The Divisions of the Field

While some devices have solid backgrounds, many also have divided backgrounds. Divisions can be used to display different colored charges, and sometimes were used to display two people's arms on the same device. Most of the time they were used to create a more interesting and distinctive emblem.

Example Sheild Division Shown Example Blazon Information
Quarterly Quarterly gules and argent.
or
Per cross gules and argent. 		Also called "per cross". The color that appears in the top left corner is described first.
Per pale Per pale gules and azure. Have I broken the color rule here? Nope! The color rule only applies to charges, not to divisions of the field.
Per fess Per fess azure and sable. Again, the color at the top is described first. Shields are read left to right, up to down, just like (western) writing.
Per saltire Per saltire vert and or. I'm not entirely sure were to start with this one, since the top left has two colors in it. I'm fairly sure that you would start at the top when discribing this one.
Per bend Per bend purpure and or. Not totally sure where to start on this one either, started at the top.
Per bend sinister Per bend sinister sable and argent. Sinister refers to the left hand side, although in heraldry, things to the sinister are actually toward the right side of the viewer. This is possibly because it refered to the left hand side of the wearer rather than the observer. If no direction is specified, things are assumed to be to the dexter, or right hand side.
Per chevron Per chevron or and azure. Wow... Isn't it amazing? I have nothing to say.
Per chevron reversed Per chevron reversed gules and purpure. Sort of an upside-down per chevron. Things that are "reversed" in heraldry are turned upside-down.
Tierced in pairle Tierced in pairle vert, purpure and azure.
or
Per pall vert purpure and azure. 		Also called "per pall". One of very few three colored divisions.
Tierced in pairle reversed Tierced in pairle reversed gules, sable and argent.
or
Per pall reversed gules, sable and argent. 		Also called "per pall reversed" Sort of an upside-down tierced in pairle. Things that are "reversed" in heraldry are turned upside-down.
Gyronny Gyronny argent and or. Gyronny is sort of on the border between being a parted field and a varied field. There is a variation, "gyronny of twelve" which is in the varied fields section.

Some notes on divisions of the field: