Emblem Art

February 13, 2008 7:35 PM

Examples of organizational emblems depicting elaborate scenes?

The SPCA of Delaware's seal depicts an angel interceding on behalf of an abused horse. The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice's seal depicts a man being arrested in one half and a gentleman burning books on the other. Does anyone have any other examples of seals in this style?

posted by Phlogiston to grab bag (9 comments total)

Minnesota's state seal is somewhat similar, especially if you check out the explanation on the page.
posted by Coffeemate at 7:48 PM on February 13, 2008

Dartmouth College seal shows two Native Americans, holding books, walking towards Dartmouth Hall with the Lone Pine (a school symbol) on the left.
posted by metahawk at 7:52 PM on February 13, 2008

oh, here's a link to the Dartmouth seal
posted by metahawk at 7:55 PM on February 13, 2008

MIT comes to mind.
posted by Joe Invisible at 8:19 PM on February 13, 2008

The Virginia Commonwealth Seal depicts the goddess Virtus standing on the corpse of an vanquished tyrant as a reminder to potential future tyrants.

Then again pretty much all the states have such seals though.
posted by Pollomacho at 6:50 AM on February 14, 2008

The seal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists is described as:

…the pilot wheel, perfect circle, shield, stars, clouds, moon, ship, sea and lighthouse. The motto is VIGILANCE. The patient is represented as the ship, sailing the troubled sea with clouds of doubt, waves of terror, yet being guided by the skillful pilot (the [physician] anesthetist) with constant and eternal (stars), vigilance (motto) by his dependable (lighthouse) knowledge of the art of sleep (moon) to a safe and happy outcome of his voyage through the realm of the unknown. The perfect circle denotes unity of a closed group (the Society)
posted by TedW at 7:25 AM on February 14, 2008

The State Seal of Indiana depicts a settler denuding the land of forests, thus chasing all wildlife (in the form of a bison) from the state.
At least that's how it always appeared to me
posted by Thorzdad at 8:08 AM on February 14, 2008

One of my favorite Masonic emblems is that of the Weeping Virgin Standing Before a Broken Column Holding a Spring of Acacia With An Open Book Before Her While Father Time Stands Behind Her Unfolding Her Ringlets And Counting The Strands of Her Hair.
posted by mattbucher at 9:22 AM on February 14, 2008

This is a short overview of medieval seals.
posted by CreativeJuices at 7:13 PM on February 14, 2008