Elements of "popular heraldry" in Romania: horse, lions and dragons used as decoration of the 18th-19th c. gentry houses from the province of Wallachia

Painted plate with the coat of arms of Father Deacon Nenad M. Jovanovich, president of the Board for Heraldic and Genealogical Studies of the Center for Research of Orthodox Monarchism (Belgrade, Serbia), as Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia.

Two versions of the coat of arms of the National Opera of Bucharest

(for further information click here)

The author with the new coat of arms of the National Opera of Bucharest
Photo credit: Oana Radu Turcu, journalist TVR (Romanian National Television)

Speaking about the new coat of arms of the Opera, between Mr. Razvan Ioan Dinca, general director of the institution, and H.E. Daniel Constantin Barbu, minister of Culture, at 'Giuseppe Verdi – Richard Wagner' Gala at the National Opera of Bucharest (31 march 2013).
Photo credit: Oana Radu Turcu, journalist TVR (Romanian National Television)

Coat of arms of Dr. Fabio Cassani Pironti di Campagna, member of the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (2002)

Monochrome drawing of the coat of arms of the Moldavian family Flondor of Bukovina, created Austrian barons in 1913 (2003-2004). The coloured version has been also published upon this page.

Coat of arms of the Moldavian boyars Başotă (cca.1998)

Coat of arms of the Romanian princes Caragea (Karadja, Karatzas, Καρατζάς), having Greek origins, after a seal of the 19th c. Ioan Gheorghe C. was prince of Wallachia (1812-1818). The quarters of the sinister side are depicting, in fact, the achievement of the princes Mavrocordato (the star, sometimes a sun, and the phenix - symbol of the Greek national revival). The quarters of the dexter side are containing the Wallachian bird (1st quarter), and the unicorn of the Carageas (3rd quarter).

Auto dedicated ex-libris, containing a selection of heraldry and genealogy books from my personal library (2003)

Coat of Arms of the Moldavian boyars Kalmucki (cca. 1998)

Drawings after an old coat of arms of the Padbergs, displayed in the family house of Küstelberg (2007)

Coat of arms of Sigismund Báthory, prince of Transylvania (1581-1599, 1601-1602), prince of the Holy Roman Empire and knight of the Golden Fleece (1595) - reconstruction of his great heraldic achievement, after the description published by I. I. Chiffletius, Insignia gentilitia equitum Ordinis Velleris Aurei..., Antverpiæ, M.DC.XXXII, pp. 155-157 (2001). More about the heraldry of Transylvania here: www.historica-cluj.ro/anuare/AnuarHistorica2011/15.pdf

Coat of arms of Dr. Antti Matikkala, researcher at the Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, former president of the Finnish Heraldry Society (2003)

Coat of arms of Mihail Onou (Onu), a 19th century diplomat and Counsellor of State in the Russian Empire, having Romanian origins (2013; reconstruction after the description of the Armorial of the Noble Families of the Russian Empire, vol. 14, nr. 167)

Three drawings after old objects displaying the coat of arms of the German family Padberg (2007)

Armorial bookplate of Sonia P. Anderson, member of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (2003-2004)

Coat of arms of Dr. Stoian Antonoff, chairman of the Bulgarian Heraldry and Vexillology Society (2013)

Armorial bookplate for the academician Paul Cernovodeanu (1927-2006), historian and genealogist, my first PhD coordinator (2004)

Coat of arms used by the Romanian politician and diplomat Nicolae Titulescu (1882-1941),  former minister of Foreign Affairs and twice chosen as chairman of the League of Nations in Geneva. Used upon official documents, the seal was abusively inscribed with the coat of arms of the Spanish noble community of Tejada.

An essay of the early times: the Polish herb Łabędź (cca. 1998)

Funeral heraldry: coat of arms of prince Scarlat Gr. Ghica (1812-1875), at the family graveyard at Bucharest-Colentina (2007-2008)

Coat of arms of József Sebestyén of Keöpecz (1878-1964), member of the Order of the Crown of Romania, Transylvanian heraldist, author of the official drawings for the coat of arms of the Romanian Kingdom (1921) – drawing in the style of the armorial funeral panels of the Transylvanian aristocracy of the 18th-19th c. The inscription: "Insign(ia) seu arma spec(ta)b(i)l(i)s d(omi)ni Josephi de g(e)n(ere) Sebestyen de Keopecz, hist(orico) et pict(or), eqv(es) Or(dinis) Diad(ema) Romaniae, denatus 1964, ae(tatis) s(uae) 85" (2002-2003)

Project for the coat of arms of Dr. Silviu Andrieş-Tabac of Chişinău, at that time deputy director of the National State Archives of the Republic of Moldavia (1998)

Byzantine coin of the 8th c., with the image of the Holy Virgin between two monograms – drawing after G. Zacos and A. Veglery (2006). Widespread in the Byzantine society, the usage of coins and seals influenced the emblematics and then the heraldry of the Eastern Europe.

Monogram of the Moldavian metropolitan Theophane, upon a 1617 silver discos of Slatina monastery (2006)

Silver spoon with the monogram of Ephrem, bishop of Rădăuţi (1608-1623) – the shield displays the Slavic name of the Moldavian prelate, in the tradition of the Byzantine monograms (2006)

Heraldic composition displaying the coats of arms of the German families Padberg, Scharfenberg and Adorf (2007) - Western heraldic style of the 13th-14th centuries

Coat of arms of Vlad 'the Devil', prince of Wallachia (1437-1442, 1444-1447), as Knight of the Hungarian Order of the Dragon - polychrome reconstitution (2004), based on the 1437 princely seal and conceived in the style of the armorial grants from the time of emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg

Coat of arms of the Moldavian noble family Motăş (second version, 2013) - general view and detail

Bookplate of Attila Szekeres, Romanian heraldist (2007)

The coat of arms of Constantin E. Stefanescu, Romanian heraldist (from the author's Liber Magistrorum et Amicorum)

Working for the bookplate of Father Nanad M. Jovanovich of Serbia (2008)

Coat of arms of Gorj county (approved by the Decision of the Romanian Government nr. 651/27.06.2007)

Coat of arms of Dr. Lucian-Valeriu Lefter, Romanian historian

Banner displayed at the Castle of Făgăraş, depicting the author's drawing of the arms of Gabriel Bethlen of Iktár, king of Hungary (1620-1621) and prince of Transylvania (1613–1629)

Shield of Jacques, duke of Andria, prince of Tarento, titular emperor of Constantinople (+1383), with the arms Anjou-Baux-Constantinople

Three projects for the coat of arms of the University of Pitesti (Arges County), including as a charge the royal chypher of king Michael of Romania.

Plate for Dr. Silviu Andries-Tabac, president of "Paul Gore" Heraldry and Genealogy Society of the Republic of Moldavia