner Landesarchiv, Geschichtsverein, Cod. 5/29)
  • Große Schweizer Chronik, 1576 Swiss (Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Cod. Sal. X,1)
  • Gniazdo cnoty zkąd Herby Rycerstwa, 1578 Polish (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Hbost/Es 132)
  • Rüxner, Georg: Thurnierbuch, 1578 German (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Res/2 Herald. 43)
  • Baßler-Chronik, 1580 Swiss (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Res/2 Helv. 170)
  • Hoffmann, Elias: Stamm vnd Wappenbüchlein, 1592 German (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Res/Herald. 209 x)
  • Oldenburgisch Chronicon, 1599 German (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — 2 Germ.sp. 69)
  • (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek — Herald. 139-1, 139-2)

Italy

  • Recueil de documents relatifs à l’histoire de Venise, 16th C Italian (France, Chantilly, Musée Condé, Bibliothèque, Ms. 802)
  • Armoriaux vénitiens, 1530-1600 Italian (France, Archives Nationales, AB/XIX/3197)

Friendship Albums

  • 1575-1607: Thomas Lang (Prague, Královská kanonie premonstrátů na Strahově, DG IV 16)
  • 1581-1588: Joh. Wolfgang Schwarzdorfer (München, BSB Cgm 3291)
  • 1585-1627: Unknown (Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod.hist.oct.68)
  • 1592-1605: Přibíka Jeníška z Újezda (Národní knihovna České republiky, I.H.14)
  • 1598-1606: Adam Pusch, Breslau (München, BSB Cgm 8349)

Treatises

  • Manieres d’armóiries, 16th C Spanish (Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de España, MSS 1467)

2nd April Armorials Update

I’m going to try to do these more frequently so they don’t become daunting, and so I can give a bit of info about the items I’m adding. With that in mind, I’ve found 7 new sources over the last couple days.

German

  • Geschlechtsregister der fränkischen Familie von Russaw, 1491-16th C German (Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, cod. hist. qt. 420)
    • A short genealogy – has less than 20 items, but some nice artwork.
  • Stuttgarter Harnischmusterbuch, 1548-1563 German (Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek,Cod.milit.fol.24)
    • Effectively master armorer Jörg Sorg the Younger’s portfolio, for showing his past designs to new customers. Most pages include the arms of the person the armor was made for.
  • Atlas des Herzogtums Württemberg, 1575 German (Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek,Cod.hist.qt.102)
    • An atlas of the Duchy of Württemberg which includes the arms of the cities.
  • Nachbildungen alter Grabsteine des Württembergischen Fürstenhauses, 1583 German (Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod.hist.fol.130)
    • Drawings of Württemberg gravestones, most of which include arms.

Low Countries

  • Armorial, 16th C Dutch (Brussels, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België ms. G 675)
    • A collection of a few armorials.
  • Receuil d’armoiries coloriées, 16th C Dutch (Brussels, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België ms. G 564)
    • An armorial with arms from across Europe.
  • Armorial de l’Ordre de la Toison d’or, c. 1559 Dutch (Brussels, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België ms. 9080)
    • Arms of the members of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

April Armorials Update

65 items added today. Here’s the list of everything that’s been added

Great Britain and Ireland

Parliament roll of arms, 1515 England (London, British Library, Add MS 40078)

The Baronage and Peerage of England, 1580-1599 English (Paris, BnF, ms. Anglais 32)

Genealogies of the kings of England, 1592 English (New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Osborn fa56)

English armorial, 1603 English

France

Armorial de France, 15th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 14356)

Alliances et généalogies des sérénissimes très puissants ducs de Lorraine, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 11809)

Ancien armorial de la maison d’Alègre, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms Français 5932)

Armorial français et plus particulièrement poitevin, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5938)

Livre armorial des escriptz et blasons des armes des chevalliers commandeurs de l’Ordre et milice du Sainct-Esprit, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 8203)

Traité armorial, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5931)

Français 32639, 1575-1600 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 32639)

