Monumental heraldic eagle

Double-headed eagle with coat of arms
Franz Joseph I
Gilt bronze
Length 136 cm, height 84 cm, depth 17 cm

Depictions of the double-headed eagle have existed since the Bronze Age and were known in Egypt and the Persian Empire, but also in other cultures such as Tibet and Peru. The eagle has been a symbol of a ruler’s power since ancient times, for example as the companion animal of the Greek god Zeus or the Roman god Jupiter. The Eastern Roman Empire adopted this symbolism and created a double-headed imperial eagle, whereby this doubling could reflect the secular-spiritual claim to power or also the regions of East and West. In the late Middle Ages, the double-headed eagle was also used in the Holy Roman Empire to differentiate between royal and imperial status. When the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, the double-headed eagle was passed on by the Habsburgs for the Austrian Empire. Now it also received a heart shield with the coat of arms of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Austrian imperial crown typically depicted hovering above the heads is not preserved here. From the founding of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, it was also commonly said that the heads symbolised the two parts of the empire. This monumental heraldic eagle represents the small imperial coat of arms from 1815-1915: it shows the double-headed eagle with outstretched wings crowned on each head, holding the sword of state and the imperial orb in its talons.