Base, terrace in base, or champagne

The base, more formally the terrace in base or champagne, is a heraldic charge that occupies the lower third of the field. It is in that sense the inverse correlate of the chief. In French heraldry, the champagne is considered an "honourable ordinary" (pièce honorable), but in English heraldry, it is frequently omitted from lists of the honourable ordinaries, and grouped, if at all, with the subordinaries. The diminutive of the base, occupying one half the height of the ordinary, is termed plaine in French heraldry. Another, now less common, English language term for the base is the foot, a usage the recalls the German Schildfuß, Danish skjoldfod, and Dutch schildvoet.

In English heraldry, the terms base, terrace in base, and champagne are synonyms that include both charges with a straight-line upper edge running parallel to the chief and those with an upper edge curved or otherwise varied. Standard variations are the mount and trimount. In French heraldry in contrast, the terms champagne and its diminutive plaine are reserved for those with straight upper edges and the term terrasse (terrace in base) for those with curved or otherwise varied upper edges. Champagnes that take step-wise lines of division or variation are blasoned in French as champagne pignonnée. The latter (terrasse) are furthermore classed as mobile charges rather than honourable ordinaries.

Gallery

Coat of arms

Mount

Champagne pignonée

Plaine

On flags

See also