Proper Tincture

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Definition:

Glossary of Terms:

(1) Specifying that a charge appears in its natural hues. A zebra proper has the zebra's characteristic pattern of black and white stripes; a tree proper has a brown trunk and green leaves. Proper should not be used to indicate colorings that can be easily described in terms of the usual heraldic tinctures: a raven proper is better blazoned as a raven sable. It should also be used only if a competent artist will be able to draw the animal correctly without extensive research

(2) Indicates a standard set of tinctures for a standard heraldic charge, such as a sword proper, which has an argent blade and Or hilt and quillons, or a rose proper, which is a rose gules, barbed vert and seeded Or. See Table 3, Conventional Proper Colorings for a listing of proper tinctures defined in precedent. http://heraldry.sca.org/coagloss.html

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A Heraldic Primer (old version):

Proper Tinctures - http://heraldry.sca.org/primer/proper.html

In addition to the aforementioned tinctures, there is a special consideration termed 'proper'. The term is used when a charge is emblazoned in a manner as it appears in nature and is considered heraldic shorthand. Thus, instead of saying A pine tree vert, trunked brun, one blazons it A pine tree proper

A pomegranate proper	A fox proper	A pine tree proper

Article "On Proper... "

http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/lessons/lesson06.html

We will begin with the definition given in the glossary to the Rules for Submissions:<

Proper – Used in blazon to specify that a charge appears in its natural colors. "A zebra proper" has the zebra’s characteristic pattern of black and white stripes. "A tree proper" has a brown trunk and green leaves. Sometimes "proper" is used to indicate a standard set of tinctures for a standard heraldic charge, like "a sword proper", which has an argent blade and Or hilt and quillons, or "a rose proper", which is "a rose gules, barbed vert and seeded Or". The term "proper" should only be used to indicate colorings that cannot be described in the usual heraldic language. "A raven proper" is just "a raven sable". "Proper" should also only be used if a competent artist will be able to draw the animal correctly without extensive research.

The definition gives two types of proper:The natural colors of the object, and a heraldic shorthand.

Proper as the natural colors of a charge must be unambiguous. For example, a robin proper, or a brown bear proper, or a tree proper. If the charge comes in different colors, do not call it proper. Consider a horse. How many different colors and color patterns do horses come in? The words must describe the picture so that a competent artist can recreate the picture without having to do extensive research.

If it is necessary to name the species to define what is proper, then you cannot use proper. If described as "an American Kestrel proper", most people would have to go scrambling for a bird book to check the colors, even if they recognized that the Kestrel is a falcon. Being more precise and including the species (Falco sparverius) doesn’t help.

One of the examples was "a brown bear proper". Anyone can visualize that. However, consider "a snowshoe hare in summer phase". "A brown rabbit proper" says the same thing in words that anyone can visualize. The fine distinction between a generic "rabbit" and a "snowshoe hare" is insignificant in the heraldic sense.

As heraldic shorthand, proper has limited application. There are only a few objects, which have a "proper" coloration. They include:

• A sword (argent, hilted and pommelled Or)
• A rose (gules, barbed vert, seeded Or)
• A thistle (purpure, slipped and leaved vert in the SCA; gules, slipped and leaved vertin mundane)
• A mount (vert in mundane, no default in SCA)
• A popinjay (vert, beaked gules)
• A rainbow (heraldic) (four bands, either Or, gules, vert, argent, clouds argent when on a dark field; or azure, vert, Or, and gules, clouds to be specified when on a light field)
• A ford (a base barry wavy azure and argent or argent and azure)

Note that each can be blazoned without resorting to proper. If you have any doubts whether "proper" is applicable, don’t use it.

Rules for Submission VIII.4.c – Natural Depiction says "Excessively naturalistic use of otherwise acceptable charges may not be registered." It further notes: "Excessively natural designs include those that overuse proper, depict animate objects in unheraldic postures, or use several charges in their natural forms, especially when heraldic equivalents exist." You cannot have a rabbit proper between three robins proper and on a chief azure two rattlesnakes proper. That is excessive use of proper. Armory should contain no more than one charge blazoned as proper, in the natural sense. Heraldic flora and fauna are normally stylized to some degree.

Perhaps the commonest reason to use proper is to get a brown something. For example, a tree proper has a brown trunk. Since we do not recognize brown as a heraldic tincture by name, the only way to get a brown object is to blazon it proper, if brown is the proper color.

