▁only ▁in ▁document ary ▁context s . ▁The ▁Scottish ▁and ▁Spanish ▁trad itions ▁resist ▁allowing ▁more ▁than ▁four ▁qu arters , ▁prefer ring ▁to ▁sub div ide ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁" grand ▁qu arters " ▁into ▁sub - quarters ▁as ▁needed . ▁ ▁The ▁third ▁common ▁mode ▁of ▁mar sh alling ▁is ▁with ▁an ▁in es cut che on , ▁a ▁small ▁shield ▁placed ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁shield . ▁In ▁Britain ▁this ▁is ▁most ▁often ▁an ▁" es cut che on ▁of ▁pret ence " ▁indicating , ▁in ▁the ▁arms ▁of ▁a ▁married ▁couple , ▁that ▁the ▁wife ▁is ▁an ▁her ald ic ▁he ir ess ▁( i . e ., ▁she ▁inher its ▁a ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁because ▁she ▁has ▁no ▁brothers ). ▁In ▁contin ental ▁Europe ▁an ▁in es cut che on ▁( s ometimes ▁called ▁a ▁" heart ▁shield ") ▁usually ▁car ries ▁the ▁ancest ral ▁arms ▁of ▁a ▁monarch ▁or ▁noble ▁whose ▁domains ▁are ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁qu arters ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁shield . ▁ ▁In ▁German ▁her ald ry , ▁animate ▁charges ▁in ▁combined ▁co ats ▁usually ▁turn ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁composition . ▁ ▁Hel m ▁and ▁cr est ▁ ▁In ▁English ▁the ▁word ▁" c rest " ▁is ▁commonly ▁( but ▁err one ously ) ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁an ▁entire ▁her ald ic ▁achiev ement ▁of ▁arm orial ▁bear ings . ▁The ▁technical ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁her ald ic ▁term ▁cr est ▁refers ▁to ▁just ▁one ▁component ▁of ▁a ▁complete ▁achiev