Mourning Shield

[BettyO]

First time I ever heard the term "Mourning Shield".....in the 18th and 19th Century (as well as further back to the 16th and 17th centuries) there was such a thing as a "Funeral Hatchment" - (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funerary_hatchment)

I worked as a tour guide/docent at Shirley Plantation years ago, and they own and have on display two of these which have been in the family for centuries. It is typically a British tradition and usually depicts the family coat of arms. They are also predominately hung on the wall. The "Mourning Shield" may be a smaller variation of this....Fascinating! Thank you for posting this.