The national emblem of Brunei is featured prominently on the

flag of Brunei The flag of Brunei has a centered emblem of Brunei on a yellow field cut by black and white diagonal stripes (parallelograms at an angle). The yellow field represents the sultan of Brunei. The red crest consists of a crescent facing upwards, jo ...

. It was adopted in 1940. There are five main components to the national emblem: the

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

, the royal

parasol An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used ...

(ceremonial umbrella), the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

s, the

hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...

, and the

crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

. Below the crescent is a banner; both are inscribed with yellow lettering in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: * On the crescent, Brunei's national motto: ; , meaning “Always in service with God's guidance” (

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

: “”). * On the banner (scroll), the state's name: ; ', literally “Brunei, the Abode of Peace”.

Design

All elements on the emblem are red. On some versions they have black outlines; others have colourless outlines. # The small swallowtail flag and

('),

regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereign ...

of the sultanate's monarchy, have been the royal insignia since the creation of the emblem. # The

s symbolise protection of justice, tranquility, prosperity and peace. # Below these is the

, a symbol of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, the state religion of

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

. # On the sides, the upturned

indicate the government's duty is to preserve and promote the welfare of the citizens and to protect the people.

Personal emblem of the Sultan

After the Constitution was enacted in 1959 the

Sultan of Brunei The sultan of Brunei is the monarchical head of state of Brunei and head of government in his capacity as prime minister of Brunei. Since independence from the British in 1984, only one sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates bac ...

adopted a different emblem from the emblem of state, in that the two hands were superseded by two golden ''

sejant In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a Charge (heraldry), charge, a Supporter (heraldry), supporter, or as a Crest (heraldry), crest. The attitude of an heraldic figure al ...

'' cats (''kuching emas''). At his coronation in 1968, Sultan

Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III ( Jawi: ; born 15 July 1946) is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei since 1967 and the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one ...

used a crown (''mahkota'') with an original design due it is based on the brocade turbans used by previous sultans. It is made of precious metal, decorated with pendilia and a sarpech consisting of a crescent-and-ten-pointed star and topped with a seven-pointed ornament. An excerpt from the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

in Arabic text is inscribed upon the crescent, the opening verse of the ''

surah A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...

'' ''

Al-Mulk Al-Mulk ( ar, الملك, "Sovereignty, Kingdom") is the 67th chapter (surah) of the Quran, comprising 30 verses. The surah emphasizes that no individual can impose his will on another; he may only guide and set an example (67:26). Summary * ...

'': ; ''Tabāraka al-ladhī bi-yadihi al-mulku'', meaning "Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom". Around 1999 a highly elaborate achievement was adopted. It maintained the inscribed crescent, since that time ''

vert Vert or Verts may refer to: * Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry * Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer * Vert (river), in southern France * Vert (sport), a competition in extreme vers ...

'', and the winged umbrella as core elements but the Sultan's crown was added over them. This set is surrounded by a garland of ears paddy '' or'' and is displayed the name of God (Allah) in ''

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

''. On the yellow standard of the Sultan, the emblem is all red.Vries, Hubert de. ''National Arms and Emblems, Past and Present. Brunei''
Retrieved 27 July 2016.

Past emblems

Image:Emblem of Brunei (1932-1950).svg, Emblem from 1932–50 Image:Emblem of Brunei (1950-1959).svg, Emblem from 1950–59 Image:Emblem of Brunei.svg, Emblem from 1959–present

References

{{heraldry-stub National symbols of Brunei