Recueil de blasons coloriés des chevaliers de l’Ordre du Saint-Esprit, 1579-1581 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 25202)

L’Ordre du Sainct Esprit, 1583-1585 French (New York, Morgan Library, MS M.927)

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Poland

Österreichisches Wappenbuch, 1445-1448 Austrian (Wien, Haus-, Hof- und Staatsarchiv, Hs. W 84)

Österreichische Chronik des Konrad Grünenberg, c. 1470 Austrian (Wien, Haus-, Hof- und Staatsarchiv, Hs. R 1 (Böhm 1))

Zwei Wappenbücher, 1480-1500 German (Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB), Cod. 2936)

Jörg Rugen: Wappenbuch, c.1495-1498 German (Innsbruck, Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol (ULBT), Cod. 545)

Armorial, 16th C German (Paris, BnF, ms. Allemand 304)

Sammelhandschrift, 16th C German (Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB), Cod. 7357)

Wappen von bayerischen Familien, Städten, Klöstern etc., 16th C German (München, BSB Cgm 2287)

Schembartbuch, 1539-1564 German (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, 4° Lö. 216)

Familienbuch des Hans von Hinwil, 1541 Swiss (Luzern, Staatsarchiv, PA 437/9)

Neustifter Wappenbuch, 1548-1552 German (Neustift/Novacella, Augustiner-Chorherrenstift, Cod. s.n.)

Joachim von Watt (Vadian), Kleinere Chronik der Äbte des Klosters St. Gallen, 1549 Swiss (St. Gallen, Stadtarchiv der Ortsbürgergemeinde St. Gallen, StadtASG, Altes Archiv, Bd. 677a)

Joachim Tetzel: Familienbuch, 1550 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Hs 6222 a)

Das Hausbuch der Herren von Hallwil, 2nd half of the 16th C Swiss (Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum, SH 228)

Schembartbuch, German 1551-1600 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Merkel Hs 2° 241)

Schembartbuch, German 1551-1600 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Merkel Hs 2° 271)

Schembartbuch, German 1551-1600 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Hs 5664)

Sigmund Held: Familienbuch I, German 1551-1600 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Hs 2108 a)

Beschreibung des Armbrustschießens in Stuttgart 1560, 1560 German (Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 78)

Portraits of the Habsburg family and of knights killed in the Battle of Sempach (1386), c. 1560 Swiss (Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum, LM 22737)

Zimmernsche Chronik, 1566 German (Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod.Don580,a-b)

Beschreibung des Büchsenschießens in Innsbruck vom Jahr 1569, 1569 Austrian (Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB), Cod. 9023)

Silbereisen: Chronicon Helvetiae, Part I, 1576 Swiss (Aarau, Aargauer Kantonsbibliothek, MsWettF 16: 1)

Cronica unnd Beschreibunge, 1577 German (New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke MS 734)

Beschreibung derer fürstlicher güligscher &c. Hochzeitm 1587 German

Wappen der Reichsfürstentümer und französischer Herzogtümer, c 1590-1595 German (Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, HB V 25)

Diplomatarium Wettingense, 1593 Swiss (Aarau, Staatsarchiv Aargau, AA/3116)

Wappenbuch, 1596-1597 Austrian (Admont, Benediktinerstift, Cod. 806)

Schembartbuch, German c. 1600 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Merkel Hs 4° 342)

Siebmacher, Johann: New Wapenbuch, 1605 German

Siebmacher, Johann: New Wapenbuch, 1612 German

Italy

Cronica di Venezia, 15th C Italian (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat.lat.5281)

Storia della repubblica veneziana, 16th C Italian (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Urb.lat.512)

Florentine Priorista, c. 1530 Italian (Chicago, Newberry VAULT Case MS folio J 035 .714)

Le Arme overo insegne di tutti li nobili della magnifica et illusstrisima città di Venetia c’hora viuono, 1541 Italian (Bibliotheca Cicognara, 1983)

