Not Leaving Well Enough Alone

Having seen the evolution of the arms of Württemberg, from the plain arms of the early County, to the quartered arms of the County, to the even more complex arms of the Duchy, you'd think that that would be enough. But, no. As they say, "Nothing succeeds like excess."

And over on one ceiling in the Old Castle in Stuttgart, Germany, we find yet another version of the arms of the Duchy of Württemberg.

Here we have a shield in front of two crossed banners, a fasces, and an Imperial Elector's bonnet. The shield, used beginning in 1693, is blazoned: Quarterly: 1, Lozengy bendwise or and sable (Teck); 3, Azure(?) a flagstaff bendwise gules steeled argent flying a pennon or charged with an eagle displayed sable (the Banneramt, the office of the Imperial banner); 3, Gules two fishes haurient embowed addorsed or (Mömpelgard); and 4, Argent a bearded man’s head and shoulders proper habited and wearing a pointed cap azure around the cap a turban argent (Heidenheim); overall an inescutcheon Or three stag’s attires fesswise in pale sable (Württemberg).

Whew! Though this variant of the arms of the Duchy makes the simple arms of Württemberg a little more prominent, and of course also allows the incorporation of another civic coat, that of Heidenheim, to be added to the shield.

But, yeah, nothing succeeds like excess.