Catalog - Auction 68 - The Western Powers

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Order of the Two Sicilies
Knight’s Badge, 57,5x36,0 mm., GOLD, with red enameled star pointing downwards, obverse medallion with gold horse on silver background, blue enameled outer circlet with the Order’s motto “PRO RENOVATA PATRIA” in gold lettering, reverse medallion with gold triskeles on silver backround, blue enameled outer circlet with the inscription “JOS NAP. SICIL. REX. INST.” in finest gold lettering, Imperial, gold eagle and suspension crown with ribbon ring; original ribbon with French – type rosette. A rare, beautiful piece, extremely fine condition. I R!

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Order of the Two Sicilies
Breast Badge, 58x39 mm., GOLD, of the transitional type, from the early Restauration, red enameled five-pointed star pointing down, obverse centre medallion with fleur de lys, sky-blue enameled outer circlet with golden inscription “FERD. BORBO.UTRIU.SICI.REX. P.M.A.”, reverse medallion with jumping horse and sky-blue enameled outer circlet with golden inscription: “FELICI.RESTITU.X.KAl JUN MDCCCXV.”, upper loop as a stylized group of laurel leaves, hinged, Royal crown with enameled details, grooved ribbon ring and original ribbon. A very rare decoration, excellent condition. I RR!

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Honour Badge for the Professors of the University in Naples
Neck Badge, 82x5 mm., gilt Silver, the obverse as an eight-pointed, white enameled star flanked by thin, short beams and around, a green enameled laurel wreath, gilt centre medallion with the bust of St. Thomas Aquinas and the inscription around “DIVUS THOMAS AQUINUS REGIAE NEAPOLITANAE STUDIORUM UNIVERSITATIS PROFESSOR ET PATRONUS”, upper, large Royal crown with round, link ring and thin, vertical ribbon ring, the reverse with centre medallion bearing the inscription “FERDINANDVS II P.F.A. BONARUM ARTIUM STATOR 1850”, with original ribbon of the type used to indicate the title of Honourary Professor, a title rarely granted to prominent, foreign personalities in the fields of Science, Letters and Arts. A beautiful, extremely rare Academic badge, excellent condition and with fine, attractive patina. I RR!

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Constantinian Order of St. George
An early Breast Badge 75x45 mm. GOLD, (an assay mark to the lower tip) and red enamel, large upper crown, with chiseled details, original ribbon, in a fitted, blue velvet case. An important piece, belonged and worn by members of the Royal French Family of the Bourbones of Parma (provenance: Sotheby’s, sale taken place in Geneva, November 14th, 2018, lot 8). I R!

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Constantinian Order of St. George
Breast Star, 70 mm., GOLD and Silver, chiseled and pierced rays; the centre in gold with excellent chisel work under the red, translucent enamel; the reverse with white lambskin and vertical, broad pin; in the original, fitted, octagonal case, with maker’s label of Josef Leibold, Vienna. A magnificent star of Prince size, belonged and worn by members of the Royal French Family of the Bourbones of Parma (provenance: Sotheby’s, sale taken place in Geneva, November 14th, 2018, lot 7).

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Constantinian Order of St. George
Grand Cross Star of reduced size of old Austrian manufacture. Breast Star, 60 mm., Silver, chiseled and pierced rays, the centre as a red enameled cross with polished lettering and applied, chiseled, golden “X”, concave, polished reverse, fitted with vertical pin, this, struck with silver marks. An important, extremely rare star of the Parmese branch of this ancient order, that can be dated around 1840/45 ca., made in the finest quality, probably on behalf of an Austrian or Parmese nobleman, excellent condition. I RR!

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Constantinian Order of St. George
Embroidered, Commander`s Star, 83 mm, in GOLD bullion-wire and sequined rays, centre cross in red velvet with gold-embroidered, red letters, white sheepskin reverse with tin-plated iron fastening clip. A very rare, early star, dating from the late 18th or the earliest 19th Century.Very fine condition. II RR!

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Constantinian Order of St. George
Cloth Breast Star, instituted during the 16th Century. Breast Star in velvet, 59 mm, GOLD and silver bullion, reverse backed with white velum. Some signs of wear. Rare and attractive early 19th Century star! I R!

