border flory

The border, (sometimes bordure) is a band running around the edge of the shield, following the edge contours and being differently coloured, possibly holding a series of small charges placed on top of it A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Bordure. To distinguish it from similar arms, heraldic artists developed a series of decorative edges (obviously these are applied only to the inner edge). Flory, we should not be surprised to find, refers to flowery, specifically the appearance of the stylised representation of the fleur-de-lys (lily flower) at key points A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Flory. We also find the terms floretty, fleury and similar spellings used in the same way. These flower symbols usually occur at corners, or in the case of items with long straight edges, small versions may appear spaced at regular intervals.