Wapenschild van Habert met helm en adelaars 1608 - 1688

Claude Mellan made this engraving of the Habert coat-of-arms in the 17th century. Back then, heraldry was far more than just aristocratic branding. It was a visual language, a status symbol, and a family history, all rolled into one. This particular design tells us about the Habert family's standing in French society, their aspirations, and likely, their actual or imagined origins. Note the eagle atop the helmet, and the fantastical griffins on either side of the shield. These are all visual cues that would have been instantly recognizable to Mellan's contemporaries. The image subtly reinforces the social hierarchy of the time. To truly decode this image, you might want to delve into genealogical records and period texts on heraldry. These sources help us understand the social and institutional context that gave the Habert family's emblem its full meaning. The politics of imagery are always tied to questions of power and social meaning.