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American
Artisan.
Adams enjoys
an art form
that dates
back to the
12th century.
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* Heralding j
Family Historjh
by WARREN D. JORGENSEN
John Adams, 41, sits at a workbench
inside his studio in Arnold, Md. (pop. 23,422), bent over
a 34-inch-by-45-inch medieval-style shield. Paintbrush in
hand, he carefully adds detail to a vvhice lion set on a red
background, surrounded by a double row of blue and
white rectangles that form the shield's border.
Adams is immersed in an art that dates back
1 to the 12th century. As a full-time herald.
possibly rile only one in the nan-. Adams
creates works of art on shields and framed
Splays for Americans who want a visual con
ff nection to their family's heritage.
"Heraldry is where art and history meet,"
MnA Adams s.i\s "I'm painting a aut ot .irms rlur
jHHH was carried by a knight K) years ag<. I. ca 21
HV century descendant of that rannh line. I laid
HV something very comforting in that."
It was in the 12th centtiry. the age of chivalry,
that formalized coats ot arms came inro widespread
IfSfck usage, beginning in France and quickly spreading
Hk to all European monarchies. A coat of arms
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John Adams paints a coat of arms on a metal shield at his Arnold, Md., studio.
was patriarchic personal property, handed down from generation to generation
within a family. Heralds were the creators and keepers of those designs. They kept
the records of lineage and created coding and a lexicon to describe their art, which
continued throughout the Middle Ages.
In the heraldic profession, each image—known as a charge—has meaning: A
heart symbolizes good-heartedness, a castle represents strength and a lion signifies
ferocity. The name of Adams' company, Rampant Lions Designs, is taken from a
lion rampant —a lion standing on its hind legs with its tail elevated—and is the most
common symbol in heraldry.
Adams, a longtime medieval history buff, became acquainted with heraldry
in 1995. VC hile working as a freelance graphic artist, he met an armorer at the
Maryland Renaissance Faire who asked him co paint a coat of arms on a shield. He
agreed and acquired a book that contained black-and-white coded designs created
by heralds centuries earlier. Interpreting the code, he created his first shield and his
new career began. “It was something that no one else in this country was doing,"
he says of his vocation.
Today, Adams lias collected dozens of volumes listing family names and their coats
ot arms—many from countries and principalities that no longer exist. “I have a half
million names from more than 50 countries," he says.
Tom Mac Inryre, 54, of Arlington, Va, lias been researching his Scottish lineage
for the last 25 years. He met Adams at a Celtic festival and commissioned him co
paint his Clan Mac Intyre badge, or insignia, on a 15-inch shield, which is proudly
displayed in his home and at clan gatherings.
His artistry is better than some I’ve seen done by the British professionals,” Mac
Inryre says. "He is one of the few people who lias studied the field and makes a serious
effort to make sure what he is doing is correct.”
Depending on the intricacies of the design, a painted shield can take weeks or
even months to complete. At any given time, Adams has 20 to 30 shields in various
stages of completion. The metal shields come in three sizes—measuring from 18-by
-22-inches to 34-by-44 inches—and range in price from 5250 to more tlian $1,500,
depending on an insignias complexity.
Adams' wife. Karen, is the other half of Rampant Lions Designs. Using a com
puter, she scans in her husbands hand-drawn graphics and creates a digital print of
each customer’s coat of arms. Printed on parchment stock, the prints are framed and,
depending on size, sell for $44 to $lB9.
For Adams, heraldry is more than just a job, it's a way to bring customers closer
to their heritage.
"Most Americans whose family line dates back to Europe would like to dream
that their ancestors were something other than horse thieves," Adams says, laughing.
“We try- as hard as we can to make those dreams real.”
Warren D. Jorgensen is a writer in Tarrytown. N.Y.
Visit www.rampantliondesigns.com to learn more.
Page 16
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