is_a_list_of list of heraldic charges
This is a list of heraldic charges . It does not cover those charges which are geometrical patterns and resemble partitions of the field ; for these , see Ordinary ( heraldry ) . Heraldry is a broad ___MASK92___ , encompassing the design , display , and study of armorial bearings ( known as " armory "), as well as related disciplines , such as vexillology , together with the study of ceremony , rank , and pedigree . Armory , the most familiar branch of heraldry , concerns the design and transmission of the heraldic achievement , more commonly known as the coat of arms , usually consisting of a shield , helmet , and crest , together with any accompanying devices , such as supporters , badges , heraldic banners , and mottoes . The current ___MASK35___ of Austria has been in use , in various forms , by the Republic of Austria since 1919 . Between 1934 and the German annexation in 1938 Austria used a different ___MASK35___ , which consisted of a double - headed eagle . The establishment of the Second Republic in 1945 saw the return of the original ( First Republic ) arms , with broken chains added to symbolise Austria ' s liberation . In heraldry , an ordinary ( or honourable ordinary ) is a simple geometrical figure , bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the shield . There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries , which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers , though most have been in use as long as the traditional ordinaries . Diminutives of ordinaries and some subordinaries are charges of the same shape , though thinner . Most of the ordinaries are theoretically said to occupy one - third of the shield ; but this is rarely observed in practice , except when the ordinary is the only charge ( as in the ___MASK35___ of Austria ).