Escutcheon (heraldry)

In heraldry, an escutcheon (/ɪˈskʌtʃən/, ih-SKUTCH-ən) is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms.

Escutcheon shapes are derived from actual shields that were used by knights in combat, and thus are varied and developed by region and by era.

The heater was used in warfare during the apogee of the Age of Chivalry, at about the time of the Battle of Crecy (1346) and the founding of the Order of the Garter (1348).

Beginning in the 15th century, and even more throughout the early modern period, a great variety of escutcheon shapes develops.

Continental European designs frequently use the various forms used in jousting, which incorporate "mouths" used as lance rests into the shields; such escutcheons are known as à bouche.

Heraldic examples of English shields à bouche can be seen in the spandrels of the trussed timber roof of Lincoln's Inn Hall, London.

In English heraldry, the lozenge has been used by women since the 13th century[11] for the display of their coats of arms instead of the escutcheon or shield, which are associated with warfare.

[21] The current diplomatic emblem of France incorporates the pelta escutcheon, a wide form of shield (or gorget) with a small animal head pointing inward at each end.

[citation needed] A form of pelta appears as a decoration above the head of every official on the Austerlitz table, commissioned by Napoleon for propaganda purposes.