Two coats of arms with three-towered castles

The composition presents two heraldic devices, each featuring a stylised castle with three towers, a common symbol of fortification and noble authority in medieval Europe. The paired shields likely represent the arms of two allied families or territories, emphasizing a relationship of mutual recognition or alliance through shared iconography.

Executed as a painted panel, the work employs the flat, linear rendering typical of late‑medieval heraldic art. The colors are applied in broad, opaque washes, with limited shading, focusing on clear identification of the symbols rather than naturalistic detail. The composition adheres to the conventions of contemporary armorial illustration.

Created in 1295, the panel’s early provenance is undocumented, and the artist remains unknown. It entered the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya’s holdings in the twentieth century, where it was catalogued as an example of early Catalan heraldic painting, contributing to the museum’s representation of medieval visual culture.

During the late thirteenth century, heraldic panels were used to display lineage, alliances, and territorial claims, often in diplomatic or ceremonial settings. The three‑towered castle motif reflects the importance of fortified structures in the political landscape of the Crown of Aragon and surrounding regions, where such imagery signified power and protection.