Symbols have held utmost importance throughout the course of history. They help us communicate concepts and ideas through visual means. Symbols signifying quality, refinement, and excellence have changed according to ideology, belief, mythology, and innovation.
Symbols of quality help us analyze in-depth and realize what matters. These symbols give us insight into looking beyond the superficial and finding the true meaning of life.
Symbols of quality have been taken from animals, mythology, flowers, and legends. They encourage you to stay focused on your goals and remain steadfast in achievement. They fill you with the motivation and ambition you need to succeed in life.
They are a good reminder of the power you possess and the heights you can achieve. Studying symbols from different eras and cultures helps us realize how they operated and showcases their power and strength.
Listed below are the top 15 symbols of quality:
Table of Contents
1. Eagle
Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The eagle has been a symbol of quality and excellence for thousands of years. It has been used as the official seal of emperors, leaders, and nations.
Its image has been printed on shields, uniforms, and banners of brave, fierce soldiers and armies since time immemorial. Why is this? This is because eagles represent many things.
They symbolize quality, perseverance, vision, courage, commitment, and bravery, to name a few. Eagles have come to represent these qualities because they have the power to fly higher than anyone else.
They can overcome obstacles and do the most daunting tasks fearlessly. (1)
2. Stars
Today the five-pointed star is associated with the idea of excellence and quality. The star is a universal symbol of achievement throughout different industries, whether business, professional, entertainment, the military, or sports.
Whether democratic or communist, different states have the five-pointed stars on their national flags.
Children are rewarded for hard work and good behavior by giving them stars. So how did the five-pointed star become a symbol of quality?
There are many reasons. In Babylon, the five-pointed star represented the five points of heaven. The number five was also linked to Goddess Ishtar. In India, the five great elements were given importance to, which were earth, fire, water, air, and space.
The five-pointed star was also extremely important in Egyptian cosmology, affecting architecture and astronomy. (2)
3. Lions
Image Courtesy: piqsels.com
A lion can serve as a very diverse symbol. Lions can represent courage, excellence, strength, and quality. Often referred to as the ‘king of beasts,’ a lion possesses power and might.
These animals are proud, courageous, and fearless and represent the very best. In ancient Indian Mythology, Lord Vishnu was half lion-half man and was sent to earth to defeat evil and restore peace.
Within Chinese culture, the lion represents the Han Dynasty and qualities such as nobility and strength. These are some examples of lions representing nothing but excellence and the finest.
4. Elephants
Dario Crespi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Elephants symbolize royalty, excellence, success, wisdom, and power. These gentle giants are ancient, wise, and intelligent creatures with great memories.
Years of information are retained in an elephant’s mind, hence the saying ‘an elephant never forgets.’ These inspiring creatures are gentle and kind while also representing strong family ties.
5. Leopards
Srikaanth Sekar, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Leopards are strong and confident animals that symbolically represent quality and excellence. These magnificent creatures are totems for people who are strong and confident.
The ancient Egyptians saw leopards as divine and considered them gods. Today leopard print is incredibly popular in the world of beauty and fashion. Leopards have caught the imagination of humans across different platforms such as movies, fantasy novels, and even astrology.
The confidence, beauty, stealth, and intelligence of leopards make them a great symbol of quality. (3)
6. Arete
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World from New York, United States of America, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Arete is an ancient Greek concept that means ‘excellence .’The term also refers to moral virtue. The person who has the highest form of effectiveness is known as a person of Arete.
This person uses all abilities such as wit, bravery, and strength to achieve desired results. Arete was also the ancient Greek goddess of excellence. She represented the definition of virtue itself. (4)
7. Owls
Jason Thompson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Owls are always symbolic of wisdom and intelligence. Because of these two qualities, the owl is symbolic of good quality and excellence.
In Greek Mythology, an owl also has a reverence status. It is said that Owls protected acropolis. Owls also have a unique gaze that shows courage and supernatural powers. The Greeks thought that the owls had an inner light through which they could see in the dark.
When an owl is seen as the totem spirit, it is said that it has an intuition through which it can detect deceit or illusion. The owl is a guiding spirit, and its decisions are very solid. (5) (6)
8. Crocodile
fvanrenterghem, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Crocodiles are known for their tough skin, which also symbolizes toughness in any fight. They also denote ancient wisdom, power, stealth, and efficiency.
