96 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



extended in front, and closed, if seen from one side. The flight itself was 

 often decorated by other figures. Lions, eagles, and other animals ; heads 

 of men and beasts, talons and beaks of birds, claws of animals, a man's 

 arm, the hand grasping some object, horns of the buffalo, antlers of the deer, 

 banners, fans, screens, mirrors, &c., &c., were also decorations of helmets. 

 Certain classes of objects showed the rank of the party ; thus the hat, cap, 

 mitre, sceptre, globe of empire, and the upper part of a human body, male 

 or female, which was termed a doll. The most common animals were the 

 stag, unicorn, and birds of prey. It was always deemed necessary that the 

 figures should occupy an upright position, and proceed from the crown. 



Instead of the helmet, any other mark of distinction, and especially the 

 crown, might occupy the highest position upon the armorial bearings. The 

 rim or circle constitutes the most significant portion of the crown. It 

 forms the basis on which rest the various ornaments, as rays, arches, 

 rosettes, pearls, stones, lines, crosses, &c., all of which are mere ornaments, 

 but serve at the same time as certain distinctions in the coat of arms. The 

 same is the case with the four, six, or eight bows, or arches, which some- 

 times are attached to the upper edge of the band, and unite in the centre, 

 where they support a globe of empire, lily, cross, lion, or eagle. The 

 outer faces of the bows are richly studded with pearls, and in some crowns 

 they rest upon a rich lining. This is particularly the case in the English 

 crown, the arches of which are also bordered with ermine. In all cases 

 the crown is of gold, and the pearls and stones preserve their natural 

 color. 



The imperial crown appears in several German coats of arms, and is 

 represented as consisting of eight plates of gold, rounded at the top and 

 decorated with jewels and insignia, the front plate sustaining a cross, 

 and a bow extending from the rear to the cross {jpl. 22, fig. 31*^, Charle- 

 magne's crown). 



The modern German crown is of regal shape, with four leaves and three 

 broad bows. A rich cap underlies the jewelled part, and from the right 

 and left sides are suspended two broad ribands. The globe of empire rests 

 upon the summit (^Z. 28,^^. 2). 



The Eussian imperial crown {fig. 1) has the cap beneath; and the 

 Hungarian crown is high, and not only lined, but richly set with pearls, and 

 bears images of saints. In the crown of the Grand Duke of Tuscany 

 there are several notches, and it is unlined. 



The tiara, or pope's crown {jpl. 27, fig. 83), consists of a high cap, 

 divided into three equal compartments by three crown rims, adorned with 

 leaves and surmounted by the globe of empire. 



On all the German royal and arch-ducal crowns are eight leaves on the 

 rim and four or eight bows {jpl. 27, figs. 67-76) ; the crowns of the mar- 

 quises, counts, viscounts, barons, and lords, are without bows {figs. 80, 81, 

 82). The crowns of the viscounts contain several pearls, those of the 

 barons have only a few, while those of the lords have merely a rim, round 

 which is wound a string of pearls. Electoral princes wear crowns edged 

 with ermine, and surmounted by the globe and cross, or simply by a tuft 

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