When I was restoring a lively piece of antique furniture—a charming little cabinet with its own stories to tell—I ran into a curious dilemma. The keyhole was missing its decorative plate, leaving an unsightly gap where something elegant clearly once lived. It felt wrong to leave it bare, so I set out on a mission to find a replacement. That’s when I discovered the term escutcheon, a word as fancy as the ornate hardware it describes.
The word escutcheon originates from the Old French word escuchon, which itself is derived from the Latin word scutum, meaning “shield.”
- Old French: The term escuchon referred to a small shield or a heraldic shield used in coats of arms.
- Latin: Scutum literally referred to a shield, particularly the large rectangular shields used by Roman soldiers.
In English, the term escutcheon came to be used in heraldry to describe the shield-shaped part of a coat of arms that displays the bearings or designs associated with a family, individual, or institution. Over time, it also acquired a secondary meaning, referring to a protective or ornamental plate around a keyhole, faucet, or other hardware.
So where do you buy these lovely and essential little pieces? Here is the link for you!
