Gelre Armorial

Gelre Armorial
Material Paint on vellum
Size 264.5 centimetres (104.1 in) x 21 centimetres (8.3 in)
Created 14th century
Present location Royal Library of Belgium

The Gelre Armorial (Dutch: Wapenboek Gelre) is a medieval armorial.

History

The armorial was compiled before 1396 by one Claes Heinenzoon (or Heynen, fl. 1345−1414) who was a herald in the service of the Duke of Guelders. The book displays some 1,800 coats-of-arms from all over Europe, in color, and is one of the most important sources for medieval heraldry.

The Gelre Armorial manuscript is nowadays preserved in the Royal Library of Belgium (signature code ms. 15652-5). A copy from around 1500, produced by Cornelis Enghebrechtsz, is preserved in the library of Hoge Raad van Adel. This version, however, only contains 1400 arms. From 1880 to 1905, Victor Bouton produced 60 copies with hand.coloured arms.

Earliest known color depiction of the Danish Flag

The book also contains the oldest known depiction linking the Danish king to the red flag with white cross. On folio page 55v of the armorial, behind the sinister horn is a lance tip with a banner, displaying a white cross on red. The text left of the coat of arms says die coninc van denmarke ("the king of Denmark"). This is the earliest known coloured image of the Dannebrog (Danish flag).

Bibliography

Gallery

  1. ^ folio 88v (from left top to right bottom): the arms of Guelders, Bergh, Mörs, Bronckhorst, Zuylen, Gennep, Baer, Batenburg, Borculo, Culemborg, Voorst, and Buren
  2. ^ folio 89r (from left top to right bottom): the arms of Broeckhuysen, Waardenburg, Ulft, Eyl, Lawick, Homoet, Lackmonde, Groesbeek, Vossem, Ghent, Wickerode, Beynum, Myerlaer, Ubbergen, and Hoemen

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gelre Armorial.

References

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