[Antir_scribes] Shield shapes on charters

[Ursula Georges]

Alexis Garrigues wrote:
> I just finished a charter design for the upcoming reign, and on
> reading the tidbit of info at
> http://www.scribes.antir.sca.org/Scrolls-Charters/difference.html , I
> am wondering if it will be problematic. I used an illustration from
> the Manesse Codex as a model, which includes a knight carrying a
> shield.  I left the face of the shield blank, but am wondering if
> there will be a problem with painters putting any sort of graphic on
> this shield- would that be considered "heraldry" and need Herald
> approval?  

I would not expect a single-tinctured shield to be an issue, since the 
SCA doesn't register single tinctures, so a note to the scribe not to 
decorate the shield should be sufficient.  If you're doing a charter for 
an order with a registered badge, you could just put the badge on the 
shield.

If you're in the mood for a bit of rules-lawyering, there's another way 
to obstruct scribal initiative: decorate the shield with outlines for 
vair or potent.

http://heraldry.sca.org/primer/vair.gif
http://heraldry.sca.org/primer/potent.gif

This still makes a "single tincture" shield by SCA rules (ermine would 
work too, were it not reserved for Brittany).

Ursula Georges.