Fig. 204.—Burnt Wood Panel, “Love’s Armorials,” executed by Mrs. Geo. W. Eve after design by Geo. W. Eve.
Fig. 205.—Arms of the Earl and Countess of Mar and Kellie. Painted Gesso. Geo. W. Eve.
As an example of one form of genealogical scheme maybe instanced the series of arms and devices in painted gesso now in the hall of Alloa House, Alloa, which were done to fill a range of panels in a dado, and beginning with the simplest shield of Henricus de Erskine in 1224 (Fig. 141), extend round the apartment and end, on the opposite side of the fireplace, with the quartered and impaled arms of the present Earl and Countess of Mar and Kellie (Fig. 205). Alternating with the arms of each generation are repetitions of three devices, designed for the purpose and consisting of the crest and motto of the Earldom of Mar, those of Kellie (Fig. 206) and the monogram and motto with the supporters (Fig. 207) respectively. These devices were of course capable of any necessary amount of repetition, and when a knighthood of an order necessitated a group of two or more shields the devices serve to mark the grouping, and as it were to punctuate the whole scheme. The gesso was made of whiting and gelatine as already described, and the surface was varied by the use of different textures. The colour was applied over metal which was allowed to show through on the ridges of the diaper that was also introduced to give variety and interest to the simpler forms. Others of this series are illustrated in Figs. 141 and 142.
Fig. 206.—Device. Crest of the Earldom of Kellie. Gesso, before painting. Geo. W. Eve.
Fig. 207.—Device. Monogram and Supporters of the Earl of Mar and Kellie. Gesso, before painting. Geo. W. Eve.
Another method of arranging a scheme of decoration is that which traces the advent of quarterings into the shield of a family, by picking from the pedigree the matches by which the various coats of arms came in, and making them the motives of the work, to the exclusion of intermediate matches, proceeding in regular order from the simple arms to the final shield of complete quarterings.
Many other schemes will readily suggest themselves. The visits of guests of distinction may be marked by panels of their arms in the chambers they occupied, perhaps by an enamel plaque in the centre of a panel.