19-07-2022, 08:48 PM
I wouldn't get too hung up on the head yet. There is a hole in the parchment here, which complicates matters, and most importantly, the VM has the habit of omitting the heads of its root-creatures.
What I find most telling, and would suggest as a subject for further research, is the particular arrangement of the feathers. We clearly see that the top feathers are a bit larger than the midsection, and they extend upwards, above where the head would be. I thought this was un-heraldic, but apparently Nick has shown that at least one example exists of wings precisely like this. So if someone wanted to get to the bottom of this (and not just slap on the heraldic eagle of their preferred house), I think the best starting point would be to look for this type of wings.
If someone has a copy of Curse, it would also be interesting to read what Nick wrote about this, and which image he referred to.
What I find most telling, and would suggest as a subject for further research, is the particular arrangement of the feathers. We clearly see that the top feathers are a bit larger than the midsection, and they extend upwards, above where the head would be. I thought this was un-heraldic, but apparently Nick has shown that at least one example exists of wings precisely like this. So if someone wanted to get to the bottom of this (and not just slap on the heraldic eagle of their preferred house), I think the best starting point would be to look for this type of wings.
If someone has a copy of Curse, it would also be interesting to read what Nick wrote about this, and which image he referred to.