Can anyone identify this shield?

[dlo...@bellsouth.net]

I have a picture of a shield that I would like to have identified. It is divided into two rows of four sections each. The top row begins with a grey or silver section bearing a red lion rampant wearing a gold crown. The second section is blue & white/silver horizontal stripes with a red lion rampant wearing a gold crown. The third section is black with a gold uncrowned lion rampant. The fourth section is grey/silver with a red uncrowned lion rampant. The lower half of the shield begins with a blue and white/silver horizontal section bearing a red lion rampant and wearing a gold crown. The second section is red with a gold uncrowned lion rampant. The third section is grey/silver with a red uncrowned lion rampant. The final setion is black with a silver/grey lion rampant wearing a gold crown.

I obviously know nothing about heraldry, and my description is very basic. I appreciate any help that you folks can give me!

Thanks,

Debbi

[gregsem...@gmail.com]

Hi Debbi,

Can you tell us about where you found this? The lion rampant is usually ascribed to royalty or connections therein. Do you have a date of the find?

Heraldic sheilds "divided" as such are either in two (per pale) one half each side or (quartered) with each quater belonging to a specific armiger, usually of the wife's family is in the second; such separations are genealogical and read from 1 quater to another left to right and then down to the third and forth: top:1st & 2nd, bottom: 3rd & 4th.

Those are a lot of lions on one achievement and could be of Scandinavian design, though without information on where you found this or some other context it's going to be rather hard to tell.

[Outis]

That's a lot of lions!

Looks like 2 quartered shields side-by-side in pale. These lion compositions are very common and there are many possibilities. The only one that provides more clue is the blue/white striped red lion of Luxembourg. Based on this, these are probably arms from the low countries. This is my guess:

The left (dexter) half:
1st quarter: Limburg (newer version)
2+3 quarters: Luxembourg
4th quarter: not sure

The right (sinister) half:
1st quarter: Brabant
2+3 quarters: Limburg (older version)
4th quarter: not sure

These are just the obvious ones. I'll leave others to identify the rest and the bearer.

[Martin Goldstraw]

A picture is worth a thousand words. It would be of immense assistance if you could post an image in one of the many free image posting web hosts and then let us know the link so that we can see this shield in all its glory. Much easier then to identify.

Martin

[Turenne]

It's probably a shield representing the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire

RL