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The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Cloth Breast Star. Breast Star of the order in velvet, GOLD and silver bullion, reverse backed with white velum. Some signs of wear. Rare and attractive early 19th Century star! R! I

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Order of St. Louis
Breast Star of the order, 85 mm, accurately chiseled and pierced rays, the centre in Gold, forming a cross of white enameled fleurs-de-lys, red enameled, oval centre medallion with the image of the saint wearing armour and Royal robes, with finely engraved and enameled details, dark-blue enameled outer circlet, bearing the Order’s motto “DEUS ET DIES” in gold lettering and a stylized laurel wreath below, smooth reverse with round maker’s escutcheon of Lemaitre, Paris and vertical, round pin and two side-hooks. A beautiful, very rare star, most probably of Parmese manufacture from about 1850, although bearing the escutcheon of the well-known French maker, in this case retailer of the piece in the time of its award, excellent condition. I R!

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Order of St. Louis
Knight's Cross, instituted in 1849. Breast Badge, 19x15 mm, GOLD, Austrian hallmarked, white enameled lilied cross, centre shield with polichrome enameled image of the saint in armour on red background, within deep-blue enameled border, bearing the Order’s motto “DEUS ET DIES” in gold lettering, reverse centre shield with Bourbones’ three golden fleurs-de-lys on translucent, deep-blue enamel, hinged suspension crown and original suspension ring and ribbon, in case of issue with git crown on the lid. Rare and superb! II R!

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Civil and Military Merit Order under the Title of St. Joseph
Prince Size Breast Star, 65x62 mm.i, Silver, the arms and the intermediate rays of chiseled and pierced silver; oval centre medallion with separately-made and applied image of the Saint on polished ground, within the outer circlet bearing the order’s motto, smooth reverse, with vertical pin. A beautiful, very rare star, from the early 19th Century; excellent condition and beautiful, dark patina. I RR!

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Military Order of Savoy
Grand Cross Badge Miniature, 14x8 mm., GOLD, one-side enameled, original suspension ring. A superb and very rare badge! I RR!

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Order of St. Stephen
Knight Grand Cross. Fire-gilt Copper Maltese Cross, 77x45 mm, the arms, set with red glass pastes, alternated by gilt Florentine flowers, upper crown in one-piece with the cross with marine shell-shaped finial (the Order is also known as a Naval Order), ribbon ring with rich, chiseled floral ornament, red, neck ribbon, Breast Star, 70 mm, also of fire-gilt Copper, with applied arms, set with red glasses, bright polished beams with Florentine flowers, the reverse with old, engraved inscription "LVDOVICO DA VERRAZZANO 1717", 4 nuts retaining the obverse`s details, iron pin and two side-hooks. A beautiful set of great rarity, dating to the 18th Century, it is the most illustrious and ancient order of Tuscany, instituted by Cosimo de Medici, seigneur of Florence and 1st Duke of Tuscany. It was awarded firstly to military of the highest rank for their merits in fighting the moors in defence of Christianity and of the Commerce, besides humanitarian merits also. It was reinstituted by the Grand Duke Ferdinand III. Its chapel in Pisa is adorned with the flags and coats-of-arms of the ancient knights. Ludovico da Verrazzano was a Tuscan admiral, at the end of 17th to the early 18th Century, commander of the galleys belonging to the Order, another member of the family, Giovanni da Verrazzano (Greve in Chianti, Tuscany, 1485 - Guadalupa, 1528), was a famous navigator, whose descriptions of his travels to the New World were the first, thorough reports of the almost newly discovered territories of North America. The bridge on the Narrows in New York, opened to the traffic in 1964, known as "The Verrazano", honours his memory and discoveries. I-/I RR!

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Order of St. Stephen
Knight Grand Cross Set. Breast Badge, 50x31 mm., red enameled cross of Maltese type in gold, with fine guillochée work visible through the translucent enamel, flanked by golden fleurs de lys, upper, hinged grand-ducal crown, round suspension ring and original, red ribbon. Breast Star 67 mm., gilt silver, with polished rays, red enameled order’s cross with broad border decorated with stylized “palmettes”, flanked by golden fleurs de lys of “florentine” type, smooth reverse, with visible rivets of the centre, maker’s escutcheon of Lemaitre, Paris and fitted with vertical pin and two side-hooks, in the original, night-blue morocco case of issue, with fitted compartment. A beautiful, rare and complete set of the order, in the finest French manufacture from ca. 1840, excellent condition and beautiful patina. I RR!

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Order of Civil Merit
Knight's Cross, instituted in 1853. Breast Badge, 27x20 mm., Silver, both sides enameled, original suspension crown, ring and ribbon. A superb and rare large miniature, in mint condition! I R!

