Below is a diagram of the Coat of Arms of the Mackintosh of Mackintosh. This is not the actual drawing from the
Office of the Lord Lyon, but a modern representation of it for explanatory purposes.
Motto - Only the words (if any)
Motto Design - The placement, banner, and type style are at the artist's discretion
The Crest - What appears above the helmet
The Wreath or Torse - A rope with six parts, using the first two colors or tinctures
The Shield Elements - The charges that appear on the shield, their placement, and color
The Helm or Helmet - Rarely is the type of helmet identified, such as a peer's helm
Shield Shape or Angle - The shape changed through the centuries at the discretion of the herald and artists
Supporters - Usually two animals, birds, or persons appearing on either side of the shield
The Mantle or Mantling - The decoration outside the shield. Differs depending on the artist
Name Design - The Placement and banner (if any), and type style dependent on the artist
Description
The above depicts the Coat of Arms of the Mackintosh of Mackintosh. It is entirely under the ownership of that particular person and no other. It is essentially the signature of the Armiger. Scottish common law says that anyone using the above COA can have it forcibly removed by the Armiger (a tattoo, for example, can be flayed off of the offender and no crime has been committed by the Armiger of the Name).
The Coat of Arms is designed to tell the history of the Armiger. The Mackintosh charges are: 1) the Rampant Lion used to denote the relation to ancient royalty, 2) The bloody hand holding the heart depicts the heart of Robert the Bruce and the Mackintosh loyalty to him. 3) The Boars Head depicts the Mackintosh connection to the House of Gordon through marriage, and 4) The Sable (black) lymphad of pre-1947 depicts the Mackintoshes as originating from the Lord of the Isles, The Azure (blue) lymphad of post-1947 depicts the connection to the Chattan Confederation.