We are heralds, not botanists!

You cannot use proper to cheat on the rule of tincture. Charges blazoned as proper are still either light or dark, and must be placed on an appropriate tincture. A tree blasted proper is still a dark color (brown) and cannot be placed on a color.

Table of Proper Colorings

Glossary of Terms:

Conventional "Proper" Colorings - http://heraldry.sca.org/coagloss.html#proper

Most monsters, e.g., griffins, unicorns, sea-lions, etc., being mythical creatures, have no "proper" coloration. Natural animals which are frequently found as brown but also commonly appear in other tinctures in the natural world may be registered as a brown [animal name] proper (e. g., brown hound proper, brown horse proper).

Charge	Tincture or Blazon	Tincture Class	Source (if not noted, source is Glossary of Terms)
Acorn	Brown	Color
Animals	Varies by specific animal	n/a
Antler/Ivory	White or light yellow brown	Metal
Apple Blossom	Argent seeded Or	Metal	University of Atlantia badge
Arrow	Brown shaft, black head, tincture of fletching specified	Color
Axe	sable blade, brown haft/handle; the tincture is taken from the blade	June 2021 Cover Letter
Barbed and seeded	Green sepals, yellow seeds	Ignored
Barrell	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Bear	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Bees	sable and Or winged argent	neutral?	March 2005 Cover Letter
Boar	Brown	Color
Bow	brown (string unblazoned but usually sable	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Bread	Brown	Color
Bull/Cow	No default; must be specified	n/a
Camel	No default; must be specified	n/a
Carrot	No defined proper tincture<	n/a
Cherub	No defined proper tincture	n/a
Chough	Black with red beak and legs	Color
Cloves	Dark brown	Color
Daisy	Argent seeded Or	Metal
Deer/Stag	Brown	Color
Dog/Wolf	No default; must be specified	n/a
Dolphin	Green with red fins	Color
Dolphin, natural	Gray	Metal
Dove	White with pink or red beak and legs	Metal
Elephant	Gray with white tusks	Metal
Falcon	Brown	Color
Fire/flame	Alternately red and yellow or yellow and red	Neutral
Ford	A base wavy barry wavy blue and white	Neutral
Fountain	A roundel barry wavy blue and white	Neutral
Fox	Red with black "socks" and white at tip of tail	Color
Frauenadler	human portions as Human/Human Parts, brown plumage	color per the plumage	June 2021 Cover Letter
Grapes	fruit purpure and leaved vert, stem vert or brown	color	March 2005 Cover Letter June 2021 Cover Letter
Hammer	Sable shafted of brown wood	Color
Hare	Brown	Color
Harp	Brown	Color
Hautboy, Shawm	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Hawk	brown (lighter details unblazoned)	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Holly	vert leaves and gules berries	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Horse	No default; must be specified	n/a
Humans/human parts	No defined proper tincture per Jan 2021 CL (See also Moor)	Color or Metal	January 2021 Cover Letter
Ibex	Brown	Color
Ladybug	No defined proper tincture	n/a
Lavender	Purple flowers, green leaves and stem	Color
Leaf	Green (sometimes with a brown stem)	Color
Leather/leather items	Brown	Color
Mermaid	Caucasian human with green tail and yellow hair	Neutral
Monarch butterfly	orange to reddish-orange wings outlined in sable (optional argent markings), sable body	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
>Monster	Most have no proper tincture	n/a
Moor	Brown with black hair	Color
Moose	Brown	Color
Mouse	No default; must be specified	n/a
Nest	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Otter	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Owl	No default; must be specified	n/a
Parchment	Tan or yellow	Metal
Peacock	Mostly blue and green with "eyes" in the tail	Color
Pickaxe	sable head, brown haft (tincture taken from head)	Color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Plants	Green, sometimes with brown stems	Color
Pomegranate	Green, seeded red	Color
Popinjay	Green with red details	Color
Pretzel	Brown	Color
Puffin	sable, bellied and marked argent	neutral	June 2021 Cover Letter
Rabbit	Brown	Color
Rainbow (on color field: from top to bottom)	Yellow, red, green, white; white clouds	Metal
^ (on metal field from top to bottom)	Blue, green, gold, red; cloud color must be specified	Color
Rainbow, natural	(from top to bottom) Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, white clouds	Neutral
Raven	Sable	Sable
Rose	Red, barbed green and seeded yellow	Color
Rose bush	vert trunk and branches, roses proper (as above)	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Saracen	As a default Human	Metal
Seraph	Caucasian skin, red hair, multicolored wings	n/a
Ship	Brown, sails must be specified	Color
Slipped and leaved	Brown or green stem, green leaves (usually does not contribute to difference)	Color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Staff (including ragged staves)	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Stone/stone items	Gray	Metal
Sword	White with yellow hilt and quillons	Metal
Tai-chi	Per fess embowed counter-embowed argent and sable	Neutral
Thistle	Green sepals, stem, leaves; purple or red flower	Color
Tiger	No default; must be specified	n/a
Trebuchet, Catapault	brown	color	June 2021 Cover Letter
Tree	Brown trunk, green leaves	Color
Turnip	top half purpure and bottom half argent leaved vert	neutral (leaves do not count for difference)	February 2006 LoAR
Urchin (hedgehog)	Brown with white face and belly	Color
Weaver's slea<	Brown	Color
Wood/wooden items	Brown	Color
Zebra	argent striped sable or sable striped argent	neutral	June 2021 Cover Letter

