Family Crest Plaques

Family Crest Plaques
Family crest plaques make perfect gifts for the history enthusiast in your family,
or for any member who wishes to express his or her pride in
your family history and heritage.

A customized plaque, hung on your wall, is the perfect way
to display your family crest and pride in your family heritage.

Family Crest Origins
Family crest, today, is a term used interchangeably with coat of arms and, essentially,
that is what it has become. Originally, crests were a single object that sat atop the helm on a coat of arms.
The objects borne as crests were one of the primary and only official components of a coat of arms.
The other is the shield, which often contains same symbol as those borne as the crest.
These, together with a motto, made up the heraldic badge worn by clans hundreds of years ago.
It is this elaborate family crest, with shield, symbol, crest and mantling that will be depicted
on your family crest plaque.

Definition and Purpose of the Plaque
The practice of hanging family crests, in addition to the family crest itself, has a long history,
throwing back to when tapestries adorned castles and noble estates. Plaques, by definition,
are commemorative, as were tapestries. Plaques are a flat, ornamental plate used as a wall-hanging
to act as a reminder and tribute to significant events or achievements in individuals lives.
Plaques are often memorial as well, commemorating those who have died and, often, those who have fought in war.

Wall-Hangings: Continuing the Medieval Tradition
Some of the most famous tapestries in history have been used for this very purpose.
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts a scene of war and by so doing commemorates all the
warriors represented therein, as well as provides a valuable source for historians who study
medieval dress, armour and weapons.

The Bayeux Tapestry also provides a good example of crests and coats of arms depicted on wall-hangings.
Following the twelfth century, crests and coats of arms became continuously more popular as the
subject for tapestries and it is this medieval tradition, stemming from the medieval tournament
and pageantry that popularized paintings of heraldic arms, that you are able to continue by
hanging your very own family crest plaque.

Note: A Coat of Arms is sometimes also called a Family Shield, Coat of Arms, Family Seal or Family Crest

Contacting us
If you would like more information or advice about a specific item then please
complete our contact form or email us at info@family-pride.org