Kingdom of Nepal, around 1935

The Coat of Arms of Nepal, in the mid-thirties, displayed on a shield, peaks of the Himalayas and the Hindu god Vishnu. Two Gurkha soldiers flank the shield: one carries a rifle, the other a bow and arrow, with a “Kukri”, a knife, in his belt. Above this are two crossed “Kukris”, associated with the Gurkhas, the moon and sun symbols and the footprints of Gorakhnath, the guardian deity of the Gurkhas. At the top is the royal headdress. At the bottom are the initials of King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, King of Nepal from 1911 until his death in 1955. Scrolls display national mottos and, in Latin, “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (It is sweet and honourable to die for your country).