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58-616: The Dunmore Pineapple is a folly in Dunmore Park, near Airth in Stirlingshire , Scotland . In 1995 it was ranked "as the most bizarre building in Scotland ". Dunmore Park , the ancestral home of the Earls of Dunmore , includes a large country mansion, Dunmore House, and grounds which contain, among other things, two large walled gardens . Walled gardens were a necessity for any great house in

116-586: A national flag and a national coat of arms, and the two may not look alike at all. For example, the flag of Scotland (St Andrew's Cross) has a white saltire on a blue field , but the royal arms of Scotland has a red lion within a double tressure on a gold (or) field. Among the states ruled by communist regimes, emblems resembling those of the Soviet states were adopted in all the Warsaw Pact states except Czechoslovakia and Poland . Since 1986–1989, some of

174-488: A family or municipal body. Assumed arms (arms invented and used by the holder rather than granted by an authority) are considered valid unless they can be proved in court to copy that of an earlier holder. In the heraldic traditions of England and Scotland , an individual, rather than a family, had a coat of arms. In those traditions coats of arms are legal property transmitted from father to son; wives and daughters could also bear arms modified to indicate their relation to

232-478: A general term, "folly" is usually applied to a small building that appears to have no practical purpose or the purpose of which appears less important than its striking and unusual design, but the term is ultimately subjective, so a precise definition is not possible. The concept of the folly is subjective and it has been suggested that the definition of a folly "lies in the eyes of the beholder". Typical characteristics include: Follies began as decorative accents on

290-454: A glory and clouds, displayed with no helm, torse, or mantling (unlike most European precedents at the time). Many of the American states have adopted their own coats of arms , which usually designed as part of the respective state's seal . Vermont has both a state seal and a state coat of arms that are independent of one another (though both contain a pine tree, a cow and sheaves of grain);

348-435: A northern climate in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, as a high wall of stone or brick helped to shelter the garden from wind and frost, and could create a microclimate in which the ambient temperature could be raised several degrees above that of the surrounding landscape. This allowed the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, and also of ornamental plants, which could not otherwise survive that far north. The larger of

406-447: A single colour from top to bottom) and are of a consistent width. Together, they draw the eye upwards in a single smooth motion. The height of the building, from the bottom of the lower floor to the top of the pineapple, is exactly half the width of the structure. Additionally, the width of the portico and pineapple matches the height of the south façade. Together, these elements, along with the four equally spaced urn-shaped chimneys, add to

464-526: A use which was lost later, such as hunting towers. Follies are misunderstood structures, according to The Folly Fellowship , a charity that exists to celebrate the history and splendour of these often neglected buildings. Follies ( French : fabriques ) were an important feature of the English garden and French landscape garden in the 18th century, such as Stowe and Stourhead in England and Ermenonville and

522-558: A “later and clumsier,” panel bearing a relief carving of a heart charged with a cinquefoil and inscribed with the motto Fidelis in Adversis . The design and motto are taken from the Douglas-Hamilton coat of arms , and probably commemorate the marriage, in 1803, of George Murray , the 5th Earl of Dunmore, to Lady Susan Douglas-Hamilton, daughter of Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton . The intricately carved stone pineapple, which

580-471: Is in accord with the general meaning of the French word folie ; however, another older meaning of this word is "delight" or "favourite abode". This sense included conventional, practical buildings that were thought unduly large or expensive, such as Beckford's Folly , an extremely expensive early Gothic Revival country house that collapsed under the weight of its tower in 1825, 12 years after completion. As

638-598: Is often considered one of the greatest follies in the United Kingdom, featuring on lists of the best follies from the news aggregator Huffington Post , environmental television series and magazine Countryfile and gardener-presenter Alan Titchmarsh . In 1995 it was ranked "as the most bizarre building in Scotland ". Folly In architecture , a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends

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696-402: Is situated between the two bothies, forms an elaborate cupola atop an octagonal pavilion, with sash windows topped with Gothic ogee arches on seven sides and a door, topped with an ogee transom , on the eighth. The door, on the north side, exits onto the upper level of the garden. Inside the pavilion, the stone walls are gently curved, so that the room is circular rather than octagonal. Even