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ORDER OF SAINT MAURICE AND LAZARUS
A very early group to a Knight of the Order. Breast Cross, 43x40 mm., GOLD, with slightly, homogeneously convex white enameled cross of St. Maurice, with narrow, concave, chiseled border, flanked by the green enameled cross of St. Lazarus, with fine chiselwork visible under the enamel’s translucence, small loop to the upper arm, to which a short, horizontal suspension ring fitted with link is mounted, with very old, sewn, now faded silk ribbon, together, its Award Patent, 52x47 cm.parchment with gold-illuminated heading, border and the recipient’s name, completely written in neat chancelry calligraphy and given in Turin, on January 26th, 1688, to the Count Giovanni Bellati and bearing the autographed signature “V. Amedeo” (Victor Amadeus II 1666–1732), Duke of Savoy and the signatures of the members of the Order’s Chancellery, the document indicates that the letters were accompanied by the habit and the Cross of the Order, the lower border, cut as a downwardly pointing, stylized palmette or acanthus leaf, with two vertical, cut slits where once was the lace to keep the parchment rolled, and the wax seal to keep it closed until opened by the recipient. A magnificent and extremely rare, homogeneous group, perhaps one the oldest of its kind, ever appeared on the market, the cross is testimony of the skill of Turin’s jewelers (most of them of French origin) in charge of the Crown’s treasure, creating beautiful pieces which quality can be appreciated in the portraits at the Galleria Sabauda, Turin, or in museums; exceedingly rare and in excellent condition. I RRRR! note: Count Giovanni Bellati (1653–1729) of Feltre – then under the rule of the Venetian Republic – a known patron of arts, was member of one of the most influent, noble families of the territory and founder of a magnificent Villa (nicknamed “Le Case”) built on the hills of Feltre, on the remains of an even older residence was located, there, one of the finest libraries of his time on sciences and agriculture was put together, then dispersed at the end of 19th Century. The properties were held by the family’s descendants until the early 2000s, when the decaying villa was then sold, after the remaining, family treasures were safely taken away elsewhere. The hereby offered group was jealously kept by the descendants until recently. It is not yet known why the Duke of Savoy awarded the Order of St. Maurice and Lazarus to a Venetian Nobleman, but this could find reason to the many relationships the Venetian Republic held with many European Powers, especially in the difficult years when wars were fought also in the northern regions of Italy.

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ORDER OF SAINT MAURICE AND LAZARUS
Grand Cross Set of the type awarded between 1855 and 1859. Sash Badge, 60x85 mm, GOLD with white enameled St. Maurice Cross, flanked by the green enameled arms of the Cross of St. Lazarus, large, hinged upper crown of highly convex shape and enameled “jewels” the Orb’s cross of St. Maurice type, large, suspension ring and complete with its original, dark green, short sash bow. Breast Star, 80 mm, with finely chiseled and pierced rays, the centre in Gold, depicting the cross of the Order in Gold and enamel, with finely outlined, polished border, concave reverse, fitted with vertical pin. A very rare, complete and homogeneous set, as awarded from the Crimean War up to the 2nd war for Independence. Provenance: the estate of General Giovanni Durando (1804–1869). After an adventurous military career, where he also fought in Portugal during the Carlist wars, re-entered in servis within the Sardinian Army, he was commanded by King Charles Albert of Savoy, to guide the Roman and Venetian volunteers at the defense of Vicenza, 1848, where after a fierce defense he decided to surrender, obtaining the honour-of-the-arms and to retire without being taken prisoners and reunited to the main army, he commanded a division at the battle of Novara, later, in the early 50’s, Durando was nominated military commander of the Island of Sardinia, by personal order of King Victor Emanuel II, after severe popular turmoils began, succeeding in the pacification, often at a high cost of lives. Commanded in 1855 to command a division of the Sardinian expeditionary corps in Crimea, he distinguished himself at the battle of the Chernaya, on April 3rd, 1859, he was decorated with the hereby offered Grand Cross as a special sign of honour for his military qualities, soon receiving the command of a division, where he particularly distinguished himself at the battle of St. Martino, 24th June, 1859. He took part to the battle of Custoza, 1866, being wounded in combat. He was nominated senator and, a few days before his death, he received the Order of the Holy Annonciade. I RR!

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ORDER OF SAINT MAURICE AND LAZARUS
An early Grand Cross Set. Sash Badge, 88,3x50 mm., with white enameled, St. Maurice cross, flanked by green enameled St. Lazarus cross enriched by chiseled borders and ball finials, tall, bulbous crown with large, crossed orb and round suspension ring and original, full length sash. Breast Star, 84 mm., Silver with chiseled and pierced rays, the centre in gold, with white enameled St. Maurice Cross, flanked by the gold bordered St. Lazarus Cross, set with faceted, green pastes, polished reverse, with double, round pin. A beautiful, very rare set, from 1830-1840 ca., excellent condition. I RR!