They make their moves with calculation and wisdom to achieve their goals. Their logo is mainly used in sports products or is used in gyms and anything that represents agility and excellence. (7)
9. Iris Flower
Aaron Burden via Pexels
Iris is a symbol of excellence. This flower has very beautiful colors and a unique structure. Its cultivation started in 1749 BC in Egypt. King Thutmose bought Iris flowers from Syria after he conquered this land.
This flower is a symbol of excellence, royalty, and wisdom. Iris flower denotes eloquence. Faith and hope are expressed with the blue iris. Yellow iris denotes passion, whereas white symbolizes purity. (8) (9)
10. Oak Tree
Image Courtesy: Max Pixel
These trees are a symbol of excellence, courage, and power. They have a very different structure with a massive canopy and beautiful elaborated leaves.
Oak trees can last for hundreds of years, and they have a special affiliation to wisdom, strength, and character.
In ancient times, the oak was considered the king of the forest and a holy creation. This is the reason it has been worshipped in many places. It also symbolizes luck, health, and survival. It is also considered a healing tree, and its trunk is used for making medicines for headaches. (10)
11. Dragon
Image by bookdragon from Pixabay
In Celtic symbols, the dragon has a very important meaning. It represents eternity, whereas the sharp edge of its tail represents energy and immortality.
It also denotes power, wisdom, and hidden knowledge. The dragon is one of the most powerful creatures in ancient history and is considered the guardian of treasures.
Because of all these unique qualities, dragons are considered protectors and guides to maintain balance and harmony. In many countries, they are also a symbol of power, authority, and strength. (11) (12) (13)
12. Griffin
This mythological creature denotes loyalty, excellence, and a noble origin. It is made so that its head is of an eagle and the body belongs to a lion.
Combining both these strong animals makes this symbol very powerful and with excellent qualities. (14)
13. Dara Celtic Knot
This symbol is drawn as an interwinding ornament, and it is seen as an ornament. The name Dara means “Oak” because it is like an Oak tree’s roots.
The Celts and the Druids worshipped oak trees. They regarded this tree as a symbol of strength, perseverance, and inner strength. These are the strengths that are symbolic of the Dara Celtic knot too. (15)
14. Ailm
In Celtic mythology, Ailm is a type of silver conifer or fir. The symbol for Ailm is derived from the first letter of the Celtic alphabet, Ogam.
Ancient Celtic legend stated that evergreen firs were responsible for restoring a man’s soul. For the Celtic people, trees were the personification of power.
The Ailm symbol showed strength, flexibility, and perseverance. This symbol was thought to restore well-being and inner power. (16)
15. Dragonfly
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The dragonfly is symbolic of change, adaptability, self-realization, and transformation in many cultures. It is an avid symbol of quality due to these reasons.
A dragonfly can imply mental and emotional maturity and helps us understand life’s deeper meaning. The act of a dragonfly scurrying across water represents digging deeper beneath the surface of things.
The elegant and graceful dragonfly also encourages one to unmask their real self and restore their sense of identity. The dragonfly is known to look beyond all superficiality. (17)
Summary
Symbols of quality shed light on the finer elements of life. Which of these top 15 symbols of quality were you already aware of? Let us know in the comments below!
References
- https://generalleadership.com/symbol-greatness/
- https://allstarteams.com/the-star-symbol-of-excellence/
- https://symbolismandmetaphor.com/symbolism-of-leopards/
- https://mythologysource.com/arete-greek-goddess/
- https://www.spiritanimal.info/owl-spirit-animal/
- https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/animal-logo-design-animal-symbolism-in-branding-with-examples–cms-38863
- https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/animal-logo-design-animal-symbolism-in-branding-with-examples–cms-38863
- https://www.petalrepublic.com/iris-flower/
- https://fieldofflowers.com/about-us/flower-meanings/#:~:text=All%20colors%20of%20Iris%20represent,associated%20with%20the%20purple%20iris.
- https://mrtreeservices.com/blog/5-trees-with-special-meaning/
- https://1000logos.net/top-30-celtic-symbols-and-their-meaning/
- http://websites.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/D/dragon.html#:~:text=The%20dragon%20is%20a%20symbol,of%20chaos%20and%20untamed%20nature.
- https://www.millersguild.com/dragon-symbol/
- https://1000logos.net/top-30-celtic-symbols-and-their-meaning/
- https://1000logos.net/top-30-celtic-symbols-and-their-meaning/
- https://1000logos.net/top-30-celtic-symbols-and-their-meaning/
- https://dragonflytransitions.com/why-the-dragonfly/
Header image courtesy: Photo: Branch of pine tree, Christmas baubles, cookies and cup of coffee on white background by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0