Quadrate (heraldry)

For other uses, see Quadrate (disambiguation).

In heraldry, an ordinary is described as quadrate (or more fully, nowy quadrate), when it has a square central boss.^[1]

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  Cross quadrate argent
• 
  Cross quadrate sable
• 
  Cross quadrate gammadion
• 
  Saltire quadrate
• 
  St. Chad cross
• 
  Cross paty quadrate
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  Shield of Durham University: Argent, a cross paty quadrate gules; on a canton azure a chevron or between three lions rampant argent.
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  Banner of the Burgh of Markinch, Scotland: Gules, on a cross nowy quadrate argent a cock gules.
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  Gules, a cross paty quadrate or, charged with five mullets of six points gules: a chief arched ermine charged with two Cornish choughs proper - Vickers, England

Only certain ordinaries are usually shown quadrate: the cross, the pale, and the fess – but not, for example, a bordure or chevron.

A saltire quadrate has the square lozengeways:

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  Arms of North West Province, South Africa: Per saltire gules and azure, a saltire quadrate vert, fimbriated argent.

References

1. Gough, Henry; Parker, James (1894). A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry (New ed.). Oxford and London: J. Parker and Co. p. 112.