Description
A carved angel with long dark hair and broadly outstretched feathered wings holds a pointed shield in front of its body. Its robe is grey-brown, with traces of red and pale blue around the neckline. Both hands grasp the lower sides of the shield. The shield carries a geometric arrangement of red, blue and pale horizontal bands, divided down the centre, with the bands at different heights on either side. The wings combine overlapping small feathers near the body with long feathers extending outwards.
Heraldry
Provisional blazon: Quarterly, a repeated arrangement of horizontal bands Gules, Ermine and Azure.
In plain English, the shield is divided into four quarters, each containing bands of red, white patterned with black ermine marks, and blue. Considerable paint loss makes the precise order and number of the bands uncertain. Some pale forms in the coloured areas may be surviving charges, but they are insufficiently clear to blazon confidently. The arms should therefore remain unidentified unless corroborating evidence is found.
Identification: RCHME: a jumble of colours (Unidentifiable) Buckeridge: Per pale gules and argent cottised azure counter charged.
Condition
A conspicuous vertical split runs through the forehead, face and chest, continuing into the shield. Extensive paint loss affects the face, particularly the eye on the viewer’s right, and exposes patches of wood along the hair and neckline. The shield retains substantial areas of colour, but losses interrupt its bands, especially around the centre and lower half. The hands and sleeves are worn. Both wings show cracks, chipped feather edges, small holes and visible fixings, although much of their carved feather detail remains clear.