The Shields

Because the shield was an important part of the equipment of a medieval knight or nobleman,  it became the practice to use a shield as the shape within which a coat-of-arms is displayed. The various shapes of shield (or escutcheon) accepted in heraldry are as follows:

Kite shield
1: Kite

Triangular shield
2: Triangular

Heater shield
3: Heater

Square shield
4: Square

Florid shield
5: Florid

Vair shield
6: Vair

a bouche shield
7: a bouche

Couche shield
8: Couche

Cartouche shield
9: Cartouche

Lozenge shield
10:Lozenge
   

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