754-602: The Caribbean island of Guadeloupe in 1493, pineapples became a rare delicacy in Europe , with associations of power and wealth. Architects , artisans and craftsmen adopted the pineapple as a motif, sculpting it into gateposts, railings, weather vanes and door lintels . The motif also featured prominently in interior decoration , fabrics and furniture . In an article documenting an architectural dig in Glasgow, Geoffrey Stell called

812-618: The Consulta Araldica , the college of arms of the Kingdom of Italy , was abolished in 1948, personal coats of arms and titles of nobility, though not outlawed, are not recognised. Coats of arms in Spain were generally left up to the owner themselves, but the design was based on military service and the heritage of their grandparents. In France , the coat of arms is based on the Fleur-de-lys and

870-977: The Genealogical Office through the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland . Heraldry in Northern Ireland is regulated by the British Government by the College of Arms through the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms . The heraldic tradition and style of modern and historic Germany and the Holy Roman Empire – including national and civic arms, noble and burgher arms , ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays, and heraldic descriptions – stand in contrast to Gallo-British, Latin and Eastern heraldry, and strongly influenced

928-618: The Great Famine in Ireland, were built as a form of poor relief , to provide employment for peasants and unemployed artisans. In English, the term began as "a popular name for any costly structure considered to have shown folly in the builder", the Oxford English Dictionary 's definition. Follies are often named after the individual who commissioned or designed the project. The connotations of silliness or madness in this definition

986-643: The Palladian lower-floor portico on the south side were added after Murray's return from Virginia. The building is a mixture of architectural styles. The south (ground floor) entrance takes the form of a characteristically Palladian Serliana archway, incorporating Tuscan columns . Visitors who step through this archway and into the vestibule below the pineapple face an elaborately framed doorway, flanked, on either side, by pairs of painted wooden Ionic columns, carved with great care, which display perfect fluting and even architecturally correct entasis . The keystone of

1044-577: The Rule of Tinctures used in English heraldry as well. The monarch of Canada's prerogative to grant armorial bearings has been delegated to the Governor General of Canada . Canada has its own Chief Herald and Herald Chancellor . The Canadian Heraldic Authority , the governmental agency which is responsible for creating arms and promoting Canadian heraldry, is situated at Rideau Hall . The Great Seal of

1102-610: The early Modern Age centuries, they have been a source of information for public showing and tracing the membership of a noble family , and therefore its genealogy across time . Heraldic designs came into general use among European nobility in the 12th century. Systematic, heritable heraldry had developed by the beginning of the 13th century. Exactly who had a right to use arms, by law or social convention , varied to some degree between countries. Early heraldic designs were personal, used by individual noblemen (who might also alter their chosen design over time). Arms become hereditary by

1160-503: The gardens of Versailles in France. They were usually in the form of Roman temples, ruined Gothic abbeys, or Egyptian pyramids. Painshill Park in Surrey contained almost a full set, with a large Gothic tower and various other Gothic buildings, a Roman temple, a hermit's retreat with resident hermit , a Turkish tent, a shell-encrusted water grotto and other features. In France they sometimes took

1218-562: The leopard in the arms of Benin , Malawi , Somalia , the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, in the form of the black panther, of Gabon . In Kenya , the Swahili word Harambee (lit. "Let us come together") is used as a motto in the country's coat of arms. In Botswana and Lesotho , meanwhile, the word Pula (lit. "Rain") is used in like fashion. In the coat of arms of Eswatini ,

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1276-610: The star and crescent symbol taken from the Ottoman flag . Other commonly seen symbols are birds, chiefly the Eagle of Saladin , and the Hawk of Quraish . These symbols can be found on the coat of arms of Egypt , and Syria , amongst others. Sub-Saharan African flags and emblems after decolonisation often chose emblems based on regional traditions or wildlife. Symbols of a ritual significance according to local custom were generally favoured, such as

