Gilded bronze falcon

Falcon ornaments like this one were carried by the Normans on battle-standards
 during their conquest of Sicily. As non-royal newcomers, the Normans needed to legitimise their rule and used the falcon and lion as heraldic symbols. Falconry was a pastime reserved for medieval nobility. This bronze represents a rare gerfalcon, a bird of prey kept for use by the king only. This particular falcon ornament was made 150 years after the Norman invasion.