Georgian Heraldry

Akhmeta (current symbols)

2011-12-06T19:44:00.001-08:00

Keda (current symbols)

2011-11-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

Georgian Municipal Arms (as of September 2011)

2011-09-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Khoni (current arms)

2011-09-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is my rendering of the municipal arms of Khoni. The drawing of the arm in armour did not come out as good as I wanted but it should do it for now.

Chkhorotsku (current arms)

2011-09-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

The municipal arms of Chkhorotsku; the town's name means nine springs which is reflected in the arms. I rendered these arms based on written description available from the State Heraldic Council of Georgia - its website does feature drawing of the arms as well but it slightly differs form the description.

Comte de Portenau

2011-08-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

The arms of Comte de Portenau from the Grand Armorial de la Toison d'Or:

Martvili (current arms)

2011-08-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

On 8 August 2011, the State Heraldic Council approved the new arms for the municipality of Martvili.

Grand Armorial de la Toison d'Or

2011-07-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

A couple fascinating examples of the Renaissance heraldry from the Grand Armorial de la Toison d'Or:

Robert, Seignor de la Mamines, 1429

Jean de Croy, Seignor de la Tour sur Marne, 1429

Telavi (current symbols)

2011-07-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Sagarejo (current arms)

2011-07-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ramsauer family arms

2011-07-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I came across the coat of arms of the Ramsauer family (from Upper Bavaria) in one of the heraldry books and became so fascinated by it that I decided to recreate it.

Arms of the Caucasian republics

2011-07-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

The arms of the Caucasian republics (from east to west)

Daghestan

Chechnya

Ingushetia

North Ossetia / Alania

Kabardino-Balkaria

Karachay-Circassia

Aspindza (current arms)

2011-07-01T01:29:00.000-07:00

Senaki (current arms)

2011-07-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

Dedoflistskaro (current symbols)

2011-07-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

Lentekhi (current symbols)

2011-06-30T23:50:00.001-07:00

Henry, First Duke of Lancaster (1347)

2011-06-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

The effigy of Henry, First Duke of Lancaster (1347).

Georgian municipal flags (as of June 2011)

2011-06-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Khulo (current symbols)

2011-06-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

On 29 April 2011, the town of Khulo approved its new municipal arms.

John, Lord De la Warr

2011-06-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Arms of John, Lord De la Warr (d. 1398)

Byzantine war standard

2011-06-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is my rendering of a Byzantine standard shown in John Skylitzes/Ioannes Scylitzes' famous manuscript. It is probably the type called a bandon that was used by both infantry and cavalry in the 9th-10th centuries. The size and shape of the bandon varied depending on the size of the unit, which, some scholars suggest, was also shown in the number of tails.

Afshar War Banners

2011-06-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

In the late 17th century, Shah Abbas II of Iran built Chehel Sotoun, an exquisite pavilion in the middle of a park at the far end of a long pool in Isfahan, to be used for official receptions and entertainment. Over the time, the pavilion came to be adorned with many frescoes and paintings drawn on ceramic panels depicting important historical events. One of them shows Nadir Shah Afshar's famous victory over the Mughal army at Karnal in 1739. Below I reconstructed a couple of the Afshar war banners shown on the fresco.

Guichard II Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi

2011-06-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Grand Master of France or Grand Maître de France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "Maison du Roi", the king's royal household. Prior to 1380, the post was called Souverain Maître d'hôtel du Roi, later renamed to Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi. The symbol of the "Grand maître" was a golden baton.

The arms below belonged to Guichard II, Dauphin d'Auvergne, Seigneur de Jaligny et de la Ferté-Chauderon, Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi (1409-1413).

Arms of Georgian Municipalities as of 15 June 2011

2011-06-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

As of June 15, 2011, the State Council of Heraldry has approved 35 municipal arms (click on image to enlarge).

Kareli (current symbols)

2011-06-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

The town of Karely has recently approved its new municipal arms and flag. The arms features the royal and patriarchal sceptres in saltire dividing the shield into four parts: two or crosses are shown on sinister and dexter, trefoil oak leaves with two acorns are in base and King David the Builder's royal cap is in chief.

Georgian University of St. Andrew the First Called

2011-06-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Georgian University of St. Andrew the First Called was established in October 2008.

