Anyone recognize this Lion and Towers (?) emblem Coat of Arms on little brooch?
- Thread starter laurenm
- Start date
Catbooks1940s
VFG Member
with the crown and the lion, i'd say it's british. that's all i've got, sorry.
Pinkcoke
Alumni
It's definetly British, that tiny flower beneath the lion is the English Rose. These things are full of individual symbolism, often with more included that you can originally see. Motifs I can see:
A crown.
The 'towers' are actually curtains or perhaps ribbons.
Two tridents? or swords? either side.
The lion is rampant (standing on hind legs) apparantly on a cobbled road (unsually, I have never seen a surface under a rampant lion before)
Beneath the red ribbon are studs? like metalwork - maybe meant to be a horseshoe including the rest of that shape.
Mounted on a 8 pointed star.
Somehow I don't think it was a brooch originally, the placement of the pin is odd and doesn't make sense if that was the original intention. The hollow back shape and definition make me think it was a badge from some kind of uniform.
A crown.
The 'towers' are actually curtains or perhaps ribbons.
Two tridents? or swords? either side.
The lion is rampant (standing on hind legs) apparantly on a cobbled road (unsually, I have never seen a surface under a rampant lion before)
Beneath the red ribbon are studs? like metalwork - maybe meant to be a horseshoe including the rest of that shape.
Mounted on a 8 pointed star.
Somehow I don't think it was a brooch originally, the placement of the pin is odd and doesn't make sense if that was the original intention. The hollow back shape and definition make me think it was a badge from some kind of uniform.
laurenm
Registered Guest
Wow, Melanie, Thanks for you very thorough analysis...I don't have a good enough magnifier at the moment....do you think it's possible the Rampant Lion is on water? Those things could be tridents, they are sort of curved so could also be a plant or flower? The 4 circular blobs (one just outlined) on top of each could be a flower?
The pin part is ever so slightly askew but almost looks like it was roughly soldered in place. The pin is almost exactly the same colour as the badge.
The pin part is ever so slightly askew but almost looks like it was roughly soldered in place. The pin is almost exactly the same colour as the badge.
The curtian thing coming down from a crown or helmet, is called a 'Pavilion' in heraldry. This actually makes it less likely to be British, where it's not often used, and more likely to be from somewhere else in Europe, such as Germany or Holland. Although the rose is particularly common in English heraldry, it is used elsewhere too. The crown implies a royal connection. I think those red things either side are just ribbons or ropes, tying the curtains, not swords or tridents.
There are so many coats of arms, even royal ones, it can be very difficult to identify them.
Here's the Netherlands Coat of Arms, which has a pavilion, and a crown, but it's not the same as yours. See it has ties, on the curtain swags.
There are so many coats of arms, even royal ones, it can be very difficult to identify them.
Here's the Netherlands Coat of Arms, which has a pavilion, and a crown, but it's not the same as yours. See it has ties, on the curtain swags.
The big red ribbon at the bottom would usually contain the words of a motto, but I expect it was too small to be depicted on this badge. Shame, as that would make identifying it much easier!
Catbooks1940s
VFG Member
i think it is british. the cross-like symbols on the crown (royal crest) look like this one:
Your illustration shows the St Edwards Crown. It's true, it does look like either the Tudor or St Edwards Crown, which are both from British royal family. It could come from a Commonwealth country though. I researched these crowns recently because they appear on RAF uniform buttons - the St Edwards Crown (known as the Queen's Crown), only being used after her coronation in 1953. I can't see the crown well enough on the badge to see which one it is
That is a better photo, but because the crown is angled away it's still not that easy to see. However it could be a simplified version of the Queens' Crown. It's just strange because you don't generally see that 'Pavilion' curtaining in British coats of arms. It's a mystery.
Agree, the placement of the pin looks strange. It might just be a fantasy motif though - just decorative, not meaning anything... My grandma had an elegant suit that I remember had all these fancy looking heraldic appliqués on it, and they were all just fantasy designs - but looked great. I can't think of anything right now this could represent.
catwalkcreative
Alumni
Your badge has certainly created lots of interesting viewpoints Lauren. I agree the pin could have been added later - it looks awkward doesn't it? Perhaps it would have been worn on a hat or beret. What is the size?
I was thinking along those lines too, that it might not be a 'real' coat of arms. I used to have heraldic print silk pyjamas.