Recent Finds Series: Arms for the Nativity

Symbols of the Holy Nativity
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Several weeks ago I happened upon an image of what I believed to be a design of arms for the Holy Nativity.  The design appears on a sewn banner and was found online within a photo gallery of a parish in the Episcopal Church.  So, I saved the photograph and filed it away until now.

Attributed coat of arms for Easter Sunday
Designed and rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

My interest in creating attributed designs for liturgical seasons developed recently with coats of arms marking the Easter Triduum.  Click here to see the attributed arms for the Easter Triduum.  Finding a design for the Nativity was a nice surprise.  

Found: banner of the nativity inside an Episcopal Church

Several Google image searches yielded nothing, and I was beginning to wonder if this design was original.  The banner mostly adheres to the rules of heraldry, save the ensigned Chi Rho above the wooden cradle.  I don't believe proper works for the white plate charged with a red Chi Rho.   

Attributed coat of arms for the Holy Nativity
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In my alteration illustrated above, I changed the plate (white roundel) to a torteau (red roundel) and charged it with a golden Chi Rho.  I felt like the red and gold made the image pop better giving the arms greater carrying power.  

Blazon for the attributed arms of the Holy Nativity:  Azure, a reverse pile terminating with a star of six points Argent in base a cradle fesswise proper ensigned with a torteau thereon a Chi Rho Or.

I wrestled a bit whether or not to divide the field per chevron Azure and Argent, opting instead for a reversed pile, point ending with a star of six points.  

I really like how the reversed pile draws the eye downwards, the same direction as God becoming incarnate in Jesus.  Illustrating a skywards motion, on the other hand, requires a standard pile seen in my design for arms attributed to Easter Sunday.  With months to go before that holiest of days in December, I may continue to play a bit with the design. 

The recent finds series continues to keep things exciting.  To read more articles in this series, click on the corresponding label below.