Ordo Supernus Militaris Templi Georgiae (OSMTG)

2011-06-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

I recently came across the new order that was established under the aegis of the Georgian Orthodox Church: The Ordo Supernus Militaris Templi Georgiae (OSMTG), known as Military Brotherhood of the Knights of Georgia, seeks to restore the practices of the Georgian medieval Tadzrelebi, states that it follows " the tradition of Georgian and European ancient Knights, Soldiers of the Lord," and supports the restoration of monarchy in Georgia. For details, check OSMTG site or this article at Ambebi.ge (in Georgian).

Eredvi (current symbols)

2011-06-08T14:38:00.001-07:00

Tigva (current symbols)

2011-06-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Kurta (current symbols)

2011-06-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Sighnaghi (current symbols)

2011-06-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

On 29 April 2011, the municipality of Sighnaghi has approved its new municipal arms. Earlier I posted a rendering of the arms that were affixed to the city hall of Sighnaghi but the arms seem to have been unofficial.

Nizharadze

2011-04-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

The only details I was able to find about the coat of arms of the Nizharadze family came from Tornike Asatiani's book on heraldry. Asatiani writes that Tsikhinskii's Kavkazskii gerbovnik is the only source containing the drawing of this coat of arms, but there is no accompanying text/description and the drawing itself is seriously damaged. The only thing he could conclude from studying it is that the coat of arms features an elephant with a tower on his back. Using Asatiani's description I recreated the coat of ams in B&W. Asatiani did not specify the direction in which the elephant was positioned so my original drawing was showing the animal turned to sinister flank.

I was pleasantly surprised when one of the visitors left a comment with a URL (see below) leading to the site of the National Scientific Library of Georgia where "Irakli-M" has posted a fascinating image of "Simeon, Prencipe de Giorgiani" which he found in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. In the upper left corner of the drawing one can see the Nizharadze coat of arms. The image shows the elephant turned to the dexter flank so I revised my drawing as well. Yet, the Vatican image also shows some items located at the elephants feet but I cannot determine what these items are.

Abkhazeti (Abkhazia)

2011-04-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

1. The government-in-exile of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, driven out of Abkhazia following a civil war and and ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population in the 1990s:

2. The separatist authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny. Georgia and the overwhelming majority of countries (with exception for Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru) consider Abkhazia as a part of Georgia's territory and do not recognize this emblem.

3. Georgia's State Council of Heraldry has recently developed a draft of the coat of arms of Abkhazia, which has not been yet approved:

Princes Jaiani / Djaiani

2011-03-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

At the moment I do not have any details on the origins of this princely family but will post as soon as I get them. The provenance of the coat of arms also seems unclear. The image is courtesy of Constantine Elizabarashvili.

Simonin, Claude-Louis

2011-03-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Claude-Louis Simonin was a colonel d'êtat-major in the Grand Army, known for his gallantry and distinguished service. On 18 May 1811, the Emperor granted him the title of the chevalier de l'Empire with the coat of arms that I found quite interesting for it features a mosque:

D’azur à une mosque d’argent soutenue de sinople; à la bordure de gueules charge du signe des chevaliers legionnaires.

“The Demon of the Grande Armée” - General Fournier-Sarlovese

2011-03-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

General François Fournier-Sarlovese was one of the most dashing and colorful personalities in Napoleon's Grande Armée. Born on 6 September 1773 in the little town of Sarlat in the Dordogne, he was one of six children of Jean Fournier and his wife Marie-Anne Borne. Young Fournier enlisted in the 9th Dragoons in 1792 and became known for his outspoken radicalism, which almost cost him his life in Lyon in 1793. After serving in the Armies of the North and Sambre-et-Meuse, he became an adjutant to General Augereau in 1797. In 1800–1801, he fought at Châtillon and Loria but was then arrested for alleged involvement in the conspiracy against First Consul Bonaparte. After a brief imprisonment, he was sent to the West Indies, where he served until 1805. Returning home, he was dispatched to Naples before becoming chief of staff in General Lasalle’s reserve cavalry. In 1807, Fournier distinguished himself at Eylau and Friedland, for which he received the rank of general of brigade. In 1809–1811, he excelled himself commanding dragoons in Portugal and Spain. In May 1809, commanding just three infantry battalions, two hussar squadrons and four guns, Fournier successfully defended the small town of Lugo for four days against some 15,000 Spanish troops. In 1812, he led the 31st Light Cavalry Brigade (IX Corps) in Russia and further covered himself with fame, particularly during the retreat; his tomb proudly carries the inscription: “He planted the Eagle on the ramparts of the Kremlin.” Promoted to general of division on 11 November 1812, “the Demon of the Grande Armée”, as Fournier was known, was wounded leading repeated charges against the Russian army on the banks of the Berezina River in late November 1812 but he survived the battle and escaped from Russia. In 1813, he again demonstrated his gallantry at Gross-Beeren and Leipzig but, having displeased Napoleon by the boldness of his language, he was dismissed and arrested in November 1813. During the Restoration, the Bourbons treated him kindly, awarding him the Order of Saint-Louis, and Fournier remained aloof to Napoleon’s invitation to rejoin his army in 1815. In later years, he worked as a general inspector of cavalry, earning the Legion of Honor in 1826.

