Dice (heraldry)

The dice , more precisely the game dice , is a common figure in heraldry .

A cube with dots (eyes) on the side is shown as a difference to the heraldic figure, the edge cube. In the escutcheon or field this figure can be arranged according to the rules heraldic up to three. Most of the time, the cube is placed across a corner, i.e. with one corner pointing towards the base of the shield . Any deviation should be reported. The visible eyes, however, have no special symbolism. The spatial representation is actually considered unheraldic, but Gert Oswald (Lexicon of Heraldry) prefers the three-dimensional shape of the cube to distinguish it from the herald's image . All heraldic tinctures are possible.

A representation in the Manessische Liederhandschrift , 257v von Stadegge (Rudolf II. Von Stadeck ) is for a very early use (beginning of the 14th century) as a coat of arms figure . There are three dice (2; 1) in the red coat of arms and one is in the upper coat of arms as an umbrella board with peacock feathers .

The cube is also suitable as a coat of arms figure for talking coats of arms . So it's trendy for names with dice, dice and dice. In the case of blazon it can make sense to describe the figure as a dice. However, if you consistently adhere to depicting the figure with eyes, confusion can be ruled out and the addition is superfluous.

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  Billerbeck (noble family)

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  Werpup a Westphalian noble family

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  Pfaffing (Upper Austria)

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  Grave slab of the mayor of Rothenburg ob der Tauber Heinrich Toppler

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  Coat of arms of the Nuremberg and Bamberg patrician families Toppler (after Siebmacher)

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  Manessische Liederhandschrift, 257v von Stadegge (Rudolf II. Von Stadeck)

See also

• Edge cube

literature

• Game dice (Heraldry) in the Heraldry Wiki
• The coats of arms of the German baronial and noble families in a precise, complete and generally understandable description. Volume 1, TO Weigel, Leipzig 1855, p. 41. (v. Billerbeck)
• Gert Oswald : Lexicon of Heraldry. VEB Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1984, DNB 850576571 ; Licensed edition: Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim / Vienna / Zurich 1984, ISBN 3-411-02149-7 ; 3rd, unchanged. Edition Battenberg, Regenstauf 2011, ISBN 978-3-86646-077-5 (title addition: From apple cross to twin bar ) p. 449.
• Walter Leonhard: The great book of heraldic art. Development, elements, motifs, design. Callway, Munich 1978, ISBN 3-7667-0345-5 , p. 271 Fig. 19.

Web links

Commons : (game) cubes in heraldry  - collection of images, videos and audio files