Beaucéant" Templar knife(bauçant)

Appearing in the XIIᵗʰ century on battlefields and tournament fields to serve as signs of recognition for combatants, the use of coats of arms quickly spread to the lordly class. Subsequently, it gradually spread to women, prelates, burghers and even, in some regions, craftsmen and peasants. A little later, the practice spread to civil and religious communities. By the end of the Middle Ages, the whole of European society had or could make use of coats of arms. At once signs of identity, marks of possession and decorative ornaments, they took their place on numerous objects, works of art, buildings and monuments. From the XIIIᵗʰ century onwards, churches themselves became veritable "museums of coats of arms". Everywhere, the representation of coats of arms, rigorously coded, gave rise to an original art: heraldic art, which reached its apogee in the 15th century. Michel Pastoureau's book retraces the social and artistic history of coats of arms in the Middle Ages. He presents the main rules of blazon, shows how the heraldic image is in no way an image like any other, and delves into the significance of figures and colors. This is an opportunity for him to correct a number of preconceived ideas, and to highlight the influence that coats of arms have exerted over the long term. Even today, most flags, logos, military insignia, sports emblems and even road signs appear to be heirs to medieval coats of arms.
Release date: March 28, 2018

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