Heraldic Crests: A Pictorial Archive of 4,424 Designs for Artists and Craftspeople Paperback - 1993

From the rear cover

Since its first publication in 1859, Fairbairn's Book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland has been a recognized reference in heraldry, an indispensable adjunct to every library, the standard authority for business and trade purposes. Widely used by British jewelers and seal engravers, it has been extensively revised and updated over the years to maintain its reputation as one of the most authoritative and complete collections of crests and mottoes available in Britain.
This comprehensive collection reproduces all 314 plates from "Fairbairn"--over 4,000 designs in all--offering artists and craftspeople an immediately usable resource of authentic, time-honored heraldic motifs. Among the designs are many and varied representations of human figures, mythical beings, soldiers, stages, falcons, dogs, unicorns, griffins, and other mythological creatures, lions rampant, warriors, farmers, hands, flowers, rosettes, crowns, wreaths, and many other striking images.
Now available in this inexpensive resource, these imaginative, often unusual designs will lend aristocratic appeal and strong visual interest to book and magazine illustrations, advertisements, newsletters, and a host of other graphic projects.