Gustaf von Numers (31 July 1912 – 21 May 1978) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish civil servant and leading heraldic artist.Gustaf von Numers
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Life

Gustaf von Numers studied

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

in the 1930s under Arvid Berghman and was considered one of the leading Finnish experts in the area. He was a tireless writer on all heraldic matters. Together with colleagues in the field, he contributed to the initiation of the parliamentary

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

on communal

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

in 1949. Von Numers designed several communal coats of arms (including

Jakobstad Jakobstad (; , ) is a town in Finland, located on the west coast of the country. Jakobstad is situated in Ostrobothnia (administrative region), Ostrobothnia, along the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Jakobstad is approximately , while the Jako ...

Porvoo Porvoo (; ; ) is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately , while the Porvoo sub-region, sub-re ...

and Varpaisjärvi), military banners and personal and family heraldic signs. Von Numers was a founding member of th
Finnish Heraldic Society
and its first chairman (1957 – 1964), as well as a member of the International Heraldic Academy ''(

Académie Internationale d'Héraldique An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the g ...

)'' from its founding in 1949. The playwright Gustaf von Numers was a distant cousin.

Prix Gustaf von Numers

In 1982, the international

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

''Gustav von Numers Prize for heraldic art and design'' was created in memory of Gustaf von Numers. It is awarded to individuals for their merits in heraldic design and art.

References

1912 births 1978 deaths People from Kangasala People from Häme Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Swedish-speaking Finns Finnish people of German descent Finnish designers Heraldic artists Finnish heraldists {{heraldry-stub