▁was ▁tradition ally ▁used ▁to ▁display ▁the ▁arms ▁of ▁women , ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁shield s , ▁as ▁implements ▁of ▁war , ▁were ▁in app ropri ate ▁for ▁this ▁purpose . ▁ ▁This ▁distinction ▁was ▁not ▁always ▁strictly ▁ad her ed ▁to , ▁and ▁a ▁general ▁exception ▁was ▁usually ▁made ▁for ▁so ver eign s , ▁whose ▁arms ▁represented ▁an ▁entire ▁nation . ▁ ▁Sometimes ▁an ▁o val ▁shield , ▁or ▁cart ou che , ▁was ▁subst it uted ▁for ▁the ▁lo zen ge ; ▁this ▁shape ▁was ▁also ▁widely ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁arms ▁of ▁cler ics ▁in ▁French , ▁Spanish , ▁and ▁Italian ▁her ald ry , ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁never ▁reserved ▁for ▁their ▁use . ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁cart ou che ▁for ▁women ' s ▁arms ▁has ▁become ▁general ▁in ▁Scottish ▁her ald ry , ▁while ▁both ▁Scottish ▁and ▁Irish ▁authorities ▁have ▁permitted ▁a ▁traditional ▁shield ▁under ▁certain ▁circumstances , ▁and ▁in ▁Canadian ▁her ald ry ▁the ▁shield ▁is ▁now ▁regularly ▁granted . ▁ ▁The ▁whole ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁esc ut che on ▁is ▁term ed ▁the ▁field , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁plain , ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁t inct ure , ▁or ▁divided ▁into ▁multiple ▁sections ▁of ▁differ ing ▁t inct ures ▁by ▁various ▁lines ▁of ▁partition ; ▁and ▁any ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁field ▁may ▁be ▁sem é , ▁or ▁pow der ed ▁with ▁small ▁charges . ▁ ▁The ▁edges ▁and ▁adjacent ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁esc ut che on ▁are ▁used ▁to ▁identify