Worksheet of other Proper Tinctures from Precedent

To be incorporated into above table when done coding

Charge	Tincture or Blazon	Tincture Class	Precedent/Source
Example	Argent seeded Or	Metal	University of Atlantia badge
Example	sable and Or winged argent	neutral?	March 2005 Cover Letter

Precedents:

Precedents of the SCA College of Arms - http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents.html

Morsulus Heralds Website - http://www.morsulus.org/ (to search the LoARs and Precedents)

Use the above links to be sure any precedents listed below haven't been superseded by newer precedents.

Definition:

June 2021 - From Wreath: New Proper Definitions

The Glossary of Terms Table 4, Conventional "Proper" Colorings will be updated in the next day or two based on the changes proposed on Palimpsest's March 6th Rules Letter and feedback from the College. When updating the table, it was noted that some items had been registered in the past with an assumed proper but that proper was never explicitly defined. The following definitions have been added to (or modified in) the table:

Axe: An axe proper has a sable blade and a brown haft or handle; the tincture is taken from the blade. An axe <tincture> hafted proper has a brown (wooden) handle.

Barrel: Barrels are generally wooden and thus are brown when proper.

Bear: Research by Iago Boar has shown that most bears in period heraldry are either a standard heraldic tincture or brown. Therefore we are defining a bear proper to be brown.

Bow: Whether used by archers or musicians, bows are generally wooden and thus are brown when proper. Their string is generally sable but the tincture is not blazoned.

Frauenadler: Like harpies, frauenadler have their human portions as defined under Human/Human Parts on Table 4 of the Glossary of Terms and brown plumage. The tincture is taken from the plumage even though the human portion is blazoned first.

Hautboy or Shawm: A period instrument, this is generally made of wood and thus brown when proper.

Grapes: Precedent (03/2005 CL) states "When blazoned proper the leaves should be vert, the fruit purpure." To that we are adding that the stem may be either vert or brown, in line with the defined proper for slipped and leaved and for vines.

Hawk: Hawks come in a variety of tinctures but most of the ones registered as proper are primarily brown, sometimes with lighter brown/tan details. We are therefore defining a hawk proper as brown. The lighter details are unblazoned artistic details.

Holly: Holly proper has vert leaves and gules berries.

Monarch butterfly: When proper these butterflies are orange to reddish-orange, their wings outlined in sable (with optional argent markings), and a sable body. A monarch butterfly proper is granted no difference from a butterfly gules.

Nest: A nest is primarily made of branches, therefore a nest proper is defined as brown.

Otter: An otter proper is brown.

Pickaxe: A pickaxe proper has a sable head and a brown haft. Its tincture is taken from the head. A pickaxe proper will thus be considered a color and it will conflict with a pickaxe sable. A pickaxe argent hafted proper has an argent head and a brown haft; it is considered argent for purposes of conflict and contrast.

Puffin: A puffin's beak is brightly colored but not in a standard pattern nor in heraldic tinctures. A puffin proper is sable, bellied and marked argent, and considered neutral in tincture. The tincture of its beak and legs is an unblazoned artistic detail.

Rose Bush: A rose bush (or rosebush) proper has a vert trunk and branches, and roses that are proper (gules petals, vert barbs, Or seeds). The tincture of a rose bush is taken from its trunk and branches.

