per bend

To add variety and interest to the arms, heraldic artists began to divide the background of the shield into two parts, giving each a different colour. They were named for the ordinary that they most resembled, so the diagonal division of the shield, similar to the ordinary known as the bend came to be called per bend Understanding Signs & Symbols – Heraldry, S. Oliver & G. Croton, Quantum, London, 2013, P63. As a means of creating a distinctive shield it is very effective, for example the early arms of HAWLEY are simply per bend or and vert – the “most important” of the colours is given first, in this case the or (gold) colour occupies the upper triangle. A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Party