barry

When the field of the shield is filled with alternately coloured horizontal lines, this is known as barry, obviously because it is like having many separate bars across the field A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Barry. Such shields have great clarity from a distance, those awarded by Henry III of England to Richard de Grey were, for example, Barry argent and azure, simple blue and white horizontal stripes. According to Wade, there was no specific meaning to be attached to barry itself, but it affords the opportunity to display at equal importance two colours that may themselves have specific meanings The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P55.