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Esquarre (heraldry)

Esquarre (Fr., alternately escarre, esquierre; as Anglo-Norman alternately esquarie, esquire, esquierre, esquerre) is a name for both a heraldic ordinary and a set of related mobile charges. As an ordinary, the Esquarre is defined as a charge that borders a quarter (Fr. franc quartier, or a singular quarter as charge) on its two interior edges abutting the field. The Esquarre isolates the quarter from the rest of the field. De Galway suggested that the Esquarre is employed when both quarter and field are the same tincture. The shape of the ordinary is likened to a carpenter's square, a tool formed of two arms joined perpendicularly. When the two arms are of unequal length, the term potence (Fr.) is also used, a term likening the form of this variant to a joined post and crossbeam, or gallows/scaffold.

Esquarre as mobile charge

The source of the term, a builders square, informs its use when referring to a mobile charge. The term is an archaic form of the modern French équerre—the ‘square’ as implement used to measure or set right angles. These are the tools employed by masons and carpenters, woodworkers, architects and engineers, surveyors, students, etc. They take the form of either (voided) triangles or two arms joined perpendicularly. As a mobile charge, esquarre refers frequently to the figurative representations of these tools, as well as abstract versions (see #Gallery). Another term favored by some authors for the Esquarre is the gama grec (Fr.), from the Greek letter gamma. This gives rise to another heraldic use: gama grec is applied to figurative representations of these implements, and in turn escarre is used to denote representations of the Greek letter gamma.

Gallery

Coats of arms and emblems

As ordinary

As mobile charge

Figurative

On flags

As Ordinary

Many contemporary flags approximate the classical or strict definition of the Ordinary, using a 'fillet esquarre' to border cantons and quarters, separating them from other charges as well as the field.