Stemme veneziane, c. 1560 Italian (New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, MS 1138)

Trattato de gli huomini illvstri di Bologna, 1590 Italian

Libro II della Natione Normanda, 1601 Italian

Iberia

Armorial de Navarre, 16th C Spanish (Paris, BnF, ms. Espagnol 284)

Coplas às armas da nobreza de Portugal, 16th C Portuguese (Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra, V.T.-19-8-27)

Recogimiento de Nobleza, 1520 Spanish (Madrid, Biblioteca Real Academia de la Historia, Signatura: 9/271)

Crónica de Valencia, 1564 Spanish (Madrid, Biblioteca Real Academia de la Historia, Signatura: 9/166)

Scandinavia

Armorial suédois, 1562 Swedish (Paris, BnF, ms. Latin 18410)

Friendship Albums

1576-1589: Jean le Clercq

1582-1617: Ulrich Reutter (Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Bibliothek, [Tresor] Hs 123725)

1589-1601: Christoph Löffelholz (Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Bibliothek, Hs 6037 d)

1589-1605: Unknown (München, BSB Cgm 3297 a)

1590-1618: Ferdinand von Muggenthal (Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Bibliothek, Hs 4209 a)

1597-1606: Andreas Matt de Poznań (Paris, BnF, ms. Smith-Lesouëf 84)

1598-1624: Jakob Hygel (St. Gallen, Stiftsarchiv (Abtei Pfäfers), Cod. Fab. XXVIII)

Treatises

Le Blason de toutes armes et escutz, 1495 French

The Knights of the Round Table

Devise des armes des chevaliers de la table ronde, 1500-1599 French (New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Takamiya MS 124)

King Arthur and the knights of the round table, 1553-1603 English (New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Takamiya MS 34)

