Eight of these devices were used on the back of the cover of The J. R. R. Tolkien Calendar 1974 (those of Finwe and Earendil in slightly different forms), and all the sixteen here reproduced appeared in The Silmarillion Calendar 1978 (the second device of Luthien Tinuviel on the.cover of the Calendar, and also on the jacket of The Silmarillion), where the following note was given:

Some details of the emblems cannot now be explained, but the following notes draw attention to notable features. The device of Finwe, first king of the Noldorin Elves, is a winged sun, as that of Elwe (King Thingol of Doriath) is a winged moon with stars. Those of Finwe's sons Feanor and Fingolfin are clearly related to Finwe's emblem, although in the case of Feanor it is natural to associate the flames with the meaning of his name, Feandro 'Spirit of Fire'. Gil-galad's device of white stars is also associated with his name, which means 'Star of Radiance'; but the harp of-Finrod Felagund probably derives from the legend (The 'Silmarillion Chapter 17) of his coming upon the first Men to enter Beleriand, and of his singing to them to the accompaniment of a harp that he found in their camp.

The white flowers that appear in the devices of Luthien are probably to be connected with the flowers of niphredil that sprang at her birth in Doriath, as is told in The Silmarillion Chapter 10. The emblem of Idril Celebrindal (daughter of Turgon of Gondolin and mother of Earendil) is a cornflower pattern, and was named Menelluin ('Sky-blue'); this is stated to be an inlaid plaque saved from Gondolin and descending through Earendil and his son Eiros to Numenor, whence it was saved by Elendil and taken to Gondor. Its influence on Numenorean circular designs can be seen in the Numenorean tile (no. 46).

The full description of the emblem in the centre of the bottom row is 'Ancient Emblem representing the derivation of the Silmarils from the Light of the Trees upon Ezellohar', Ezellohar (or Corollaire) being the Green Mound on which the Two Trees grew in Valinor.'

Information from Pictures By J.R.R. Tolkien, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1979