Cottices

Cottices

Cottices or Cottises, (fr. cotice; old fr. custere; liste is also used) are mostly, if not invariably, borne is pairs, with a bend, or a charge or charges bendwise between them. More frequently the term cotticed is used, and as long as the bend is plain(i.e. with straight sides) and the cottices the same, to say a bend cotticed is more convenient than to say a bend between two cottices. But as it happens sometimes that the bend is plain and the cottice not so, then the latter blazoning is found to be the most convenient.

Le counte CHAUMPAINE, dazur a une bende dargent a custeres dor diasprez--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Humphry de BOUN, d'azur ung bend d'argent entre six leonceux d'or cotisee d'or[ove ung labell de goules]--Ibid.

Le counte de HERFORD, dazur a sis Liuncels dor a un bende dargent lyte[i.e. with listes] dor--Another Roll, temp. HEN. III.

When a single 'cottice' is shewn, it is called a cost(lat. costa, a rib). The cottice may be considered as the diminution of a bend containing the one fourth part of the breadth of the ordinary.

Although the term cotticed is strictly applicable to the bend only, it is sometimes applied also to fesse, pales, chevrons, &c., and ordinaries are occasionally to be met with which are double and even treble cotticed. An instance of cottising with demi fleurs-de-lis may be seen under fleur-de-lis. Cottisé with French heralds is sometimes used for describing a field covered with ten or more bendlets of alternate colours, and for a diminution of the cotice they use the term filet.

Gules, a bend argent, cotticed or--COVE.

Argent, a bend between two cotices engrailed sable--WHITFIELD.

Argent, on a bend engrailed, cotised plain sable three mullets or--Lancelot ANDREWES, Bp. of Chichester, 1605; of Ely, 1609; afterwards of Winchester, 1619-1626.

Argent, a lion passant between two cotices gules--GAWLER.

Sable, a bend between two cottices dancetty or--CLOPTON.

Ermine, a fesse gules, cotised wavy sable--DODD.

Argent, a fesse double cotised sable--GULFORD, Staffordshire.

Gules, a fesse double cotised argent--PRAYERS, Essex.

Argent, a fesse ermine, double cotised sable--HARLESTON.