The gryphon that sits atop the RI crest combines the speed, flight and penetrating vision of an eagle with the strength, courage and majesty of a lion. Ringed by a crown, it symbolises the institution's enduring strength and its trust in the nobility of intellectual endeavour.
The twin-headed eagle looks to both the East and West for inspiration. One head draws strength and insight from the lessons of the past while the other looks ahead to the rich potential in the future.
At the heart of the crest site a double medallion representing the Order of the Golden Sword, a personal decoration that was conferred upon Raffles in 1811 by the Sultan of Aceh, one of the most widely-respected kingdoms in the region. Raffles held this honour in the highest regard and had it incorporated as part of his coat of arms in 1817. Inscribed upon the upper medallion in Jawi script is a salutation from Sultan Alaudin Jauhar Al-Alam:
Seri Paduka Orang Kaya Berpedang Mas Thomas Raffles Sultan Alauddin Jauhar Al-Alam Shah Johan Berdaulat
(‘Honourable Nobleman Thomas Raffles – Order of the Golden Sword Sultan Alauddin Jauhar Al-Alam Shah Sovereign Ruler’)
The official letter from the Sultan of Aceh that proclaims the award of this title (dated 27 April 1811) can be found at the Royal Aceh Museum. It highlights the importance that Raffles had accorded to intercultural relations and understanding, and the sensitivity with which he approached both.
The lower medallion bears a kris, a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger indigenous to Southeast Asia. Both a weapon and a spiritual object, the kris symbolises of heroism.
The crest has Jawi as well as Latin inscriptions, inspiring Rafflesians to have a multicultural outlook.
Read about the origins of our crest