Mitya Ivanov

NB: there are no suns above the backs of 'military' lions-crownbearers on Reza-Shah banner!:)

Button:

Well, Nick, I supposed these badges to be a privilege of the highest military commanders (and court officials?) - not of the whole army and not of every officer. And Persian Cossacks bore their own uniform - quite usual for any royal guard). BTW, I am sure you know this button (see att.). I believe it is a late-Qajarian button for Foreign Affairs Office or diplomatic staff (ambassadors etc):

That was my question, Nick! Do you have any answer?

"to do with rank since they were used concurrently..." Let's wait until somebody tell us!:)

Reza Shah banner with this emblem (took part in his coronation in 1926). Photo by Time/Life photographer Loomis Dean, 1963.

Dear friends, here are some photos of Pershian Shahs and high-rank official (ambassador to Russia) in caps with an emblem: two lions with suns rising above their backs; they hold swords and Qajar Kiyani Crown. A lit (burning) grenade is at their feet (just under the crown). Later Reza Shah put this emblem in the corners of his coronation banner in 1926. Is it really an emblem of Persian Army? As we know one more cap badge (just Luon-and-Sun - without any additions) was used during this period. But what was the difference in their usage since those with Lion-and-Sun badge were also military-men?

If somebody cares: In some papers and articles - and in Wiki as well - we can read the Order of Aftab was founded in 1873 by Nasser al-Din Shah in St. Petersburg. Nope: it was founded by his firman in February 1873 - three months before shah's arrival to Russia. This and many other interesting facts about Persian orders in "The Eclipse of Fe(Male) Sun" (pages 63-97) in Najmabadi's "Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards, Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity" (2005). I've got a HQ pdf of this book from someplace of the Web (I really don't remember where from) so I'm ready to share it. The only problem I don't know if such sharing is legal. And it is 3,6 MB (i.e. exceeds the usual limit of attachment here). If somebody really needs the book - please, write me: herussia@gmail.com

Thanks, dear Nick! Really wonderful place here - with people experienced in a very complicated problem of Persian orders and militaria. (As for me, sooner or later - maybe - I'll obtain a professional translator's help from somewhere to make English versions of my texts. Until then I hope to be helpful here in some other ways - like notes and remarks here).

Markus wrote: "This Firman I am posting is in the collection of His Highness the Aga Khan. It is a Royal order of Fath Ali Shah honoring Sir Harford Jones circa March 1809." Dear Markus, this firman doesn't grants any order. It grants an honourable augmentation - purely heraldic (i.e. it grants a permission to Sir Harford Jones-Brydges to use Shah's coat-of-arms. So the Englishman included the emblems from heraldic achievement of Fath-Ali Shah into his own (baronet's) COA). As you know Sir Harford Jones-Brydges refused to recieve 'French' Order of the Sun and asked the Shah to grant him this augmentation instead.