The coat of arms of the Princely House of Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...

is also used as the great arms of the nation. As the sovereign emblem of the Principality

Principality

A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....

 of Liechtenstein, its use is reserved for the members of the Princely House and state authorities. Private individuals may be authorized to use the great arms, if it is in the interest of the State. The arms are a history of the Princely House, and show the many different areas of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 with which Liechtenstein has been involved, either by conquest or by marriage

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

.

The first quarter is Silesia

Silesia

Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

; the second is the arms of the Kuenring family; the third quarter, the Duchy of Troppau

Duchy of Troppau

The Principality or Duchy of Troppau or Opava was based for centuries around the Upper Silesian city of Troppau . In the final four centuries of its existence, the Duchy belonged to the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, and it was dissolved with the Habsburg Empire in 1918...

; and the fourth quarter, the arms of the East Frisia

East Frisia

East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....

n family Cirksena

Cirksena

The Cirksena are noble East Frisian family descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel.- The Cirksena in East Frisia :In 1439 in the wake of clashes between different lines of chieftains, the town of Emden was first placed by Hamburg under direct rule and then, in 1453, finally...

 representing County of Rietberg

Rietberg

Rietberg is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approx. 10 km south of Gütersloh and 25 km north-west of Paderborn in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The town is located at the river Ems. There are 28,878 people living in...

. The base is occupied by the arms of the Duchy of Jägerndorf

Duchy of Krnov

Duchy of Krnov was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with its capital in Krnov, present-day Czech Republic.-History:The duchy was created in Upper Silesia in 1377 by partition from the Duchy of Opava , on lands which until 1269 had been part of Moravia...

. The small gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

 and red

Red

Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...

 shield of the Princely House is shown in the middle of the larger shield. The Princely hat

Hat

A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...

 crowns a purple

Purple

Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....

 cloak

Cloak

A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...

 with ermine

Ermine

Ermine has several uses:* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...

 lining behind the large coat-of-arms.

However, when the family shield is used as the small national coat-of-arms the hat rests directly on the top of the shield.

Blazon

Blazon

In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...

Arms: Quarterly (1) Or an Eagle

Eagle (heraldry)

The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Parts of the eagle's body such as its head, wings or leg are also used as a charge or crest....

 displayed Sable crowned and armed of the first charged with a crescent

Crescent

In art and symbolism, a crescent is generally the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points .In astronomy, a crescent...

 trefly Argent ending in cross

Cross

A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...

es (2) Barry of eight Or and Sable charged with crancelin Vert (3) Per pale Gules and Argent (4) Or a maiden eagle

Harpy

In Greek mythology, a harpy was one of the winged spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineas...

 displayed Sable the human part Argent crowned and armed of the first (Enty in point chapé) in base Azure a Hunting Horn

Bugle (instrument)

The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...

 stringed Or (Overall) An Escutcheon per fess Or and Gules

The whole achievement (entire rendering with supporters) is surrounded by the Princely cloak, or mantle

Mantle (clothing)

A mantle is a type of loose garment usually worn over indoor clothing to serve the same purpose as an overcoat...

, Purpure and lined Ermine and ensigned with the Princely hat.

External links

Original Law text