Iago’s Guide to Finding Period Armorials Online

  1. Find collections of digitized manuscripts.
    1. A decent, if sometimes out-of-date, place to start is https://digitizedmedievalmanuscripts.org/, which is a meta-collection of institutions with digital manuscript collections. If the link to an institution on that site is dead, try Googling the name of the institution – it may just have an updated URL.
    2. New collections are being put online all the time, and are regularly shared all over SCA social media, so keep an eye out.
    3. Sometimes an item or search result in one collection will link to an item in a different collection (watch headers, layout, and URLs so you know if you’ve been sent to a different institution’s collection). If you end up in a collection you haven’t seen before, do searches there as well.
    4. Keep track of places you’ve had success in the past – some of them regularly add new items.
  2. Search within any collection you find.
    1. ‘Keyword’ searches are usually the best bet if that option is available.
    2. See the Table of Search Terms below for some useful terms to start with depending on the institution’s language.
    3. Keep track of the most effective search terms in any given collection.
    4. Look closely at the full record for any results you find that are even vaguely on-topic; most collections will have things categorized by ‘Subject’. Search by the ‘Subject’ of results you find.
    5. Look at any good (or even half-decent) results you get from various search terms, and see what other words the titles, descriptions, or other key words have in common; try searching with these new words as well.
    6. Some search terms will give you a small number of good results but will miss a lot of other sources. Some search terms will give a lot of results but include a lot of false positives. (For example, using ‘arms’ might bring up every item where the book has an armorial bookplate, which isn’t all that helpful; but using ‘armorial’ might miss an excellent source that is titled or described as ‘a collection of arms’.)
    7. Try to figure out as much about the search interface as possible – run the page through a translator if necessary.
    8. Use filters and sorting as much as possible to limit results, for example:
      • Filter for ‘created’ dates between 1250 and 1650
      • Sort items by date order with the oldest first
      • Some collections include all items held by that institution, digitized or not – filter for ones that have digital copies
      • Filter type of media for ‘book’ and/or ‘manuscript’
  3. Record as much as possible.
    1. It’s tempting to look through things you find right away, but this can cause you to lose your search momentum. Instead, quickly record a brief description and a URL of anything of potential interest to look through later.
    2. If a search brings up a promising-looking result that doesn’t appear to be online, keep digging. Google the name of the source, or the shelfmark – it might be hosted elsewhere, or could point to a lead to a similar source. Even if you find nothing, don’t give up – record the details of the source and try looking again in a few months.
    3. You’ll occasionally find things that have little or nothing to do with heraldry, but are interesting nonetheless (I’ve found a book of Italian Renaissance hedge maze designs, recipe books, books full of drawings of different styles of equestrian bits, etc.). Save these somewhere – you never know.
LanguageSearch TermMeaning/Notes
Englisharmorial 
Englishshields 
Englishcoats of arms 
Englishblazon 
Englishheraldry 
Englishheraldic 
Englishalbum amicorum “friendship book” – a type of autograph album
Englishfriendship book 
 —————————————— ——————————————- 
Frencharmorial/armoriauxarmorial(s)
Frencharmoiriesarmory
Frenchblason(s)blason
Frenchhéraldique(s)heraldry/heraldic
Frencharmesarms
Frenchalbum amicorum 
  ——— ———————————  ——————————————- 
Germanwappenbucharmorial
Germanwappenarms
Germanschönbartbuch/schembartbuchbook of costumes and arms from the Schembart Carnival in Nuremberg – there are a lot out there, typically they all show the same set of armory
Germanstammbuchalbum amicorum
Germanschiessen“shoot” – some records of German shooting tournaments include the arms of the participants
Germanheraldischheraldic
Germanheraldikheraldry
  ——— ———————————  ——————————————- 
Polishherbyarms
  ——— ———————————  ——————————————- 
Italianarme/armiarms
Italianstemmarioarmorial
Italianstemma/stemmiarms
Italianblasoneblazon
Italianprioristacollection of the arms of people who served on the government of the Republic of Florence
Italianinsegneinsignia
Italianaraldica/araldicoheraldry/heraldic
  ——— ———————————  ——————————————- 
Dutchwapenboekarmorial
Dutchwapenarms
Dutchheraldiekheraldry
Dutchheraldischheraldic
  ——— ———————————  ——————————————- 
Spanisharmasarms
Spanishblasónblazon
Spanishheráldica/heráldicoheraldry/heraldic
  ——— ———————————  ——————————————- 
Portuguesearmasarms
Portuguesebrasãoblazon
Portugueseheráldica/heráldicoheraldry/heraldic

December Armorials Update

Over 30 new items have just been added!

First up we have a few Eastern European sources, 3 Polish, and 2 Czech:

  • Kurtzer Auszug der Preussischen Chronicken, 1567 Polish (Biblioteka Kórnicka, sygn.Cim.Qu.2549 ; Mf3525)
  • Tho iest wysławienie panow y paniąt ziem ruskich y podolskich, 1575 Polish (Biblioteka Kórnicka, sygn.Cim.Qu.2175)
  • Herby rycerstwa polskiego, 1584 Polish (Biblioteka Kórnicka, sygn.Cim.F.4210)
  • Zrdcadlo slavného Margrabstwii Morawského, 1593 Czech (Biblioteka Kórnicka, sygn.Cim.F.4051)
  • Herby morawskie, c. 1601-1650 Czech (Biblioteka Baworowskich we Lwowie, Rps 12602 III)
An arrow and a bird bolt in saltire, and a griffin atop a death’s head, both from Herby rycerstwa polskiego; and three nails transfixing a bend from Zrdcadlo slavného Margrabstwii Morawského.

Then we have 5 new sources from Italy: 3 Venetian, 1 Florentine, and one collection of civic arms.

  • Famiglie venete con le loro armi, 15th-16th C Italian (Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alfa.o.3.5)
  • The Nobility of Venice, c. 1527-1600 (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cappon.131)
  • The Priori of Florence, c. 1583-1595 Italian (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, Banco rari. 22-23)
  • Italian civic arms, late 16th Italian (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, Cappugi. 200)
  • Famiglie venete con le loro armi, 16th-17th C Italian (Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alfa.o.3.2)
The arms of the Venetian family Lese, from Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alfa.o.3.5, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cappon.131, and Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alfa.o.3.2.
Three different arms of the Florentine family Peri, from The Priori of Florence.
The arms of the towns of Artimino, Barberino Val d’Elsa, and Casoli, from Italian civic arms.

