"Livery - depends on how you look at it?" Topic

I've been researching the various liveries of Lords involved in the Wars of the Roses to make a start on the period and would like to check on a basic piece of information. When a source states a livery to be, for example, green and white or blue and white, does this mean that, as you look at the front of a figure, the green or blue would be on the left and the white on the right?
Thanks for any assistance.

Lay out as far as I am aware

Dexter dirt colour, sinister second colour

Cheers
Matt

The simple rule is that all heraldic references are taken from the view of the holder, not the observer.

The problem comes when you apply the rule to flags or when the split is horizontal rather than vertical.

Generally right and top are first named but there are instances where this is not consistent – such as where that would conflict with other rules or conventions. Usually these are more complicated divisions of the field and wouldn't affect liveries, which are rarely more than 2 colours.

For flags, the flagstaff is always Dexter, which is why o on the Stars and Stripes the Blue Canton is always against the staff, no matter which side of the flag you're on.

For divided fields, Top-Right is generally the first color mentioned, with top in preference to right for designs that divide the corner (Party per Bend, Party per Saltaire, Gyronny). So, for example, in Party per Bend (a field divided diagonally from top-right to bottom-left), the "top" color is given before the "right" color.

You may find these blog articles helpful:

[1] is.gd/QBodr3 – War of the Roses Livery Colours Database
[2] is.gd/W20e4G – War of the Roses Livery Colours

Thanks everyone…that is indeed most helpful and has really clarified things for my aging brain. No excuse not to make a start now! There again I need to dither now over which Lord to start with…:-)