Shamrock (heraldry)

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Shamrock, figural
Shamrock, stylized

The shamrock , as the leaf of the clover , is a popular basic motif in heraldry .

Heraldic element

As a common figure or as part of a herald's image , it is used in abundance, as the symbolic meaning has a positive touch. The shamrock stands, among other things, for luck , in Christian symbolism for the Trinity .

  • In heraldry, it is primarily taken as 3-leaf, that is, it is formed from three segments of a circle. These are arranged in the form of a three-pass ( Trefoil , "three-leaf").
  • The stylized form without a stem is common as a heraldic element.
  • It is the gestalt of the figure from which the card suit cross is derived, whose name Treff comes from the French term Trèfle for the clover.
  • In the breast occupancy of the crest animal Adler the clover is at the ends of the chest under the name moon Klee stem received in the heraldry.
  • At the ends of the arms of crosses, the clover leaf is the namesake for the cross occupied with it, the clover leaf cross (Lazarus cross or Brabant cross).
  • It is also often used as fur .
  • A rarer variant is the clover flower (clover leaf with flower).
  • The coat of arms of Kleve has three (2: 1) clovers around a heart shield .

Shamrock cut

The special shape is the basis for the shamrock cut . This is a coat of arms cut to break down the shield into desired herald images. Here the dividing line is interrupted, often in the middle, with a clover-shaped change. The shamrock can mutate here between a heraldic image and a mean figure.

Emblems

The shamrock is also used in the signs of organizations and in club emblems, e.g. B. football clubs, before.

Mintmaster's mark

The cloverleaf was used as a mint master's mark , for example, on coins from the Annaberg , Freiberg , Langensalza , Zwickau and Schneeberg mints . The cloverleaf is the mint master's mark of the mint master Augustin Horn (Annaberg, Freiberg, Langensalza, Zwickau and Schneeberg) and Melchior Irmisch (Annaberg).

See also

Web links

Commons : Shamrocks in Heraldry  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry Trinity, Trinity, Trinity (Latin trinitas) . In: P. W. Hartmann: The large art dictionary.