The biggest expansion this month is to the Alba Amicorum section, with 23 new items:

  • 1559-1579: Michael Weihenmayer (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Stb 9)
  • 1561-1564: Johann Georg Zobel von Giebelstadt (Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Bibliothek, Hs. 7202)
  • 1561-1571: Veit Seytz (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Rothschild IV.8.7)
  • 1567-1589: Daniel Hermann (Lund, Lund University Library)
  • 1574-1586: Nicolas Engelhardt (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Latin 18597)
  • 1574-1601: Christoph Prew (Prague, Knihovna královské kanonie premonstrátu na Strahove, DF II 27)
  • 1578: Johann Wissemann (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Latin 18598)
  • 1578-1599: Christoph Ulrich von Knöringen (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Stb 347)
  • 1580-1589: Bartholomäus Schachmann (Dresden, Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, Mscr. Dresd. App. 2505)
  • 1581-1592: Melchior Stegmann (Gießen, Universitätsbibliothek, Hs. 1216)
  • 1582-1588: Anton Weihenmayer (Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Bibliothek, Hs. 123.725)
  • 1584-1595: Paul Baumgartner (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Stb 388)
  • 1585-1636: Jacob Pachmarius (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Stb 164)
  • 1587-1612: Johann Joachim Prack von Asch (Los Angeles, The Getty Research Institute, 2013.M.24)
  • 1587-1620: Johann Rentzel (Hamburg, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Cod. Stammb. 46)
  • 1590-1591: Daniel Rindfleisch (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Bibl. Rothschild V. 3369)
  • 1590-1597: Simon Händel (Olmütz (Olomouc), Vedecká knihovna, M I 472)
  • 1591-1600: Brtnicky von Valdstein (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. Ser. nov. 2607 Han)
  • 1593-1600: Nicolaus von Loß (Jena, Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Stb. 4)
  • 1595-1612, 1757: Lucas Fischer (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Stb 145)
  • 1597-1604: Sigismund Böham (München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 3297 a)
  • 1599-1610: Christoph Donauer (Private collection)
  • 1601-1604: Balthasar Frölich (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Stb 392)
A lion holding a flaming baton in its mouth (Veit Seytz, 1561), a crowded and grumpy bear (Christoph Ulrich von Knöringen, 1584), and winged heads keeping a secret (Johann Rentzel, 1593).
A swan with a pretzel (Simon Händel, 1590), a lark (Christoph Donauer, 1599), almost a whole suit of armor (Balthasar Frölich, 1604).

October Armorials Update

I’ve just added over 20 new armorials. The full list is at the end of this post, but first some highlights.

In the ‘Great Britain and Ireland’ section there are a couple new ordinaries: Thomas Jenyn’s Book (early 16th C) and a manuscript from the University of Victoria from c. 1580.

Thomas Jenyn’s Book
University of Victoria Library, Ms.Brown.Eng.2

Also added to that section are a bunch of nice resources from the National Library of Ireland, including English, Scotish, and Irish armory.

National Library of Ireland, Department of Manuscripts, GO MS 57

I’m happy to add a few new resources to the ‘Italy’ section, including the mid-15th C Stemmario Trivulziano, and a collection from around 1605.

Stemmario Trivulziano (Milan, Biblioteca Trivulziana, Cod.Triv. 1390)
Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alfa. t. 4. 12

There are also two armorials from the 1st half of the 15th C from the Low Countries.

Brussels, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België ms. II 6567
Brussels, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België ms. II 6570

I’ve added a new section, Southeast Europe, for the Korjenić-Neorić Armorial from 1595, as it really didn’t fit in any of the other sections.

