Inheraldry, afess orfesse (fromMiddle Englishfesse,Old Frenchfaisse,[1] andLatinfascia, "band")[2] is acharge on acoat of arms (orflag) that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of theshield.[3] Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by a fess or otherordinary, ranging from one-fifth to one-third. TheOxford Guide to Heraldry states that earlier writers including Leigh, Holme, and Guillim favour one-third, while later writers such as Edmondson favour one-fifth "on the grounds that abend,pale, orchevron occupying one-third of thefield makes the coat look clumsy and disagreeable."[4] A fess is likely to be shown narrower if it isuncharged, that is, if it does not have other charges placed on it, and/or if it is to be shown with charges above and below it; and shown wider ifcharged. The fess or bar, termedfasce inFrench heraldry, should not be confused withfasces.
InEnglish heraldry, two or more such charges appearing together on a shield are termedbars, though there are no definitive rules setting the width of the fess, the bar, nor their comparative width.[3] A shield of (often six or eight) horizontal stripes of alternating colour is calledbarry. Narrower versions of the bar are calledbarrulets ("little bars"), and when a shield of horizontal stripes alternating colour is composed of ten or more stripes, it is calledbarruly orburely instead ofbarry.[3] Acotise, defined as half the width of a barrulet, may be borne alongside a fess, and often two of these appear, one on either side of the fess.[3] This is often termed "a fess cotised" (alsocottised,coticed orcotticed).[5] Another diminutive of the fess called acloset is said to be between a bar and barrulet, but this is seldom found.[3]
A shieldparty per fess (or simplyper fess) is divided in half horizontally (in the manner of a fess). A charge placed horizontally may be termedfesswise orfessways, and two or more charges arranged in a horizontal row are blazonedin fess orin bar.
Amural fess, that is a fessembattled andmasoned of the field, can be seen in the arms of Suzanne Elizabeth Altvater.[6]
The arms ofRennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie provide an example ofthree Barrulets fracted and there conjoined to a Chevronel.[7]
A flag which has a centralhorizontal stripe that is half the height of the flag is sometimes said to have aSpanish fess. The name is based on the most well-known example of this style of flag, theflag of Spain.
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