About 5 feet 10 inches tall, with blue eyes and a thin moustache, a well-built upper body and a slim waist, Fournier cut a dashing figure, while his character was full of contrasts. A women-charmer, who was known for his fine singing voice, he had a reputation for violence and insubordination. He expressed himself openly and bluntly, never shying from publicly criticizing his superiors – even Napoleon, whom he accused of betraying republican ideals. In 1802, Joseph Fouché, Napoleon’s Minister of Police, was told of Fournier, “famous for his dexterity as a good shot, affirming that he would [. . .] not miss shooting Bonaparte at fifty paces’ distance.” He was thrown into jail at least four times for his outspokenness and his straight talking certainly hampered his military career. He had few friends in high positions and, compared to others, was hardly showered with decorations and rewards, although Napoleon, ignoring his outbursts and appreciating his talents, still made him Baron (1808) and Comte de l'Empire (1813). A die-hard bachelor, Fournier never married and died at the age of fifty-three in 1827.

Of a quick-temper, Fournier was a notorious duellist, always ready to accept a challenge, which made him a part to one of the strangest, and most probably apocryphal, adversarial relationships in history. It is said that, as a young officer in Strasbourg in 1794, Fournier became involved in a fervent conflict with Dupont, another young officer whom he challenged to fight. This sparked a succession of duels, both with sword and pistol, which continued until 1813! As time passed, the two officers drew up a contract to regulate their duelling. If they came within certain distance of each other, they would fight and military duty alone would excuse an encounter. The contest was eventually resolved when Dupont, tired of nineteen years of conflict and about to marry, arranged an unusual duel in which the two men – armed with pistols – stalked one another in. Dupont stuck his coat on a stick and tricked his opponent into firing twice, after which he spared Fournier’s life, forcing him to promise never to bother him again, since Dupont would always be entitled to two free shots at him. The story of this rivalry captivated many generations as it was described on the pages of Charles Dickens’s Household Words, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Lippincott’s Magazine, turned into a short story, The Duel (1908), by Joseph Conrad and made into Ridley Scott’s 1977 film The Duellists. However, no contemporary source acknowledges the story’s veracity (the story first appeared in print in 1830s) and Fournier’s recent biography - Jacques Joseph Desplat, Fournier Sarlovèse, Général d'Empire, 1772-1827: un diable de hussard digne de leur légende.(Le Bugue, 2004) - denies it outright.

On 2 July 1808, Napoleon granted Fournier the title of Baron of the Empire with the following arms:

Écartelé: ai 1er, d’agent à la salamander de sable sur des flames de gueules; au 2e, des barons militaries; au 3e, d’or à la pelisse de hussar d’azur; au 4e, d’azur à une étendard d’or déployé.

Monge, Gaspard

2011-03-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

Gaspard Monge was a great French mathematician and inventor of descriptive geometry. He played a prominent role during the French Revolution, serving as the minister of the marine in 1792-1793 and later using his scientific knowledge for the benefit of France's war effort. In 1796 he was introduced to General Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he followed to Egypt in 1798 and played one of the leading roles in the Institute of Egypt. Upon returning back to France, he worked at the famed École Polytechnique and served in the Sénat conservateur, remaining a loyal supporter of Napoleon. When the Emperor was overthrown in 1814, Monge was deprived of all his titles and honours. He passed away four years later in Paris.

On 20 July 1808, Napoleon granted Monge the title of the comte de Peluse which carried with it the following arms:
D'or au palmier de sinople, terrasse du meme; au franc-quartier des comtes senateurs.