Zagreb, Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u Zagrebu

Some items have been moved around as I refine their dates or locations. One armorial, Koloriertes Wappenbuch, which had been labeled by the hosting library as 16th C, turns out to date from 1637 or later – it’s dedicated to Ferdinand III, which is a giveaway. Despite being well past the roughly 1600 cut-off date I use for curating this collection I’ve left it in at the end of the ‘Germany’ section, as it really is a lovely armorial.

Full List of Additions:

Great Britain and Ireland

France

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Poland

Italy

Low Countries

Iberia

Southeast Europe

Alba Amicora

Skulls in Period Heraldry

Human skulls (and death’s heads: skulls lacking the lower jaw) are very rare charges in period heraldry, but they do show up occasionally. The following is a rundown of all the examples I’ve found so far.

The earliest examples are the attributed arms of Awil-Marduk, son of Nebuchadnezzar II, which started appearing in armorials in the mid-15th C (usually recorded as Ewfullmer or something similar).

Starting in the late 15th C, there are also occasional examples of a skull (or death’s head) used in the attributed arms of death.

As for arms that may have been borne by actual people, the earliest example I’ve found so far is a death’s head in the arms of Francesco Carosio, Bishop of Melfi, as they appear in the Chronicles of the Council of Constance. The earliest version of the Chronicles I’ve found the arms in date to 1483, almost 70 years after the Council, so it’s possible these aren’t an accurate representation of the Bishop’s arms.

In the 16th C we find a couple more examples. In France we have the arms of the Count of Macoy with a skull holding a bone in its mouth;  and in Germany the arms of Coeis(?), a death’s-head with a lily-of-the-valley plant.

And finally, edging into the early 17th century, there’s a German example in a crest from 1603, and the Italian arms of Bonifaci from c. 1605.

EDIT (2020-12-04): A few more examples have turned up.

Two more examples of the arms of Francesco Carosio:

Plus one more example of the attributed arms of Death:

And a new one, attributed arms of Ham, the 2nd son of Noah, from a Polish armorial:

Another Big Armorials Update

I’ve added over 70 new sources today, so I’ll just mention some highlights.

In the French section we have the 16th C Blasons de Bretagne, which offers some interesting insight into a regional heraldic style that is generally not showcased.

A lot of the French sources I found were collections of the arms of the Knights of the Round table and treatises. Since I had a bunch of both of these already, and since neither of them are the best examplars of period armorial style, I’ve separated them into their own sections.

There were a few neat German finds. There’s a 15th C Wappenbuch (München, BSB, Hss Cgm 8030) with over 2500 items. I noticed a large amount of overlap with Grünenberg, both in content and organization, so I suspect it’s from sometime in the second half of the 15th C.

Then there’s a Wappenbuch from the 15th or 16th C (the art style suggests 15th C, but some of the content seems like it’s from the 2nd half of the 16th C to me, so it’s tough to call) with over 500 items (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Fol. 221).

And another Wappenbuch that is dated by the musem as simply 16th C, but based on the number of items in it that I’ve only ever seen in alba amicorum I suspect it’s  closer to the end of that period, which contains over 2500 items (Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Fol 223)

There’s also a Wappenbuch from Cologne in the 2nd half of the 16th C (Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln, A 99). It’s very roughly sketched, with tricking indicating the tinctures along with sporadic painting. It’s theorized that it was a workbook for an heraldic artist.

And finally from Germany is Stuttgarter Schiessen (Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod.hist.fol.165), a book celebrating a shooting competition in 1562, which has some amazing heraldic art.

One of the new sources added to the Italian section is the lovely Priorista, a catalogue of the priors of Florence. I looked up some of the corresponding arms in Insignia Florentinorum, and it’s fascinating to compare styles between the two.

The biggest component of this update is 39 new alba amicorum, which offer an excellent selection of bizarre heraldry – the below are from Eberhard Werll, Leonhard Bininger, and Johann Georg Nocker, respectively.