1334-574: The surcoat with heraldic designs worn by combatants, especially in the knightly tournament , in Old French cote a armer . The sense is transferred to the heraldic design itself in Middle English, in the mid-14th century. Despite no common, enforceable widespread regulation, heraldry has remained consistent across Europe, where tradition alone has governed the design and use of arms. Some nations, such as England and Scotland , still maintain

1392-403: The "stiff serrated edges of the lowest and topmost leaves and the plum berry-like fruits are all cunningly graded so that water cannot accumulate anywhere, ensuring that frozen trapped water cannot damage the delicate stonework." Despite the unconventional design and the mix of architectural styles, the effect is harmonious because the pineapple and the portico are made of the same stone (ensuring

1450-524: The British and Western European systems. Much of the terminology and classifications are taken from it. However, with the fall of the French monarchy (and later Empire) there is not currently a Fons Honorum (power to dispense and control honors) to strictly enforce heraldic law. The French Republics that followed have either merely affirmed pre-existing titles and honors or vigorously opposed noble privilege. Coats of arms are considered an intellectual property of

1508-529: The Church. The latter typically allude to their ideal of life, or to specific pontifical programmes. A well-known and widely displayed example in recent times was Pope John Paul II 's arms. His selection of a large letter M (for the Virgin Mary ) was intended to express the message of his strong Marian devotion . Roman Catholic dioceses are also each assigned a coat of arms, as are basilicas or papal churches,

1566-671: The Dunmore Pineapple "the ultimate expression of 18th-century pineapple fashion". After remaining in the family for centuries, the Dunmore Estate was broken up in 1970 and sold in lots. One lot, called the "Pineapple Lot", included the folly and the large walled garden, along with some woodlands and a small lake. This lot was purchased by the Countess of Perth , who in 1974 gifted it to the National Trust for Scotland . The "Pineapple Lot"

1624-461: The Serliana arch is inscribed with the date "1761." This has caused some people to speculate that the pineapple was constructed in 1761, although there is no clear evidence that the archway and the pineapple were built at the same time, or even designed by the same architect. Others suggest that the pineapple was constructed after Murray's return from America in 1776. Above the Serliana arch is inserted

1682-522: The United States uses on the obverse as its central motif a heraldic achievement described as being the arms of the nation. The seal, and the armorial bearings, were adopted by the Continental Congress on 20 June 1782, and is a shield divided palewise into thirteen pieces, with a blue chief, which is displayed upon the breast of an American bald eagle. The crest is thirteen stars breaking through

1740-401: The building, was used, among other things, for growing pineapples . The south ground floor, which is now covered in stucco and largely overgrown with vines, was originally covered with glass windowpanes. Additional heat was provided by a furnace -driven heating system that circulated hot air through cavities in the wall construction of the adjoining hothouse buildings. The smoke from the furnace

1798-632: The current holder of the arms. Undifferenced arms are used only by one person at any given time. Other descendants of the original bearer could bear the ancestral arms only with some difference : usually a colour change or the addition of a distinguishing charge . One such charge is the label , which in British usage (outside the Royal Family ) is now always the mark of an heir apparent or (in Scotland) an heir presumptive . Because of their importance in identification, particularly in seals on legal documents,

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1856-448: The door and the panes of glass in the seven windows are curved, so as to match the curve of the walls in the room. The pavilion is just large enough to house a round table and some chairs. The pineapple is around 14 metres (46 ft) high and constitutes a stunning example of the stonemason 's craft, being a remarkably accurate depiction of a pineapple. Each of the curving stone leaves is separately drained to prevent frost damage, and

1914-645: The end of the 12th century, in England by King Richard I during the Third Crusade (1189–1192). Burgher arms were used in Northern Italy in the second half of the 14th century, and in the Holy Roman Empire by the mid 14th century. In the late medieval period, use of arms spread to the clergy, to towns as civic identifiers, and to royally chartered organizations such as universities and trading companies. The arts of vexillology and heraldry are closely related. The term coat of arms itself in origin refers to

1972-583: The ex- Communist states , such as Russia , have reused their original pre-communist heraldry, often with only the symbols of monarchy removed. Other countries such as Belarus have retained their communist coats of arms or at least kept some of the old heraldry. With the independence of the modern nation states of the Arab World from the First World War onwards, European traditions of heraldry were partially adopted for state emblems. These emblems often involve

