crest
Sign in to savetop component of an heraldic display
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A knight with an eagle crest at the Saracen Joust in Arezzo, Tuscany
A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after the 16th century (the era referred to by heraldists as that of "paper heraldry").