Great Britain

France

Germany

Italy

Iberia

Album Amicorum

Treatises

Knights of the Round Table

Giant Update to ‘Period Armorials Online’

The full list of the 66 new additions is at the bottom of this post, but first some highlights.

Armoriaux et copies de pièces concernant spécialement les Flandres, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 22485) is an unfinished armorial with a lot of uncoloured line drawings that would make for excellent templates.

Confréries de la Cour amoureuse et de l’Épinette ; Traité de blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 10469) has a small treatise in the middle, but is mostly real, and nicely drawn, armory.

Recueil de blasons peints, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 17256) is well worth a look. Gorgeous artwork and unusual charges, such as violets, snails, and a mirror. It also has quite a decent selection of Iberian heraldry.

Traité de blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 6128) is unfinished; most of the arms haven’t even been inked, so are effectively pencil sketches. Heraldic artists will find this one particularly interesting.

And speaking of heraldic art, I’ll let Traité de blason, avec de nombreuses armoiries coloriées, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5231) speak for itself.

German Armorial, c 1447-1449 (London, Lambeth Palace Library, MS774) has artwork that is fairly typical of the time (the same artist is responsible for some of the Ingeram Codex), but considering how heavily weighted the German list is towards the 16th C, it’s nice to have some more 15th C examples.

I’m pleased to have added 5 new items to the Iberia section, including Blasón de armas, 1601 Spanish (Biblioteca Histórica de la USAL, Ms. 1683), which has many of its blazons in a Spanish poetic style called copla real (I’m a sucker for heraldry that rhymes); and the charmingly poorly drawn Tratado del blasón/Linages de España, 1464 Spanish (Madrid, Real Biblioteca, II/86).

I’ve also added 18 new items to the Alba Amicorum section, including the earliest one I’ve found so far, that of Johann Hegenmüller (1533-1566), which contains an owl displayed; plus that of Janus Dousa (1563-1597) with a dragon’s jambe; and that of Kurt von Knöringen (1587-1598) with fox’s tails in saltire.

Great Britain

  • Scottish Armorial, c 1560-1625 Scottish (London, Lambeth Palace Library, MS316)
  • La liste des seigneurs, barons, chevaliers et gentilshommes, envoyez en France par Elizabeth, c 1572 English

France

  • Livret de blazon, 15th C French (Paris, BnF, Français 2475)
  • Recueil d’armoiries peintes, armoiries des rois, princes, ducs, comtes, etc., 15th C French (Paris, BnF, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal. Ms-4800)
  • Recueil de généalogies, 15th C French (Paris, BnF, Français 5472)
  • Traité à l’usage des rois d’armes, 1454-1500 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5241)
  • Traité de blason, c 1492 French (University of Toronto, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, MSS 01026)
  • Recueil de blasons coloriés, 1501-1525 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5937)
  • Armorial de France et traités de blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. NAF 1075)
  • Armorial de Flandre et du Hainaut, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. NAF 25664)
  • Armorial et traités de blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. NAF 4381)
  • Armoriaux et copies de pièces concernant spécialement les Flandres, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 22485)
  • Confréries de la Cour amoureuse et de l’Épinette ; Traité de blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 10469)
  • Français 1435, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 1435)
  • Français 1438, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 1438)
  • Français 5470, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5470)
  • Généalogie de la maison de Dreux et de Brayne, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 2784)
  • Histoire généalogique des comtes d’Auvergne et de Boulogne, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. 5227)
  • Le second volume de la premiere partye du blason d’armoiries, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal. Ms-5255)
  • L’institution de l’Ordre de la treshaute, tresillustre et trespuissante maison de Savoye, 16th C French (Bibliothèques municipales de Chambéry, MSS B 000.618)
  • Recueil concernant le blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Fran çais 5939)
  • Recueil de blasons peints, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 17256)
  • Recueil de documents concernant les maisons de Boulogne et d’Auvergne, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 4652)
  • Receuil de la généalogie de la noble maison de Luxembourg, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 22481)
  • Recueil de traités et pièces diverses concernant le blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5242)
  • Recueil sur les armoiries et les tournois, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal. Ms-5027)
  • Statuts de l’ordre de la Toison d’Or, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5235)
  • Statuts de l’ordre de la Toison d’Or, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5236)
  • Traité de blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 6128)
  • Traité de blason, avec de nombreuses armoiries coloriées, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 5231)
  • Traité de blason et recueil d’armoiries, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 11463)
  • Traité de l’art du blason, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. 2776)
  • Trésor des Armoiries, 16th C French (Paris, BnF, ms. Dupuy 259)
  • Armoriaux de la table ronde, 1525-1545 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 1436)
  • Les Armories et enseignes du souverene et compagnions du tresnoble ordre de la Jarretiere, c 1572 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 14653)