Slipped and Leaved: Charges that are slipped and leaved proper have a brown or vert stem and vert leaves; in most cases the slip and leaves do not contribute to the heraldic difference or affect the tincture class of the charge they are attached to.

Staff (including ragged staves): Staves are made of wood and thus are brown when blazoned as proper.

Trebuchet and catapult: These are made of wood and thus are brown when blazoned as proper.

Zebra: Zebras proper are argent striped sable or sable striped argent; they are considered neutral charges.

At this time we are declaring that there is no defined proper for dogs, wolves, horses, ravens, or t'ai-chi. Also, proper is not defined for a leaf, though it is defined for slipped and leaved as noted above. In general, proper is used to simplify what would otherwise be complex tincturing, or to permit the use of brown, and as such will not be defined merely to alias a simple heraldic tincture such as argent or vert.

https://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2021/06/21-06cl.html#6

January 2021 CL - On Humans Proper

Effective immediately, we are retiring Caucasian as the definition of the proper color of human skin for any registrations made on or after this date. This affects not just humans as charges, but human body parts such as arms, as well as monsters composed from human parts, such as centaurs and mermaids.

Going forward, we will require specification of the intended flesh color. The use of existing charges such as the Turk and the Saracen, both of which include skin tincture as part of their definitions, remains unaffected. However, the following terms are also available, and represent the basic approach which we will build upon as needed for future submissions:

• Black or dark-skinned: Sable or a shade of black or dark brown; hair tincture must be specified. Due to the overlap in possible shades, no difference is granted between brown-skinned and dark-skinned humans or human parts. For purposes of contrast, this tincture is considered a color.
• Brown or brown-skinned: Any shade of brown except light tan (which is considered light-skinned); hair tincture must be specified. Due to the overlap in possible shades, no difference is granted between brown-skinned and dark-skinned humans or human parts. For purposes of contrast, this tincture is considered a color.
• White or light-skinned: Argent, light pink or light tan; hair tincture must be specified. For purposes of contrast, this tincture is considered a metal.
• Any standard heraldic tincture.

Following existing practice, the use of a term other than a standard tincture will entail the use of the term proper. We will also capitalize Black, Brown, and White when used on their own as terms describing human skin. For example, each of the following pairs are equivalent to each other:

• a dark-skinned human arm proper, or a Black human arm proper
• a light-skinned maiden proper crined Or, or a White maiden proper crined Or
• a brown-skinned seraph proper crined gules, or a Brown seraph proper crined gules

Because of the large number of existing registrations this affects, we do not plan to undertake a bulk reblazoning project for this and instead will reblazon opportunistically, as time allows and need demands.

https://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2021/01/21-01cl.html#3

February 2006 - proper turnip

"Proper for a turnip is the top half of the turnip purpure and the bottom half argent (with a somewhat wavy line of division) with vert leaves; neither the purpure nor the argent should predominate. The argent tip on a purpure turnip need not be blazoned, nor does a purpure cap on an argent turnip as both are considered artistic details." and "The turnip leaves should be about a quarter to a half of the total charge. Due to the variability in size of the leaves, the tincture of the leaves does not contribute to tincture difference. This is similar to our treatment of a rose's slip and leaves." Note: therefore a turnip "proper" is a neutral charge as neither the purpure nor the argent predominates. February 2006 LoAR

March 2005 - grapes proper

Regarding grapes, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, by James Parker, says on p. 602 (s.n. Vine), "When blazoned proper the leaves should be vert, the fruit purpure." March 2005 Cover Letter

March 2005 - bees proper

"...The proper tincture for bees is defined in precedent as "sable and Or, with argent wings" (Aideen the Audacious, September 1993)..." March 2005 Cover Letter

October 1995 - using brown proper

When using brown, defined as "proper", the entire charge/creature is tinctured brown. As per: "PRECEDENT: Henceforward, and more in line with period heraldic practice, animals which are normally brown may be registered simply as an {X} proper (e.g., boar proper, hare proper). Animals which are frequently found as brown but also commonly appear in other tinctures in the natural world may be registered as a brown {X} proper (e.g., brown hound proper, brown horse proper). This precedent does not, however, loosen the ban on "Linnaean proper" (Cover Letter, May 13, 1991); proper tinctures for flora and fauna which require the Linnaean genus and species to know how to color them. For example, a falcon proper will be considered to be all brown, not brown head, wings and back, buff breast with darker spots, and a tail striped with black; a hare proper will be considered to be all brown, not brown with white underbelly and tail and pink ears. This also appears to be more in keeping with period heraldic practice." October 1995 Cover Letter

