ICMS 2026: Beyond the Blazon: Materializing Medieval Heraldry (A Roundtable)
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada invites proposals for our roundtable, "Beyond the Blazon: Materializing Medieval Heraldry." Coats of arms are defined not by their physical representations but by the words of their blazons. Yet armorial objects, as interactive, material things, played a prominent role in shaping the arts, literature, and popular culture of the Middle Ages. This interdisciplinary session will explore object-based approaches to medieval heraldry, including investigations into the materiality and "lives" of armorial objects and their significance in medieval artistic expressions, literary portrayals, material culture, and historical accounts.
Potential topics may include but are not limited to:
