Ermine (heraldry)
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Image:Brittany coa.png In heraldry, ermine is one of the furs used in blazon, representing the skin of the stoat. In winter the stoat has white fur and a black tail; heraldic ermine represents a number of skins sewn together, forming a pattern of sable (black) spots on argent (white). The tail or "ermine spot" has been represented in many ways; the illustrations here show the most usual form.
Besides black-on-white, at least three variants of ermine are frequent enough to be named. A field of ermines (or counter-ermine) is sable with argent spots. A field of erminois is Or with sable spots, while a field of pean is sable with Or spots.
Other combinations of tinctures are explicitly stated, as in "gules ermined argent" (red with white ermine spots).
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| The Heraldic Tincture Series |
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| Rule of Tincture |
| Metals: | Argent | Or | |
| Colours: | Azure | Gules | Purpure | Sable | Vert | |
| Furs: | Ermine | Vair | Potent | |
| Stains: | Murrey | Tenné | Sanguine | |
| Other: | Bleu celeste | Carnation | Cendrée | Orange | |
