Coat of Arms with a Lion and a Cock

Albrecht Dürer

National Gallery of Art

This is a print of an emblem featuring a rooster and a lion. At the center of the print is an empty metal helmet. Atop the helmet stands a rooster with its wings spread wide and its beak open. Below the helmet is a shield decorated with a snarling lion. The lion has long, curving claws on each paw, a wide-open mouth showing its long tongue, and a thin, curving tail. Behind the shield and helmet are a spray of thin, curving acanthus leaves that look almost like waves. The print is monochromatic, with dark lines on yellowed paper.