Anne of Brittany emblems

Here are the emblems of Anne of Brittany, the duchess of Brittany and mother to Claude of France.

Her initial was A and like other French monarchs she used it to mark buildings, documents and belongings.

Cypher of Anne of Brittany with her chord and hermine spots.

Anne of Brittany’s initial.

Here is her cypher combined with a cord and ermine spots.

Except for her initial A she also used A3 as short for Anne. Like in this tapestry Hunt for the Unicorn and in her little book of hours.

detail in the hunt of the unicorn tapestry showing an A and a cord.

Detail of tapestry hunt of the unicorn with A-3 and a cord.

detail of tapestry hunt of the unicorn where you can read AnnE.

detail of tapestry hunt of the unicorn where you can read AnnE

detail of tapestry hunt of the unicorn where you can read AnnE.

Anne of Brittany’s monogram with ermine in her little book of hours.

Anne of Brittany’s monogram with ermine in her little book of hours.

Anne of Brittany’s monogram in her little book of hours.

a crowned ermine with 5 azure Fleur-de-lis or combined with the motto A ma vie “to my life”.

crowned ermine with motto A ma vie “to my life” and chateau Blois.

The Ermine. Arms of Anne of Brittany with her motto Potius mori quam foedari ” death rather than dishonor”.

emblem of Anne of Brittany the crowned ermine with her motto A ma vie “to my life”.

Hermine of Anne of Brittany at Chateau de Blois.

Hermine of Anne of Brittany at Chateau de Blois.

crowned ermine with ermine spots and angels at Chateau de Blois.

Anne of Brittany’s crowned ermine.

Anne of Brittany’s crowned ermine.

ermine in stained glass with her motto Potius mori quam foedari ” death rather than dishonor”.

ermine with Anne of Brittany’s motto A ma vie “to my life”.

crowned ermine with 3 Fleur-de-lis.

crowned ermine in stained glass.

Hermine symbol was much more personal to Anne of Brittany than to her daughter Claude even though she inherited the symbol as well. There is a legend about Anne and a Hermine that explains her motto Potius Mori Quam Foedari (“Rather die than dishonor”).

It was said that she once saw an ermine during a hunt that would rather face his hunters than flee in a stinky lake and get his white fur dirty.

It’s a nice story but her motto was already used by her forefathers and she just kept it. What it really meant was that the dukes of Brittany and now Anne of Brittany vowed to rather die than let Brittany fall in the hands of France.

Here are some of her ermines some with her motto’s as well:

And her coats of arms:

  Coat of Arms of Anne of Brittany.

two ermines carrying the coats of arms of Brittany.

two ermines carrying a crowned coat of arms of Brittany.

Just because her coat of arms were half the coat of arms of Brittany and half the coat of arms of Ile-de-France didn’t mean that she had double loyalties. Anne of Brittany cared much more about Brittany and was very much opposed a union with France.

I hope you all liked to see the emblems of this pretty gutsy woman: Anne of Brittany.