 Gray 's Inn does not possess a coat of arms as such , but instead uses a badge , often displayed on a shield , blazoned either " Azure an Indian Griffin proper segreant " or , more currently , " Sable a griffin segreant or " , i.e. , a gold griffin on a black background . The Inn originally used a form of the coat of arms of the de Grey family , but this was changed at some time around 1600 to the griffin . There is no direct record of why this was done , but it seems likely that the new device was adapted from the arms of the Treasurer Richard Aungier ( d . 1597 ) , for two probable reasons : firstly , because he was a particularly important and prestigious member of the Inn , and secondly , because the griffin would have looked more impressive on occasions such as masques and revels than the plain geometric arms of the de Greys . 