Marbot, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine-Marcelin de

2011-03-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

Jean-Baptiste-Antoine-Marcelin de Marbot is one of the most fascinating characters of the Napoleonic Era. An inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard stories, Marbot had a distinguished military career in the service of Emperor Napoleon and later secured his reputation as an author of the famous memoirs that remain among the most vivid and engaging military memoirs - full of vibrant stories, bravado, duels, deceptions, and derring-do. In 12 November 1811, Napoleon granted Marbot the title of the chevalier de l'Empire (two years later, he received the title of the baron de l'Empire, 28 September 1813):

D'azur au hussard, monte, arme, equipe et galopant d;argent, adextre en chef d'une etoile d'or, et soutenu d'une champagne de gueules, chargee du signe des chevaliers legionnaires.

Laplace, Pierre Simon

2011-03-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

Another installment to my Napoleonic heraldry collection, this time the arms of Pierre-Simon Laplace, the great French mathematician and astronomer who made major contributions to the development of mathematical astronomy and statistics. On 24 April 1808, he was granted the title of the comte de l'Empire:

D'azur à deaux planètes, Jupiter et Saturne, avex leurs satellites et anneau places en ordre naturel, vers le bas de l’écu, le tout d’argent; posées en fasce et surmontées en chef à dextre d’un soleil d’or et, à sinister d’une fleur à cinq branches aussi d’or; au franc-quartier des comtes sénateurs.

Kazbegi (current symbols)

2011-02-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

The municipality of Kazbegi approved the current symbols on 31 August 2010.
Shield is divided by a cross gules with a border argent
1. A gules, a banner of argent with a cross of gules, and three bells of or on the flagstaff of argent.
2. A azure, a mountain with two peaks argent
3. A azure, a chain mail and helmet argent
4. A gules, the state seal of Queen Tamar argent.

Chokhatauri

2011-02-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

The municipality of Chokhatauri approved the new symbols on 17 November 2009.

Tianeti (current symbols)

2011-02-25T20:03:00.000-08:00

On 15 September 2010, the municipality of Tianeti approved the city's new coat of arms and flag. The coat of arms features the following elements. Party per pale gules and vert. On gules, a cross pattee of or with four nine-pointed stars of the same in between arms. 2. On vert, an erased oak of or hanging on a chain of the same. In the lower part of the shield, three wavy stripes argent.

Akhalgori (current symbols)

2011-02-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

On 26 April 2010, the municipality of Akhalgori approved the city's new coat of arms and flag.

Tskaltubo (current symbols)

2011-02-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

In 2010, the municipality of Tskaltubo approved the city's new coats of arms and flag. The coat of arms features quarterly divided shield: 1. On vert, a six-tower crenelated castle of or with a flag, on a staff of or, featuring Queen Tamar's state seal (xelrtva) of gules. 2 and 3: On azure, a fountain of argent, with water of or. 4. On vert, a dinosaur of or (Tskaltubo is famous for fine dinosaur footprints found near the Sataplia cave).

Kharagauli (current symbols)

2011-02-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ninotsminda (current symbols)

2011-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

The arms and flag of the town of Ninotsminda (http://www.ninotsminda.ge/)

Khobi (current arms)

2011-02-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

The municipality of Khobi (http://www.khobi-sakrebulo.ge/) has approved a new coat of arms which features the chiton of Holy Mother (tsminda mariam ghvtismshoblis kvarti).

Georgia and the Pizzigano portolan

2011-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Detail from the portolan made by the Pizzigano brothers (Domenico y Francesco) in 1367, showing a banner over the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Examples of Early Heraldry

2011-02-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

The funeral achievements of Edward, the Black Prince, dated 1376, hung over his tomb in Canterbury Cathedral, consisting of helm with crest, shield, gauntlets of copper-gilt, and leather scabbard of his sword.

Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, c 1150-1155 (1924). Geoffrey (1113-1151) was the father of King Henry II of England. From an enamelled funerary plaque in the Tessé museum in Le Mans, formerly in the Church at St Julian.

A sculptured figure from the Rheims Cathedral, c. 1200.

Konrad of Thuringia

2011-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

The church of St. Elizabeth at Marburg (in Hesse, Germany) has several examples of medieval shields belonging to the Landgrave Konrad of Thrungia (d. 1241) and of Henry of Thuringia (d.1298). The shield of the former is 90 cm high and 74 cm wide. Konrad, in addition to ruling Thuringia, was also Grand Master of the Teutonic Order of Knights.

