key

Although we expect to find fierce creatures and fearsome weapons depicted in a coat of arms this is not always the case – sometimes simple household objects are used A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P281. The key is a typical example of this. Sometimes these objects were chosen for the familiarity they would have for the obsever, helping them identify the owner, and sometimes they were used because of some association with the owner, or a similarity to the family name. Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 100 In other cases, Wade suggests that their appearance can be taken to indicate “guardianship and dominion”. 1The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P47