2030-556: The few it did grant were annulled by the other Kings of Arms because they encroached upon their jurisdictions. Its purpose was supposedly to marshal an expedition to fully conquer Ireland that never materialized. Since 1 April 1943 the authority has been split between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland . Heraldry in the Republic of Ireland is regulated by the Government of Ireland , by

2088-511: The form of romantic farmhouses, mills and cottages, as in Marie Antoinette 's Hameau de la Reine at Versailles. Sometimes they were copied from landscape paintings by painters such as Claude Lorrain and Hubert Robert . Often, they had symbolic importance, illustrating the virtues of ancient Rome, or the virtues of country life. The temple of philosophy at Ermenonville, left unfinished, symbolised that knowledge would never be complete, while

2146-571: The good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places". It was further declared that no patents of arms or any ensigns of nobility should be granted and no augmentation, alteration, or addition should be made to arms without the consent of the Earl Marshal. In Ireland

2204-482: The great estates of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, but they flourished especially in the two centuries which followed. Many estates had ruins of monastic houses and (in Italy) Roman villas; others, lacking such buildings, constructed their own sham versions of these romantic structures. However, very few follies are completely without a practical purpose. Apart from their decorative aspect, many originally had

2262-418: The higher northern side (away from the main house), behind a retaining wall about 16 feet (4.9 metres) high, and 3 ft 3 in (1.0 m) thick, which runs the entire length of the north side of the garden. Walled gardens sometimes included one hollow, or double, wall which contained furnaces, openings along the side facing the garden to allow heat to escape into the garden, and chimneys or flues to draw

2320-483: The latter usually displaying these on the building. These may be used in countries which otherwise do not use heraldic devices. In countries like Scotland with a strong statutory heraldic authority, arms will need to be officially granted and recorded. Flags are used to identify ships (where they are called ensigns ), embassies and such, and they use the same colors and designs found in heraldry, but they are not usually considered to be heraldic. A country may have both

2378-406: The municipal council. At a national level, "coats of arms" were generally retained by European states with constitutional continuity of more than a few centuries, including constitutional monarchies like Denmark as well as old republics like San Marino and Switzerland . In Italy the use of coats of arms was only loosely regulated by the states existing before the unification of 1861. Since

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2436-528: The needy for work on useful projects would deprive existing workers of their jobs. Thus, construction projects termed "famine follies" came to be built. These included roads in the middle of nowhere, between two seemingly random points, screen and estate walls, piers in the middle of bogs, etc. Follies are found worldwide, but they are particularly abundant in Great Britain . Coat of arms Rolls of arms are collections of many coats of arms, and since

2494-476: The pineapple summerhouse as a holiday home. The bothy on one side of the Pineapple houses two bedrooms and a bathroom, and the bothy on the other side contains a kitchen and a spacious living room. The rooms have sash windows with a southern exposure overlooking the main (lower) lawn of the estate. Due to their southern exposure, the windows ensure that the rooms are sunlit throughout the day. The Dunmore Pineapple

2552-476: The present day, coats of arms are still in use by a variety of institutions and individuals: for example, many European cities and universities have guidelines on how their coats of arms may be used, and protect their use as trademarks as any other unique identifier might be. Many societies exist that also aid in the design and registration of personal arms. Heraldry has been compared to modern corporate logos . The French system of heraldry greatly influenced

2610-532: The range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-century English landscape gardening and French landscape gardening often featured mock Roman temples , symbolising classical virtues. Other 18th-century garden follies imitated Chinese temples , Egyptian pyramids , ruined medieval castles or abbeys , or Tatar tents, to represent different continents or historical eras. Sometimes they represented rustic villages, mills and cottages, to symbolise rural virtues. Many follies, particularly during times of famine, such as

2668-428: The same heraldic authorities which have traditionally granted and regulated arms for centuries and continue to do so in the present day. In England, for example, the granting of arms is and has been controlled by the College of Arms . Unlike seals and other general emblems , heraldic "achievements" have a formal description called a blazon , which uses vocabulary that allows for consistency in heraldic depictions. In

