Arms of the Armenian Kingdom in a Portuguese manuscript

This miniature shows the royal coat of arms of Cilician Armenia. It comes from the Portuguese Book of Arms, created in 1509 and regarded as one of the most important encyclopaedias of European heraldry of the first half of the 16th century. According to the source, the arms are on page 19 of the manuscript.

The shield bears red lions and a gold cross with small crosses. Above the shield is a gold knight’s helmet with a crown, surrounded by red and gold leaf ornament. Below is an old Portuguese inscription meaning “King of Armenia”.

The manuscript is kept in Lisbon, in the National Archive of Portugal.