Sable
The heraldic name for black.
Also: black (heraldry)
Sable is named after a small animal of northern forests whose dark fur was among the most valuable in medieval Europe. In heraldry the word means black, shown in line drawings by crossed vertical and horizontal lines or by solid ink. Black eagles on gold, as in the arms of the Holy Roman Empire and of Germany, are a famous use. In ordinary English, sable is still an occasional literary word for black or very dark brown.