Laurel Cope

Regalia
Cope of the Order of the Laurel
Information
Status: Active Artist(s): Order of the Laurel

Inspired by the Lochac Pelican cloak, Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia and Richenda Elizabeth Coffin proposed that the Order of the Laurel in Caid authorize the undertaking of a similar project. On receiving the Order's approval, Giuseppe and Richenda designed and created a blue velvet cope overlain with a grid of silver gimp. Each interstice will be filled with the coat of arms of one of the Companions of the Order.

The cope may be used in elevation ceremonies, and during Coronations when the Charters of the Orders are rendered to the Crown.

While medieval and renaissance copes were decorated with Christian art, there are also examples of heraldry being used; the Syon Cope at the V&A (1300-1320; linen backing silk, silver-gilt, and silver thread embroidery) uses strips decorated with heraldic shields to extend fragments of an earlier chasuble to complete the surface of the cope.

The goal of this project was to create a new ceremonial garment that honored the text of the elevation ceremony: "As this cloak folds you in warmth, so does the Order of the Laurel enfold you in companionship." We chose the cope shape to display the unity of a group of diverse individuals, and to avoid confusion with the Order Robes, which identify a person as part of the Order. Other than size, there are no restrictions on the era, culture, materials or design of a Companion's arms for the cope.

Specifications for Arms on the Cope

For a heater-shaped shield, finished dimensions are 3.5" wide by 4.0" long. For a lozenge, the dimensions are 3.5" wide by 4.5" long. Other shapes may be acceptable; consult Giuseppe or Richenda before using a non-standard shield.

Companions' Arms on the Cope

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  Astra Christiana Benedict
  Per fess azure, mulletty Or, and purpure, crusilly Or (06/90).
  Maker: Astra Christiana Benedict

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  Cristobal degli Glicine che Mangia Uome
  Sable, a peacock rising, wings elevated and addorsed, maintaining a sprig of wisteria, all argent.(registered 08/88).
  Maker: Cristobal degli Glicine che Mangia Uome

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  Richenda Elizabeth Coffin
  Gules, on a bend between two daffodils bells to dexter base slipped and leaved Or, three crosses bottony palewise gules (registered 06/02).
  Maker: Richenda Elizabeth Coffin
  Materials: Silk floss & gold passing thread on linen.

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  Tetchubah of Greenlake
  Per chevron vert and Or, two quills in chevron Or and a rose sable (registered 05/86).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme

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  Otuell Gowe
  Per fess azure and vert, two boars passant counter-passant Or (registered 02/03).
  Maker: Otuell Gowe
  Materials: Gold-plated repousse bronze.
  Notes: based on Iron Age British "votive" shields, associated with the Salisbury Hoard.

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  Móirín Chiardhubh ní Bhárdáin
  Per chevron sable and vert, three spiral hunting horns reversed argent (registered 01/97).
  Maker: Móirín Chiardhubh ní Bhárdáin

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  Martin FitzJames
  Per chevron argent and sable, three roses in chevron proper and a sword fesswise argent (registered 01/08).
  Maker: Móirín Chiardhubh ní Bhárdáin

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  Maria Theresa Ipeñarrieta
  Vert, a mullet of five greater and five lesser points argent within and conjoined at the greater points to five crescents in annulo, horns inward, Or (registered 07/91).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme

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  Mela de Prion
  Vert, a pair of wings conjoined Or and in chief a swan naiant argent (registered 11/86).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme

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  Louise of Woodsholme
  Per fess embattled gules and erminois, in base a candle argent, in a flat candlestick sable, enflamed proper (registered 06/73).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme

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  Hroar sviðandi
  Or, a pitcher vert and a bordure gules (registered 12/02).
  Maker: Huette Aliza von und zu Ährens und Mechthildberg

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  Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia
  Per saltire gules and sable, in pale two harps and in fess two chalices issuant from each a dagger inverted Or (registered 09/95).
  Maker: Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia

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  Gareth Nikodemos Somerset
  Per pale gules and Or, three towers counterchanged (registered 07/99).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme

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  Damales Redbeard
  Or, a pegasus volant to sinister, wings elevated and addorsed, within a bordure sable (registered 01/92).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme

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  Bruce Draconarius
  Azure, on a chief embattled argent a dragon couchant azure winged sable, as an augmentation the dragon maintaining between its forefeet an escutcheon azure charged with four crescents conjoined in saltire, horns outward argent. (registered 10/81).
  Maker: Astra Christiana Benedict

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  Klaus von Mainz
  Checky gules and Or, on a chevron sable five crosses formy argent (registered 12/01).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme
  Notes: The shield is diapered with a crescent worked in chain-stitch.

