chapeau

The chapeau or cap of maintenance appears sometimes on the shield itself, but more often in the crest above it. The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P139 In appearance it is typically of red velvet with trim of ermine. A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:cap