His shield shows the lion of Thuringia barry of gules and argent on a field of azure, and a small shielf of the Teutonic knights between the hind feet of the lion. The body of the lion is made of pressed leather and the yellow claws have been supplied with a paint brush. A precious stone probably represented the eye.

Georgian Orthodox Church

2011-01-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

The arms and flag of the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Drawn by "F. Rastrelli"

Royal Banner of King Vakhtang VI (early 18th century)

2011-01-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is the royal banner of King Vakhtang VI (regent (janishin) of Kartli in 1703-1714; wali (a nominal vassal to Persia) in 1716-1724). It is preserved at the National Museum of Georgia; the image was kindly provided by Tamaz Mchedlidze.

Georgia and Guillem Soler's portolan

2011-01-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

Detail from Guillem Soler's portolan map (1385), showing a banner over Sevastopili/Sebastopolis.

Tetri Tskaro

2010-11-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

The municipality of Tetri Tskaro approved the new coat of arms and flag on 26 December 2008.

Abasha

2010-11-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

The coat of arms and flag of the city of Abasha, designed by Konsantine Kacharava and approved by the municipality on 24 September 2010. (http://www.abasha-sakrebulo.ge/)

Maani Gioerida Della Valle Coat of Arms

2010-11-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favorites topics for research is the 16th-18th century Safavid Iran, especially in light of the prominent role Georgians played at the court during this period. I recently came across a fascinating coat of arms that combines European heraldic elements and Islamic calligraphy.

The coat of arms belongs to Maani Gioerida, the wife of Pietro Della Valle (1586–1652), the Renaissance traveler whose left detailed accounts of Georgia and the Georgian communities in Persia. Pietro was born into a distinguished noble family in Rome and received a thorough education in the arts and sciences. In 1611, he participated in the Spanish expedition against the pirates on the Barbary coast and later visited the Holy Land in 1614–1616. From Jerusalem and Damascus, he traveled to Baghdad where he married Maani Gioerida, a eighteen year old Christian, whose father was an Assyrian and mother an Armenian; she was well educated for her time, speaking several languages.

After visiting Iran and staying at the court of Shah Abbas for over four years, he embarked on a trip back home in 1621. As he traveled towards the Persian Gulf, his wife Maani Gioerida died on December 30th, 1622. Accompanied by a Georgian girl, "Maria Tinatin di Ziba," whom his wife had taken under her protection, Della Valle carried his wife's body with him for the next four year as he struggled to get back home. In 1626, he finally reached Rome and buried the remains of his wife in the Church of Ara Coeli in the vault of the Della Valle family. He then married the young Georgian who had accompanied him throughout his travels ever since his wife's death. Maria Tinatin, who had been carried away with other Georgian captives to Isfahan during one of Shah Abbas' campaigns in eastern Georgia, had a long and prosperous marriage to Della Valle (who died in 1652), becoming the mother of fourteen sons!

The coat of arms is from Funerale della signora Sitti Maani Gioerida della Valle published in Rome in 1627. Interestingly, Maani Gioerida's catafalque was inscribed in Latin, Chaldaic, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, Turkish, French, Persian, Spanish, Armenian, modern and ancient Greek, Italian and Latin verses.

Caroline Mawer, who maintains a fascinating blog on Iran, consulted three experts to decipher the text inscribed on the shield. She kindly shared her findings with me - apparently, the text is the monumental Syriac script that still is used for carving inscriptions and it reads: [line 1] The servant; [line 2] of God [line 3] Ma’ani.

Georgian flags on Pietro Vesconte's portolan

2010-11-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Pietro Vesconte was a Genoese cartographer and a pioneer in the field of the portolan chart, whose work significantly influenced Italian and Catalan mapmaking throughout the 14-15th centuries. Among his nautical maps is a detailed map of the Black Sea coastline (including western Georgia) that also shows banners identified with a particular region. Below is a fragment of the map showing Western Georgia and my renderings of banners shown on it.