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  Éowyn Amberdrake
  Azure, in pale three dragons passant Or and for augmentation, in canton four crescents conjoined in saltire horns outward argent. (registered 7/04).
  Maker: Éowyn Amberdrake
  Notes: The shield is silk dupioni, embroidered with typical Elizabethan stitches in gold and silver thread.

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  Jamal Damien Marcus
  Per bend azure and argent, an eagle striking to sinister, wings elevated and addorsed, Or and a Lebanon cedar proper.
  Maker: Éowyn Amberdrake
  Notes: The shield is silk dupioni, embroidered with colored purls (tree) and gold check purl and paillettes (eagle).

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  Huette Aliza von und zu Ährens und Mechthildberg
  Purpure, a dragon with the head and wings of an eagle couchant, wings addorsed, Or. (registered 5/91).
  Maker: Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia; canvas painted by Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Caitlin Christiana Wintour
  Argent, semy of roses gules, barbed and seeded proper, two scarpes purpure. (registered 9/87).
  Maker: Caitlin Christiana Wintour; canvas painted by Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler
  Argent, a sheep statant guardant contourny sable, in base a clump of lavender vert flowered purpure, on a chief invected purpure a quill pen reversed argent. (registered 1/93).
  Maker: Philippa Llewelyn Schuyler.
  Notes: The shield is tapestry-woven with pearl cotton. The lavender is worked with French knots.

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  Liudmila Vladimirova doch'
  Per pale Or and gules, a sun in splendour counterchanged. (registered 4/2004).
  Maker: Liudmila Vladimirova doch'.
  Notes: The shield is worked in Or Nue.

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  Morgana Elisabetta Rosatti
  Argent, a raven reguardant sable and on a chief vert four roses argent, barbed and seeded proper. (registered 5/1989).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Giles Hill
  Azure, on a saltire invected Or, two keys fretted with a mascle sable and a bordure argent. (registered 9/1991).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Joan of Crawfordsmuir
  Per saltire vert and argent, a saltire patty throughout counterchanged. (registered 9/1971).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Raven of Heronsmarsh
  Or, a raven volant wings addorsed sable and a base wavy vert, all within a bordure purpure. (registered 7/1996).
  Maker: Raven of Heronsmarsh.

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  Richard of Castle North
  Azure, mullety of four points Or, a pithon displayed, head to sinister argent. (registered 10/1990).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Genevieve la Minstrelle
  Argent, a harp and on a chief azure three fleurs-de-lys argent. (registered 1/2011).
  Maker: Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Julianna Neuneker Hirsch von Schutzhundheim
  Sable, a flint between four furisons in saltire steels to center Or (registered 5/02).
  Maker: Julianna Neuneker Hirsch von Schutzhundheim

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  Melisande de Frayne
  OR, a bend sinister VE between a tree proper and a tower VE.
  Maker: Melisande de Frayne

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  Su of the Silver Horn
  Chevronelly SA and AR, on a chief VE a drinking horn AR.
  Maker: Su of the Silver Horn, canvas painted by Louise of Woodsholme.

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  Lizbeth Ravensholm
  Gules, a wolf passant reguardant argent armed sable, perched on its back a raven croaking proper. (registered January of 1974 (via the West) and reblazoned in June of 2009 (via the West)1).
  Maker: Lizbeth Ravensholm.

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  Thea Gabrielle of Northernridge
  Azure, a dexter hand apaumy couped proper between in cross four mullets of six points all within a bordure Or. (registered November of 1985 via Caid).
  Maker: Thomas Brownwell.

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  Thomas Brownwell
  Or, a fountain and a chief rayonny gules (registered in September of 1990 via Caid).
  Maker: Thomas Brownwell.

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  Cristal Fleur de la Mer
  Per pale azure and Or, a fleur-de-lys and a bordure counterchanged (registered in January of 2002 via Caid).
  Maker: Staeina Halfdanardottir. (The completed-but-not-mounted embroidery may be seen in greater detail here.)

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  Aliskye Rosel
  Argent, a rose sable, barbed and seeded proper, on a chief nebuly azure three mullets of six points argent. (September of 1980 (via Caid).
  Maker: Aliskye Rosel.

Cope Gallery

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  Cope with the first set of arms

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  Giuseppe models the Cope showing many of the arms on it.