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The Content and Diffusion of the Traite Du Blason

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The first folio of the Fr. 5231 copy of the Traite du Blason

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A folio from Le Blason Des Armes, Guillaume Nyverd's printed copy

In the late 19th century, scholar Douet-d’Arcq noted seven copies of the Traite du Blason still in existence (1858, 267), but today many more have been located. Les Enluminures has owned or found mention of at least twelve that Douet-d’Arcq was not aware of, suggesting that the Traite du Blason became a reasonably popular book for its time, especially among the upper classes. Despite not being terribly long (using very tight script, Fr. 5231 compresses the text into a mere four folios; most have around eight), it has often been favored with luxurious illuminations and accompanied by armorials (rolls of arms) longer than the text itself.

In addition to being reproduced many times by hand, the Traite du Blason carried its popularity into the age of print. The first known printed copy was made by Guillaume Nyverd in Paris around 1500-1515. Although Nyverd does not attribute the work to Prinsault, and in fact renames it, the content and layout makes it clear that this is the same book. The Traite du Blason would have been a rather labor-intensive book to print for its length, as it was very image-oriented and absolutely required a large number of unique shield diagrams and hand-painted color. The difficulty of its printing, then, serves as further evidence of its popularity.

The body of the Traite du Blason is divided into twelve chapters, which each describe an aspect of heraldry, and it is traditionally accompanied by an armorial, or roll of arms. In the presentation copy, Prinsault thoughtfully includes a table of contents, which is often reproduced in later versions and gives an appropriate summary of the book (1465, f.2-4):

  1. “The first chapter will mention those who first made arms.
  2. The second will demonstrate and quote the things of which we made arms.
  3. The third will say what kind of metals, colors, and furs there are in arms, and how should be emblazoned. And will quote to the right form in all shields.
  4. The fourth will indicate (the qualities of) each metal, fur, and color.
  5. The fifth chapter contains nine things, of which one is the third of the shield, and when it is smaller, it is motto. And it says in what way it must emblazon each of these nine things.
  6. The sixth will demonstrate up to what number must we number all things, and when we must say them without number
  7. The seventh will reference to the arrangement of metals or colors on the coat of arms, and how one can discern false arms across realms
  8. The eighth is in what part of the shield one must begin to emblazon
  9. The ninth is some differences of birds and beasts within the coat of arms.
  10. The tenth chapter contains in which way one must emblazon lions, leopards, and other beasts who are in arms, and differences between lions and leopards in arms.
  11. The eleventh chapter, which declares in what manner are in arms, bests, cakes, cotice, endente, engrelle, losenges, flares, exchequer, frete, gemelle, billet. And what a difference there is between crushed pie, stuck, potterous, cross-crowned, and floreted.
  12. The twelfth chapter demonstrates the manner of emblazon of fifteen difficult shields, and a summary after the contents, with the conclusion of this book.”
The Content and Diffusion of the Traite Du Blason