Registerability:

(Restricted, Reserved, SFPP, OOP)

January 2022 - winged animals proper

Tatiana Belaia. Device. Argent, a fox sejant guardant proper winged sable between three hellebore flowers purpure slipped and leaved vert. This device was pended on the August 2021 LoAR to discuss whether or not an animal proper can be winged. SENA A3B1 notes "While a few monsters have a defined proper, most of them do not because they do not exist in nature. Thus, monsters constructed from animals which can otherwise be proper may not be proper."

We allow the addition of wings to inanimate charges proper including charges such as swords and barrels. We find wings added to many charges in period heraldry, including at least one example of a fish proper - the arms of Senitz [Siebmacher 69], described by Siebmacher as "Ein roter Schild / der karpf darin an seiner farb mit w[eiss] flügeln" = "A red shield, the karp therein in its colour [ie. 'proper'] with white wings". We will therefore allow wings to be added to an animal proper. This is not considered a step from core practice. This does not affect the ban on creating monsters from various parts of animals proper.

See also the Cover Letter

https://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2022/01/22-01lar.html#60

February 2007 - pink flamingos proper

In April 1985 (q.v., Cherie Ruadh MhicRath of Locksley) Laurel ruled, "The color of a flamingo's feathers is apparently dependent on its diet, so there really is no 'proper' color." This has been interpreted to mean that flamingos proper could not be registered; however, pink flamingos proper have been registered since that time, including as recently as April 2006. The 1985 precedent is hereby overturned; a pink flamingo proper is registerable. It is dark pink while the tincture of its beak and legs are treated as artistic license. Its tincture is a color, not a metal. February 2007 LoAR

October 1995 - brown proper

When using brown, defined as "proper", the entire charge/creature is tinctured brown. As per: "PRECEDENT: Henceforward, and more in line with period heraldic practice, animals which are normally brown may be registered simply as an {X} proper (e.g., boar proper, hare proper). Animals which are frequently found as brown but also commonly appear in other tinctures in the natural world may be registered as a brown {X} proper (e.g., brown hound proper, brown horse proper). This precedent does not, however, loosen the ban on "Linnaean proper" (Cover Letter, May 13, 1991); proper tinctures for flora and fauna which require the Linnaean genus and species to know how to color them. For example, a falcon proper will be considered to be all brown, not brown head, wings and back, buff breast with darker spots, and a tail striped with black; a hare proper will be considered to be all brown, not brown with white underbelly and tail and pink ears. This also appears to be more in keeping with period heraldic practice." October 1995 Cover Letter

Collected Precedents:

• 2nd Tenure of Elisabeth de Rossignol (April 2011 - August 2011) - Collected Armory Precedents
• 1st Tenure of Elisabeth de Rossignol (May 2005 - July 2008) - PROPER
• The 2nd Tenure of François la Flamme (October 2004 - May 2005) - PROPER
• The Tenure of Shauna of Carrick Point (May 2004 - August 2004) - Collected Armory Precedents
• 1st Tenure of François la Flamme (August 2001 - April 2004) - Collected Armory Precedents
• The Tenure of Elsbeth Anne Roth (June 1999 - July 2001) - Collected Armory Precedents
• The Tenure of Jaelle of Armida (June 1996 - June 1999) - Single HTML Document
• 2nd Tenure of Da'ud ibn Auda (November 1993 - June 1996) -
  • the 1st part (Nov 1993 - June 1994) and
  • the 2nd part (July 1994 - June 1996)
• The Tenure of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme (June 1992 - October 1993) - Collected precedents
• 1st Tenure of Da'ud ibn Auda (June 1990 - June 1992) -
  • the 1st year (June 1990 - June 1991) and
  • the 2nd year (July 1991 - June 1992)
• The Tenure of Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane (September 1986 - June 1990) - Collected Precedents
• The Tenure of Baldwin of Erebor (August 1984 - August 1986) - Single HTML Document
• The Tenure of Wilhelm von Schlüssel (August 1979 - August 1984) - Collected Precedents
• The Tenure of Karina of the Far West (December 1975 - June 1979) - Collected Precedents
• The Early Days (June 1971 - June 1975) - Collected Precedents