Flag of Tbilisi

2010-10-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Flag of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, as drawn by Gaeser.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2010-10-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Source: http://mfa.gov.ge/

Ministry of Education and Sciences

2010-10-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Source: http://mes.gov.ge/

State Attorney of Georgia

2010-10-03T13:03:00.001-07:00

Adigeni (current symbols)

2010-09-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

The coat of arms and flag of the city of Adigeni (http://www.adigeni.ge/)

Akhalkalaki (current symbols)

2010-09-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

The coat of arms and flag of the city of Akhalkalaki (http://www.akhalkalaki.ge/)

Bagrationis (Bagrations) of Imereti

2010-09-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

This is the arms of the Bagrationis of Imereti (western Georgia) as adopted during the Russian Empire. I am grateful to David Gulordava for providing this image.

Flags of Georgian Military Districts, 1999-2004

2010-09-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Kakheti (top) and Imereti (bottom) Military Districts.

Tank-Destroyer Battalion

2010-09-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Insignia of Tank-Destroyer Battalion of the Georgian Army as of 2009.

Insignia of Artillery Brigade

2010-09-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Insignia of Artillery Brigade of the Georgian Army as of 2009.

Gori (current symbols)

2010-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

In August 2010, the city of Gori approved its new coat of arms and flag. The arms feature the following symbols related to the city's history:
1st quarter: The Church of Cross at Gori which is conveyed by a mountain of or with a cross of or above it.The church, built on a steep cliff on top of the mountain and seen from practically anywhere in Gori, was originally built in the 12th century.
2nd quarter: Three open books in honor of Jacob Gogebashvili, the famous Georgian educator, children's writer and journalist, who was born near Gori and studied at the Gori Seminary. The books also reflect Gori's status as a center of higher education.
3rd quarter: Three wheat sheaves symbolizing the region's fertility and richness.
4th quarter: A four-teer fortress on the mountain symbolizes the famous Gori fortress.

Central Command Point

2010-08-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

Engineer Company and Battalion

2010-08-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Insignia of Engineer Company (top image) and Battalion (bottom) within an infantry brigade of the Georgian army as of 2009.

Intelligence Company Insignia

2010-08-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Insignia of Intelligence Companies of Georgian Infantry Brigades as of 2009.

Logistics Battalion Insignia

2010-08-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Insignia of the Logistics Battalions in the Georgian army as of 2009.

Artillery "Division" Insignia

2010-08-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Insignia of the Artillery Division within an Infantry Brigade of the Georgian army as of 2009.

Communications Battalion and Company Insignia

2010-08-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Insignia of the Communications Battalions of the Georgian Army as of 2009.

Insignia of Communications Company

Infantry Battalion Insignia

2010-08-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Insignia of the Infantry Battalions of the Georgian Army Brigades as of 2009. I only rendered that of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the 1st Brigade since the battalion insignias only differ in numerical designation.

Sighnaghi

2010-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of the municipal arms shown on the city hall of Sighnaghi (photo courtesy of Constantine Elizbarashvili). I rendered the shield only to keep the arms stylistically similar to other municipal arms I have rendered. The arms seem to have been unofficial since the municipality of Sighnaghi has approved the official arms on 29 April 2011.

Akhaltsikhe (current symbols)

2010-07-19T11:59:00.001-07:00

Current flag and coat of arms of the town of Akhaltsikhe.

Kaspi (current symbols)

2010-07-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Current flag and coat of arms of the town of Kaspi.

Georgia and Diego Homen's maps

2010-07-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

The 1559 Map of the Portuguese mapmaker Diego Homen, showing the Black Sea region and banners over western Georgia. The map (preserved at the French National Library (Paris, BN, Cartes et Plans, Res. Ge DD 2003)) shows the Georgian ("Mengralia") and Ottoman banners over northeastern Black Sea littoral.

The 1561 map by the same cartographer, showing a slightly different banner over northwestern Georgia.

Gurjaani (current arms)

2010-06-27T12:24:00.001-07:00

Current arms and flag of the city of Gurjaani in Kakheti (eastern Georgia). Designed by Mamuka Chikashua and adopted in 2010. Courtesy of Constantine Elizbarashvili.

Armorial général de France - Vigot

2010-06-22T23:14:00.001-07:00

This is my first rendering of a woman's arms, in this case, Maria Vigot, from Armorial général de France. Vol. 2 : Auvergne (p. 15)

Armorial général de France - Portepin

2010-06-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

Armorial général de France. Vol. 2 : Auvergne (p. 8)
Etienne Portepin

Qajar flag of Iran

2010-06-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Iran's flags under late Qajar dynasty. Designed by the Qajar statesman Amir Kabir in mid-19th century, the flag was officially used by 1880s and featured traditional Lion and Sun against white background with green top stripe and red bottom stripe.

