Wapenschild geflankeerd door eenhoorn en stier 1683 - 1783

This unidentified engraving presents a coat of arms, flanked by a unicorn and a bull, symbols deeply rooted in heraldic tradition. The unicorn, often associated with purity and grace, and the bull, representing strength and virility, support a shield topped with a crown, signifying nobility and power. These motifs have long served as emblems of virtue and might across various cultures. Consider the unicorn’s presence in medieval tapestries, or the bull in ancient Minoan frescoes. The symbolic deployment of animals in heraldry is not static. It is a tradition imbued with cultural memory, continually reinterpreted and adapted. The persistence of these symbols across time suggests a collective yearning for the qualities they embody, a powerful force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. These motifs recur and evolve, embodying a complex, non-linear progression through history.