Divisions of the field

Divisions of the field:

The field of a shield in heraldry can be divided into more than one tincture, as can the various chargess. The divisions are named according to the ordinary that shares their shape.

Common partitions of the field are:

parted (or party) per fess (parted horizontally),
parted per pale (parted vertically),
parted quarterly (parted horizontally and vertically; in theory this could be called "party per cross" but is practically never so described),
parted per bend (diagonally from upper left to lower right),
parted per bend sinister (diagonally from upper right to lower left)
parted per saltire (diagonally both ways).
quarterly (divided "per cross," into four quarters)

A shield vertically divided into blue (left side) and gold (right side) would be blazoned: Per pale azure and Or.

The arms of Mpumalanga show "per bend sinister, inclined in the flanks per fess."

Shields may also be divided into three parts: this is called tierced, as in tierced per pale, azure, argent, and gules. A particular type of tiercing, resembling a Y in shape (division lines per bend and bend sinister coming down from the chief, meeting at the fess point, and continuing down per pale), is called per pall.

The division line may be of any of the different line shapes.