Pope Innocent XI

2010-05-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Per Pasini-Frassoni (1906): Innocent XI (1676-89). Un curieux manuscrit de la Bibliothèque Vaticane (FV. N. 9835. Origine della famiglia Odescnlca) prétend tirer l'origine de cette maison de Godescalco duc de Parme en 603 (!). Cette famille est connue à Come depuis le XIII siècle, mais la branche princièreest éteinte depuis 1598 dans la famille Erba. Il y a cependant des Odescalchi et des Erba à Milan et à Come qui sont de la même souche. Leurs armoiries sont "d'argent à trois burelles de gueules accompagnées d'un lion léopardé et de six coupes couvertes; le tout de gueules. Le lion en chef et les coupes 3-2-1 alternées avec les burelles: chef d'or chargé d'une aigle de sable." On a voulu décrire ces coupes comme des patères ou des nacelles. Mgr de Montault blasonne d'argent à six lampes de gueules! On voit un bel exemple des armoiries d'Innocent XI sur la façade latérale du Capitole. Les coupes ont des anses et on peut très-bien les confondre avec les lampes éternelles.

Per Xavier Barbier de Montault (1877): Innocent XI, Odescalchi, du Milanais (1676-1689). D'argent, à trois fasces de gueules, surmontées la première d'un lion de gueules, la deuxième de trois, la troisième de deux et en pointe d'une lampe de gueules ; au chef d'or, chargé d'une aigle de sable, couronnée d'or et soutenue par une fasce diminuée de gueules.

Popes Leo X and Clement VII

2010-05-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

Léon X (1513-21). Nous donnons les armoiries de ce Pape d'après une estampe officielle. Les Médicis portaient autrefois d'or à six (et même davantage) tourteaux de gueules. Le roi Charles VII changea un de ces tourteaux et le fit d'azur à 3 fleurs de lys d'or; la disposition des tourteaux ou boules comme on les représente en Italie, changea du temps de Léon X, puisque dans les armes de ce Pape on les voit en orle et sur les monuments de Florence, antérieurs à cette époque on les voit 3, 2 et 1.

Clément VII (1523-34). Voir ce que nous avons dit de Léon X. C'est le deuxième Pape de la famille de Médicis de Florence.

Pope Nicholas III

2010-05-28T21:05:00.001-07:00

Nicolas III (1277-80). Rosa Composita selon la prophétie, la rose des Orsini, la puissante famille romaine qui donna le jour à ce Pontife. Ses armes bien connues, mais pas toujours décrites exactement, sont: "bandé d'argent et de gueules au chef d'argent chargé d'une rose de gueules; à la fasce d'or chargée d'une anguille d'azur brochant sur la partition."

Pope Urban IV

2010-05-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Urbain IV (1261-64). Ce Pontife ne s'appelait pas Pantaléon comme l'on a prétendu. M. le Vicomte de Poli dans son savant travail sur la famille d'Urbain IV, a démontré que son nom était Langlois, branche de la maison de Cour-Palais. Ses armoiries étaient : écartelê au premier et quatrième d'azur à la fleur de lys d'or, au 2 et 3 d'or à la rose de gueules.

Pope Eugene III

2010-05-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

Eugène III (1145-53). La famille Paganelli qui a donné le jour à ce Pontife est une de plus anciennes de la Toscane, de la consorteria des Canigiani. Ses armoiries d'après les anciens Prioristes de Florence, sont "d'argent au croissant d'azur accompagné en chef d'un lambel à trois pendants de gueules."

Pope Victor II

2010-05-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Victor II ( 1065-57) de la famille des Comtes de Dollenstein Hirschberg. Cette maison porte "d'argent au cerf arrêté de gueules."