2726-449: The seal is used to authenticate documents, whilst the heraldic device represents the state itself. The Vatican City State and the Holy See each have their own coat of arms . As the papacy is not hereditary, its occupants display their personal arms combined with those of their office. Some popes came from armigerous (noble) families; others adopted coats of arms during their career in

2784-510: The sense of Classical order and harmony. The identity of the designer of the folly is uncertain, but it is often attributed to Sir William Chambers who designed similar fanciful structures at Kew Gardens , and who showed a similarly meticulous attention to detail (including curved panes of glass and chimneys disguised as rooftop urns) in his design for the Casino at Marino , just outside Dublin. First brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus from

2842-407: The smoke upwards. This particularly benefited fruit trees or grape vines that could, if grown within a few feet of a heated, south-facing wall, be grown even further north than the microclimate created by a walled garden would normally allow. A building containing a hothouse was built into this wall in 1761 by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore . The hothouse, which was located in the ground floor of

2900-500: The styles and customs of heraldry in the Nordic countries , which developed comparatively late. In the Nordic countries , provinces, regions, cities, and municipalities have coats of arms. These are posted at the borders and on buildings containing official offices, as well as used in official documents and on the uniforms of municipal officers. Arms may also be used on souvenirs or other effects, given that an application has been granted by

2958-452: The temple of modern virtues at Stowe was deliberately ruined, to show the decay of contemporary morals. Later in the 18th century, the follies became more exotic, representing other parts of the world, including Chinese pagodas , Japanese bridges, and Tatar tents. The Great Famine of Ireland of 1845–1849 led to the building of several follies in order to provide relief to the poor without issuing unconditional handouts. However, to hire

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3016-410: The two gardens covers about six acres, located on a gentle south-facing slope. South-facing slopes are the ideal spot for walled gardens and for the cultivation of frost-sensitive plants. Along the north edge of the garden, the slope had probably originally been steeper. To allow both the upper and lower parts of the garden to be flat and level at different heights, it was necessary to bank up the earth on

3074-568: The usage and granting of coats of arms was strictly regulated by the Ulster King of Arms from the office's creation in 1552. After Irish independence in 1922 the office was still functioning and working out of Dublin Castle . The last Ulster King of Arms was Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson [Ulster King of Arms 1908–1940], who held it until his death in 1940. At the Irish government's request, no new King of Arms

3132-591: The use of arms is a matter of civil law and regulated by the College of Arms and the High Court of Chivalry . In reference to a dispute over the exercise of authority over the Officers of Arms in England, Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey , Lord Privy Seal , declared on 16 June 1673 that the powers of the Earl Marshal were "to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for

3190-486: The use of arms was strictly regulated; few countries continue in this today. This has been carried out by heralds and the study of coats of arms is therefore called "heraldry". In time, the use of arms spread from military entities to educational institutes, and other establishments. In Scotland, the Lord Lyon King of Arms has criminal jurisdiction to control the use of arms. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales

3248-527: Was appointed. Thomas Ulick Sadleir , the Deputy Ulster King of Arms, then became the Acting Ulster King of Arms. He served until the office was merged with that of Norroy King of Arms in 1943 and stayed on until 1944 to clear up the backlog. An earlier Ireland King of Arms was created by King Richard II in 1392 and discontinued by King Henry VII in 1487. It did not grant many coats of arms –

3306-512: Was expelled through four chimneys, cleverly disguised as Grecian urns. The upper floor, which is at ground level when approached from the raised northern lawn, contained two small cottage-like apartments, or "bothies", for the gardeners. Murray left Scotland after the initial structure had been built, and went on to become the last Colonial Governor of Virginia in America . The upper-floor pavilion or summerhouse with its pineapple-shaped cupola and

3364-465: Was then leased to the Landmark Trust , who restored the building and used it to provide holiday accommodation. The 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of gardens, including woodland , pond and crab-apple orchard , are open to the public year-round. In 1998, the 12th Earl of Dunmore , a resident of Australia, visited the grounds to plant a memorial tree. As of 2024, one can rent the gardeners' quarters and

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