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The most important part of the coat of arms is the SHIELD or ESCUTCHEON on which the arms are displayed. The form of the shield varies with the taste and discretion of the artist (as do the shape of the mantling and the shades of the colors used), though the pointed Norman shield is the most ordinarily used. The HELMET is derived, like the shield, from the armor of the knight and is placed directly above the shield. It is a conventional part of armorial paintings, though not an essential one. The WREATH or TORSE, which was formed of two skeins of silk twisted together and worn as a means of fastening the crest to the helmet, appears at the lower part of the crest. It is given the principal metal and the principal color appearing on the shield. Surmounting the helmet is the CREST, the principal accessory of the arms. Originally, crests were used for the purpose of identification, as were all armorial insignia. Since each knight was habited in a suit of armor, which hid his features from view, it was necessary to have some means of identification by which friend could be distinguished from foe on the heat of battle. Heraldry served this urgent need and grew apace after its introduction in the Middle Ages. The decorative matter about the shield, called the MANTLING or LAMBREQUIN, is not an essential part of the coat of arms, thought it usually appears on armorial paintings. It represents the mantle attached to the helmet and hanging down from the shoulders of the knight, the function of which was to protect his head and shoulders from the sun’s heat. Following the fashion of scalloping the edges of garments, artists developed the present wavy or scalloped form of the mantling. Its shape is left to the taste and discretion of the artist; it is given the principal metal and the principal color appearing on the shield, unless otherwise blazoned. The MOTTO is not an essential part of he arms. Many particularly ancient arms did not have mottoes, since they were not introduced until after armorial bearings had become popular. Most mottoes were adopted at will by individuals or families, usually with genuine sincerity, though some are a pun on the family name or a favorite war cry. The expression COAT OF ARMS is derived from the Medieval practice of having one’s personal and hereditary arms embroidered on a decorative surcoat. Originally, these surcoats were worn by knights over their armor for protection from heat and dampness, as well as for identification, but as time passed the custom was adopted by both men and women for the proud display of their family arms. The use of coats of arms in America goes back to the Founding Fathers, who almost without exception used their hereditary arms on silver, bookplates, carriages, buildings, and on signets with which they affixed their seals on private and official documents. It is said that the design of the American flag was taken from the stars and bars on the ancestral coat of arms of George Washington’s family. -- Hennessee Studio of Heraldic Arts c. 1955 |