Ermine (heraldry)
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In heraldry, ermine is one of the furs used in blazon, representing the skin of the stoat. In winter the stoat has white fur and a black tail; heraldic ermine represents a number of skins sewn together, forming a pattern of sable (black) spots on argent (white). The tail or "ermine spot" has been represented in many ways; the illustrations here show the most usual form.
Besides black-on-white, at least three variants of ermine are considered tinctures rather than simply a field of a particular colour or metal semy of ermine spots of another colour or metal. A field of ermines (or counter-ermine) is sable with argent spots. A field of erminois is Or with sable spots, while a field of pean is sable with Or spots.
Other combinations of tinctures are explicitly stated, as in "gules ermined argent" (red with white ermine spots).
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| The Heraldic Tincture Series |
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| Rule of Tincture |
| Metals: Argent • Or |
| Colours: Azure • Gules • Purpure • Sable • Vert |
| Furs: Ermine • Vair • Potent |
| Stains: Murrey • Tenné • Sanguine |
| Other: Bleu celeste • Carnation • Cendrée • Orange |
