Bar (heraldry)

Barry (of ten) argent and azure

In heraldry, a bar is an ordinary consisting of a horizontal band across the shield. If only one bar appears across the middle of the shield, it is termed a fess; if two or more appear, they can only be called bars. Calling the bar a diminutive of the fess is inaccurate, however, because two bars may each be no smaller than a fess. Like the fess, bars too may bear complex lines (such as embattled, indented, nebuly, etc.). The diminutive form of the bar (narrower than a bar yet wider than a cottise) is the barrulet, though these frequently appear in pairs, the pair termed a "bar gemel" rather than "two barrulets".

Common ordinaries

A single bar placed across the top of the field is called a chief. A single bar placed over the center of the field is called a fess. Two to four of these appearing on a shield are called bars, and more than four are called barrulets.

Diminutives

The diminutive of the bar that is half its width is the closet, that one-fourth the width is the barrulet. Barrulets are often borne in pairs known as bar gemel, the pair separated by the width of a barrulet. A coat of arms can bear multiple bar gemels, though four is usually the maximum. The bar gemel is sometimes referred to by the French Jumelle or jumelles. The diminutive of the barrulet, half its width, is known as a cottise. Cottises rarely appear alone, but are most often borne on each side of an ordinary (such as a fess, pale, bend or chevron). The ordinary thus accompanied by a cottise on each side is then described as "cottised", or these may even be "doubly cottised" (i.e. surrounded by four cottises, two along each side). A single cottise is usually blazoned a cost.

A bar that has been "couped" (cut) at the ends so as not to reach the edges of the field is called a hamade, hamaide or hummet, after the town of La Hamaide in Hainaut, Belgium. As a charge, it is almost always depicted in threes. The adjective is hummety.

Barry and barruly

A field divided by many bars — often six, eight or ten parts with two alternating tinctures — is described as barry (of x, y and z, where x is the number of bars, y is the first (uppermost) tincture, and z is the second tincture). A field divided into five, seven or nine parts with two alternating tinctures is not called barry, however, but two, three or four bars. A barry design consisting of twelve or more parts is comparatively rare and is called barruly rather than barry.

Examples

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  Argent, three bars gules
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  Gules, four bars indented Or
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  Argent, three bars gemelles gules
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  Argent, a fess doubly cottised gules
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  A bar gemel wavy cottised in the arms of the French commune of Berneuil-sur-Aisne
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  Barry of ten sable and Or in the arms of the German state of Saxony
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  Lion barry of ten argent and gules in the arms of the German state of Hesse
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  A bordure barry of ten argent and sable
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  Or, three hamades gules, the arms of La Hamaide in the Belgian province of Hainaut
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  Arms of Richard de Valoines: Barruly of 14 argent and azure on a bend gules three mullets of six points or (1285)

References

• Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1909). A Complete Guide to Heraldry. New York: Dodge Publishing. ISBN 0-517-26643-1. LCCN 09023803 – via Internet Archive.
• Brooke-Little, J P (1996) [1973]. An heraldic alphabet (New and revised ed.). London: Robson Books. ISBN 9781861050779.