Terms of Commission

Ownership of the emblem

Upon completion and final payment, the commissioning family receives ownership of the emblem drafted for them. The family may use the emblem freely on personal stationery, signage, gifts, and upon the pieces of future generations.

Exclusivity

Root & Seal will never draft a substantially similar emblem for another house. Once sealed, the mark is retired to the commissioning family and recorded as such in the atelier ledger.

Heraldic jurisdiction

Root & Seal drafts original emblems. We do not grant, register, or resell historic armorial bearings, and a Root & Seal emblem is not a grant of arms.

Clients who wish to display arms in a jurisdiction with a standing heraldic authority — Scotland (the Court of the Lord Lyon), England and Wales (the College of Arms), Ireland (the Chief Herald), South Africa, or Spain — should matriculate through that authority.

Note specifically that in Scotland the display of unmatriculated arms is restricted by statute.

Commission and pricing

The commission is $2,450. It includes lineage research, original artwork, revisions until approved, digitisation, a certificate of authenticity, permanent entry in the foundry ledger, and one luxury piece of the client's choosing, embroidered with their seal.

Additional pieces are quoted and confirmed with the house in writing before production begins.

Shipping and delivery

Shipping is included on the commission and its accompanying piece within the United States and Canada. International shipping is quoted per order. Additional pieces are shipped at cost, quoted and billed at the time of order. Any customs duties, import taxes, or brokerage fees on international orders are the responsibility of the recipient.

For international commissions, shipping is quoted and accepted in writing before the deposit is taken and before work begins. This ensures no commission is started on terms the house has not agreed to.

Bespoke terms

• Payment. A deposit of 50% is due at commission. This deposit is earned upon commencement of lineage research and drafting, and is non-refundable once that work has begun. The remaining 50% is due upon approval of artwork, prior to production.
• Delivery. Standard delivery is six to eight weeks from commission. This covers lineage research, drafting, approval, and production. Where a commission involves a non-standard colorway, material, or another special request, the lead time is confirmed with the house in writing before production begins. Time taken by the client to review artwork or request revisions falls outside the stated window.
• Revisions. The emblem is drafted and revised until the house approves it. There is no fixed limit on revisions — we do not consider a commission complete until the family is satisfied with its seal. Where revisions extend beyond the standard delivery window, a revised timeline is confirmed with the house in writing.

Should Root & Seal be unable to deliver drafted artwork, the deposit is refunded in full. Because every piece is drafted and made to order, commissions are non-refundable once artwork is approved and production has begun.

Correspondence

Questions concerning these terms may be addressed to commissions@rootandseal.com.