Prickly pear cactus

Party per pale, Vert and Gules, overall a saltire Argent charged with an eagle displayed, facing sinister Sable, grasping in its sinister claw a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) couped Vert, fructed Gules, leaved Or, and in its dexter claw and beak a serpent Vert, langued Gules, the fangs Or.

This is the coat of arms of María de Jesús Sánchez Juárez, also known as «Aunt Susan», great-granddaughter of Benito Juárez, President of Mexico from 1858 to 1872. This coat of arms has been designed by her nephew Juan Lanzagorta Vallín and has been outlined by me. From a conventional heraldic perspective, the 3 elements, the serpent, the eagle facing sinister, and the prickly pear cactus, could have been treated as separate charges, thereby avoiding the impression of a small scene. In this particular design, however, they are deliberately kept together because they represent the so called «Juarista eagle» as a single iconographic unit: an eagle facing sinister, holding a serpent with its dexter claw and beak while standing upon a prickly pear cactus. Separating the serpent, eagle and cactus would weaken this intended historical reference. The principal artistic licence taken in adapting this composition to the saltire is that the cactus, rather than appearing rooted in the ground, seems almost to be suspended in the air. Thus, within the logic of this design, serpent, eagle and cactus function as a single heraldic charge rather than as 3 independent charges.

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Blazon keywords: Vert, Gules, Argent, Sable, Party per pale, Overall, Saltire, Charged, Eagle, Displayed, Facing sinister, Grasping, Sinister, Claw, Prickly pear cactus, Couped, Fructed, Leaved, Dexter, Beak, Serpent, Langued and The fangs.

Style keywords: Outlined, Outlined in sable and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sánchez Juárez, María de Jesús.

Party per pale, Vert and Gules, overall a saltire Argent charged with an eagle displayed, facing sinister Sable, grasping in its sinister claw a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) couped Vert, fructed Gules, leaved Or, and in its dexter claw and beak a serpent Vert, langued Gules, the fangs Or.

Arms interpreted by me, in flat tinctures, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a texturized finishing.

This is the coat of arms of María de Jesús Sánchez Juárez, also known as «Aunt Susan», great-granddaughter of Benito Juárez, President of Mexico from 1858 to 1872. This coat of arms has been designed by her nephew Juan Lanzagorta Vallín and has been painted by me. The serpent forms the initials J and S of María de Jesús Sánchez Juárez. This eagle displayed, facing sinister, is based on the Mexican eagle called the «Juarista eagle» in honor of her ancestor and President of the Republic. The composition brings together Vert, Gules and Argent, thus evoking the three tinctures of the Mexican flag.

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Blazon keywords: Vert, Gules, Argent, Sable, Party per pale, Overall, Saltire, Charged, Eagle, Displayed, Facing sinister, Grasping, Sinister, Claw, Prickly pear cactus, Couped, Fructed, Leaved, Dexter, Beak, Serpent, Langued and The fangs.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sánchez Juárez, María de Jesús.

Party per pale, Vert and Gules, overall a saltire Argent charged with an eagle displayed, facing sinister Sable, grasping in its sinister claw a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) couped Vert, fructed Gules, leaved Or, and in its dexter claw and beak a serpent Vert, langued Gules, the fangs Or.

Escudo de partido de sinople y gules, brochante sobre el todo un sotuer de plata cargado de un águila alterada de sable, teniendo en su garra siniestra una chumbera nurida de sinople, frutada de gules, hojada de oro y en su garra diestra y cebada de una sierpe de sinople, lampasada de gules, fierezada de oro.

Arms depicted by me, in flat tinctures, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

This is the coat of arms of María de Jesús Sánchez Juárez, also known as «Aunt Susan», great-granddaughter of Benito Juárez, President of Mexico. This coat of arms has been designed by her nephew Juan Lanzagorta Vallín and has been painted by me. The artistic conception of the ensemble draws inspiration from a work of Mexican muralist Víctor Cauduro Rojas, providing a pictorial reference for this heraldic interpretation.

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Blazon keywords: Vert, Gules, Argent, Sable, Party per pale, Overall, Saltire, Charged, Eagle, Displayed, Facing sinister, Grasping, Sinister, Claw, Prickly pear cactus, Couped, Fructed, Leaved, Dexter, Beak, Serpent, Langued and The fangs.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sánchez Juárez, María de Jesús.