Vintage antique hand carved wood panel coat of arms for Manchester City Council

Here we have an antique or vintage hand carved wood panel of the coat of arms for Manchester City Council. It features an antelope, lion and, of course, bees. And as it is heraldic, each part of it signifies or suggests an aspect of the city's past and present 182 years ago. The red shield with gold stripes is taken from the lords of Manchester, who ruled the city prior to 1301. Either side of the shield are an antelope and a lion, derived from the arms of King Henry IV, which can be seen from the red Lancaster rose on their shoulders.

The lion is a symbol of bravery and strength, while the antelope (referring to a mythical beast, not an actual antelope) means peace and harmony, extreme courage and discipline. At the foot is the city's motto, Concilio Et Labore, which means'by counsel and work', a phrase derived from the Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus. Above all this is probably the most famous part, a globe covered with bees, a symbol of industriousness. All that considered, the coat of arms proclaims Manchester as a city of global trade and industry, built on extreme courage, bravery, strength and discipline and filled with peace and harmony.

The panel shows some signs of use and wear commensurate with age. Overall it's in pretty good order. I have taken plenty of photos to allow you to judge the condition too. The approximate dimensions are as follows.

Shown with a bottle of Champagne to give you an idea of scale. I try to post promptly and always pack carefully. Please look at my other items.