Germany

  • German Armorial, c 1447-1449 German (London, Lambeth Palace Library, MS774)
  • Concilium zu Constanz, 1483 German (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 97)
  • Coats of arms of Nuremberg families, 16th C German (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 17)
  • Schönbartbuch, 16th C German (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 18)
  • Das Concilium, so zu Constanz gehalten ist worden, 1536 German (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 669)
  • Das Sächsische Stammbuch, 1546 German (Dresden, Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden – Mscr.Dresd.R.3)
  • Bericht vnd Antzaigen der loblichen Statt Augspurg aller Herren Geschlecht, 1550 German (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 690)
  • Der Geschlechter von Fürsten, Graffen, Herrn, vnd vom Adel, Wappen mit Schilten vnd Helmen, c 1573 German (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 709)

Italy

  • Descrittione del regno di Napoli, 1586 Italian

Iberia

  • Tratado del blasón/Linages de España, 1464 Spanish (Madrid, Real Biblioteca, II/86)
  • Nobiliario perfetamente copylado [y] ordenado, 1492 Spanish (Library of Congress, Rosenwald 580)
  • Linajes de España, 16th C Spanish (Madrid, Real Biblioteca, II/3076)
  • Blasón de armas, 1601 Spanish (Biblioteca Histórica de la USAL, Ms. 1683)
  • Crònica de cavallers cathalans, 1603 Spanish (Universitat de Barcelona. CRAI. Manuscrit. Ms. 84)

Alba Amicorum

  • 1533-1566: Johann Hegenmüller (Muzeum Jindřichohradecka, S 0090)
  • 1561-1565: Georg Weis (Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg. MS.6.667)
  • 1563-1597 Janus Dousa (Leiden University Libraries BPL 1406)
  • 1570-1572: Frederik Van Reede (KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections, Ms. 1992) – Dutch
  • 1579-1600: Daniel Rindfleisch (Universitätsbibliothek Rostock, Mss. Meckl. P 60)
  • 1581-1587: Conrad Kechler von Schwandorf (Paris, BnF, Latin 18599)
  • 1582-1605: Friedrich IV. von der Pfalz (Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 120)
  • 1582-1610: Henrik Frankelin (Universitätsbibliothek Uppsala, Y52)
  • 1583-1586: Hessel Beshemius (Universitätsbibliothek Uppsala, Y29k)
  • 1584-1607: Caspar von Schatz (Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg, Cod. In scrin. 198a) – Austrian
  • 1585-1595: Elizabeth Buycken (Paris, BnF, Smith-Lesouëf 85) – Dutch
  • 1586: de Beaullart (Paris, BnF, Français 14561) – French
  • 1587-1598: Kurt von Knöringen (Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 608)
  • 1591-1616: Johann Gastel (Universitätsbibliothek Uppsala, Y55)
  • 1595-1597: Joachimi a Loss (Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht Hs 10 B 19)
  • 1596-1612: Johann Müllegg de Nuremberg (Paris, BnF, Allemand 362)
  • 1598: Christoph von Haugwitz (Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg Cod. Pal. germ. 621)
  • 1598-1601: Oswald Keller (Universitätsbibliothek Uppsala, Y55)