Shield

Field

Supporter

Crest

Wreath

Mantling

Helm

Compartment

Charge

Motto

Coat of arms elements

Escutcheon is often the term used in heraldry for the shield displayed in a coat of arms. An inescutcheon is a smaller escutcheon borne within a larger escutcheon. The term crest is often used incorrectly to designate this part of the coat of arms. In heraldry the background of the shield is called the field . ... In heraldry, supporters are figures placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. ... In heraldry, a crest is a component of a coat of arms. ... In heraldry, the torse is a twisted roll of fabric wound around the top of the helm and crest to hold the mantle in place (See mantling). ... In heraldry, mantling is drapery depicted tied to the helmet above the shield. ... For other meanings, see Helmet (disambiguation). ... In heraldry, a compartment is a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount, or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing (a compartment without supporters is possible but practically unknown, with the exception of South Australia[1]). It is sometimes said... In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field on an escutcheon (or shield). ... A motto (from Italian) is a phrase or a short list of words meant formally to describe the general motivation or intention of an entity, social group, or organization. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (609x731, 237 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Coat of arms Helmet Mantling Compartment Field (heraldry) Charge (heraldry) Torse Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Heraldry and vexillology Template... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... In heraldry, a crest is a component of a coat of arms. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

The term "escutcheon" also refers to the shield-like shape on which arms are often borne. The escutcheon shape is based on the Medieval shields that were used by knights in combat. Since this shape has been regarded as a war-like device appropriate to men only, ladies customarily bear their arms upon a lozenge, or diamond-shape, while clergymen bear theirs on a cartouche, or oval. Other shapes are possible, such as the roundel commonly used for arms granted to Aboriginal Canadians by the Canadian Heraldic Authority. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... A lozengy field, in the arms of the former urban district council of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire The lozenge in heraldry is a diamond-shaped charge (an object that can be placed on the field of the shield), usually somewhat narrower than it is tall. ... In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oblong enclosure with a vertical line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu. ... The modern proportion RAF roundel A roundel in heraldry is any circular shape; in military use it is a distinctive, mostly round insignia or identifying emblem, commonly painted today on military aircraft to indicate which nations air force or navy they belong to. ... Aboriginal peoples in Canada are Indigenous Peoples recognized in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, sections 25 and 35, respectively, as Indians (First Nations), Métis, and Inuit. ... Badge of the Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority is an agency of the Government of Canada responsible for heraldry in Canada. ...

Derived from its meaning in heraldry, the term "escutcheon" can be used to represent a family and its honour. A family member who does something shameful can be described as a "blot on the escutcheon."

In English Heraldry the husband of a heraldic heiress - a woman without any brothers - allows his wife to place her father's arms in an escutcheon of pretence in the centre of his own shield. The husband is 'pretending' to be the head of his wife's family. In the next generation the arms would then be quartered. Quartering in heraldry is a method of joining several different coats of arms together in one shield by dividing the shield into not more than four equal parts and placing different coats of arms in each division. ...

Other meanings

• An escutcheon is also an item of door furniture. In this case, it is an architectural item that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder. Escutcheons are mainly decorative: they draw the eye to the keyhole. However some help to protect a lock cylinder from drilling or snapping, and the surrounding area from wear.
• An escutcheon is also used in bathroom plumbing. It is the chrome plate behind a knob on a shower's temperature and water flow control.
• In the German army under the Nazi regime, military awards worn on the sleeve near the shoulder were also called escutcheon or shields.
• Medical terminology: the escutcheon describes the shape of the pubic hair. The male escutcheon has a peak towards the umbilicus, the female escutcheon is flat topped.
• On ships, the escutcheon is the name plate on the rear of the vessel.
• Military escutcheon, a chromolithography depicting the military record of a veteran, which were produced in the United States from the end of the Civil War until about 1907. [1]