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Thursday, May 7, 2020

A new emblazonment


The banner, badge, and arms of Dr. Chad M. Krouse,
digitally rendered by Quentin Peacock, Copyright 2020.

I am thrilled to share my latest emblazonment of arms, rendered by Quentin Peacock.  I've added a link to Quentin's website on the blog as he does exceptional work.  I love his rendering of my crest which makes the cardinal look beastly!  For a previous posting on the development of my personal arms, click here.  I've wanted to see my arms in a banner for some time, and that made me think about what would an appropriate badge might look like.  For starters, I was always drawn to the idea of the vidame's coronet, which is prominently featured in the crest of the arms of the University of the South.  I believe it's a powerful heraldic image for the laity and I was drawn to this for my badge.  Secondly, and I'll admit this, I've been a big fan of the Prince of Wales' badge which is blazoned, "a plume of three ostrich feathers argent enfiled by a royal coronet of alternate crosses and fleur-de-lys or."  The badge further incorporates the the motto "Ich Dien" on a blue ribbon.  

The badge of the Prince of Wales
 
So, my first draft of the badge was blazoned, "three Madonna lilies (lilium candidium) seeded proper enfiled by a vidame's coronet or."  It was ballsy, to the say the least.  When I posted the first emblazonment of the badge in a Facebook forum dedicated to heraldry, I immediately received some feedback suggesting that I not use the vidame's coronet.  The more I thought about it, I did not want to portray myself as someone that I am not.  In the capable hands of Quentin Peacock, he convinced me to simply change the coronet by using the flowers from the achievement, dogwood flowers and lilies.  Actually, when you turn the dogwood flower around, it makes a perfect cross!  
The badge of Dr. Chad M. Krouse 
digitally rendered by Quentin Peacock, Copyright 2020.

Thus, the final version of the badge came into being, blazoned: "three Madonna lilies (lilium candidium) seeded proper enfiled by a coronet of dogwood flowers and fleurs-de-lis or."