Argent
This article describes the argent heraldic tincture. For the rock band, see Argent (band). For the Teen Titans character, see Argent (comics).In
heraldry,
argent is the
tincture of
silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as
white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to be tinctured argent are either left
blank, or may be indicated with the abbreviation
ar. in them.
The name derives from
Latin argentum, which means "white money", or
silver. The word
argent had the same meaning in Old French
blazon, from which it passed into the English language.
In some historical depictions of
coats of arms, a kind of silver leaf was applied to those parts of the device that were argent. Over time, the silver content of these depictions has
tarnished and darkened. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish regions that were intended as argent from those that were
sable. The result is a false impression that the
rule of tincture has been violated in cases where the argent was applied next to a dark colour, and where it now appears to be sable next to a dark colour from tarnishing.
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies argued extensively in his
book The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopaedia of Armory that, though extremely rare, the colour white existed as an independent tincture in heraldry separate from argent. He bases this in part on the "white
labels" used to difference the arms of members of the
British Royal Family. However, it has been argued that these could be regarded as "white labels proper", thus rendering white not a heraldic tincture.[
1]
White does seem to be regarded as a different tincture from argent in
Portuguese heraldry, as evidenced by the arms of
municipal de Santiago do Cacém in
Portugal, in which the white of the fallen Moor's clothing and the knight's horse is distinguished from the argent of the distant castle, and in the arms of the Logistical and Administrative Command of the
Portuguese Air Force.
Argent is said to represent the following:
* Of jewels, the
pearl* Of heavenly bodies, the
Moon * Of the four elements,
water * Of the days of the week, Monday
* Of the months of the year, January and February
* Of trees, the
palm* Of flowers, the
lily* Of the Zodiac Signs,
Cancer* Of birds, the
pigeon* Of animals, the
stoat* Of virtues, Innocence, whiteness, virginity
*
Silver*
White
