An archaic heraldic term referring to a small escutcheon or shield used as a decorative element in coat of arms designs.
Diminutive of 'escocheon' or related to Old French 'esconçon,' formed with a diminutive suffix to indicate a smaller shield or secondary heraldic element.
Medieval heralds used these tiny shields-within-shields like nested Russian dolls to pack genealogical information into a single design—a noble family could show alliances and lineage all at once through clever placement of esconson on the main escutcheon.
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