Pope Clement IV

2010-05-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Based on Ferruccio Pasini-Frassoni's Essai d'armorial des Papes d'après les manuscrits du Vatican (1906):

Clément IV (1265-68). Ciacconius l'appelle Foulques et lui donne comme armoiries "six fleurs de lys d'azur sur or" [See first image below] qu'on ne voit pas à Viterbe sur son tombeau. D'autres affirment qu'il s'appellait Foucault, mais son vrai nom était Gros et ses armoiries etient: "une aigle et une bordure chargée de huit besants." Ce sont, en effet, les armoiries de la maison Le Gros de Princé en Ile de France, qui se blasonnent d'or à l'aigle de sable becquée membrée et couronnée de gueules à la bordure du même chargée de huit besants d'argent [See second image below]. Les Gros de Saint Joire portent onze besants. Engelgrave qui a interprété la prophétie de Saint Malachie, dit que l'aigle tenait sous ses pattes un dragon; en effet la prophétie dit DRACO DEPRESSUS. Gigli nous donne ces armoiries et ajoute une fleur-de-lys dans le bec de l'aigle, .c'est à dire qu'il nous donne les armoiries des gibelins florentins! Mgr de Montault dit au contraire que ce Pape portait les fleurs-de-lys d'azur que lui donnent Gorgeu et Ciacconius, en mémoire de Saint Louis dont il avait été conseiller d'Etat!

Baku (current arms)

2010-05-28T19:13:00.001-07:00

Current arms of the city of Baku, capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
(image courtesy of Jahn Henne)

A couple of arms from the Armorial général de France

2010-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Safavid war banner

2010-05-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

A Safavid war banner with the Zolfaqhar (Zulfiqar, Dhulfiqar) sword of Imam Ali, one of Shiite Islam’s most revered figures.

Khashuri (current symbols)

2010-04-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

The current flag and coat of arms of town of Khashuri.

Safavid war banner

2010-04-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Below are a few images showing late Safavid war banners.

"An Iranian army reconstruction in 1971 of a Safavid Alamdar or standard-bearer holding a two-pronged white banner with the lion and sun motif. It is of interest that the Safavids defined these symbols both within a Shahname context as well as Shiite symbols."

An Iranian delegation led by Mohammad-Reza Beg visits French dignitaries at Versailles, August 1715. Note the Iranian flag with Lion and Sun motif carried by the “Alamdar-Bashi” or standard bearer at Versailles (Consult Herbette, pp. 115 originally in a print in the Gazette de France).

Iranian ambassador Reza Beg enters Paris to a warm welcome by the local French populace. Note the banner with the Lion and Sun motif carried by the standard bearer or “Alamdar-Bashi” (Consult Herbette, 1928, pp. 115, original from the Cabinet des Estampes).

Source: Website of Iranian historian Kaveh Farrokh, http://www.kavehfarrokh.com/news/the-lion-and-sun-motif-of-iran-a-brief-analysis/

Nadir Shah's war banners

2010-04-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Jonas Hanway, An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea, (London, 1754), Vol. 1, pp. 168-169.

"The two imperial standards were placed on the right of the square already mentioned: one of them was in stripes of red, blue and white, and the other of red, blue, white and yellow, without any other ornaments. though the old standards required twelve men to move them, the Shah lengthened their staffs, and made them yet heavier... They were made of such an enormous size, to prevent their being carried off by the enemy, except by an entire defeat. The regimental colours were a narrow slip of silk sloped to a point, some were red, some white and some striped."

"in stripes of red, blue and white..."

Standard bearer from the time of Nader Shah bearing a mulitcolor motif (Iranian Army reconstruction, 1971, online source Kaveh Farrokh).

"the other of red, blue, white and yellow..."

Napoleon's Marshals (part 5)

2010-03-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Bessières: Ecartelé : 1, d'azur, au lion d'or; 2, d'argent, à l'épervier essorant de sable; 3, d'or, à la tour d'azur, ouverte de sable; 4, de gueules, au renard d'or; au chef des Ducs de l'Empire.

Napoleon's Marshals (part 4)

2010-03-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Kellermann: Coupé de gueules à un croissant renversé d'argent et d'argent, à trois montagnes de sinople, chacune surmontée d'une étoile de gueules; au chef des Ducs de l'Empire.

Jourdan: D'azur, aux lettre JBJ enlacées d'or; à la bordure d'argent, besantée de sable.

Gouvion St. Cyr

Arms of the South Caucasian cities as drawn by H.G. Strohl

2010-03-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

These plates are from the article H.G. Strohl published in Jahrbuch der K.K. Heraldischen Gesellschaft "Ader," Vienna, 1901.

Arms of the Kuban Cossack Host

2010-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00