Markus

This is a Civil 4th Class Lion and Sun with officer ribbon. The pre-1872 crowns on civil issue are pretty rare. No maker marks, but looks very similar to other Kretly made Lion and Suns. Very unique medallion painting.

Beautiful Portraits!

Thanks Nick for such a thorough article on this order medal. Mitya, thanks for the dating information as well! Great thread ! Markus

Hi Nick! Yes, you are very observant! Lol! Thanks for your additions! Hi Gavin, yes I think it is probably a 1870's time frame. The gold foil rays are the underlayment that used to be covered with red enamel. Most of the enamel has chipped off over time.

Another early Persian made Lion and Sun of Military class. Red enamel remnants on the rays. The rays of a First class generally have eight rays, but some of the earlier L&S have more rays such as this one with ten rays. Does anybody have any clues as to why or when larger number of rays were made on the L&S medal? Also see page 4 post #69 on this thread, which has 16 rays.

This one is such a beauty and very unique. I deliberate between Russian and English made. Does Babar, Gavin or Paul Wood have any opinions on the origin of this piece?

This beauty, a 4th class with "diamonds" and "emeralds" is up on the auction block at Carsten Zeige on May 4th, opening price of 5000 Euro. The medallion is persian made, but the quality of the jeweled portion of the medal look too good for Persian made. I am guessing that the Russian Jeweler made the medal using a Persian medallion painting.

This is a set of Persia Lion and sun that sold on a French auction this year. Appears to be Russian made. The wreath garlands around the medallion image are pretty rare.

Thanks Nick for all your new posts! The auction has a pretty wide selection of Persian made lion and sun medals. This thread has got to be the most comprehensive source for the Order of the lion and sun on the internet. Markus

Hi Nick! The only maker that had used this type of ray painting was Wolfers, one of my favorite makers! Their lion paintings are superb!

Hi Gavin! Here is a similar order without stones that you may remember from the Tamman Auction 80, lot 733. It went for 10,000 Swiss Franc and adding auction commissions probably went out the door for close to 14,000 US dollars. I asked a dealer that had a few of the Nishan-iMoqaddas pieces listed for sale and he told me he recently sold a "crudely made Persian made one with glass stones" to a collector for $200,000 US, so the nicely made European made samples would sell for more! Markus

Very nice! Cracked medallion face with starting price of 5000 Euros and glass stones. These Russian pieces are pricey! Thanks Nick for posting!

Thanks Mitya & Nick for great posts! The Legion of Honour Nishan-i-Moqaddas piece looks like the ones on display in Istanbul at the Topkapi Palace museum. Not sure if these are diamonds or glass stones either, but they are quite rare since they were given out only to heads of state and command crazy prices on auctions when they do pop up once every blue moon. With such fine workmanship and the type of medallion paintings, I think they are all French made. Also see post #100 and #110 in this thread, Nishan-i-Moqaddas.

This is a Dazeville of Paris made 3rd class, Lion and Sun. The Dazeville maker plate does not appear very often. I have seen a few breast stars with this Lion and Sun painting but always without a maker Plaque. Does any body have any references to the Dazeville maker. So far, I haven't found any maker history for Dazeville.

Thanks Nick for the new postings! Simply fantastic!

This is a Bertrand made Lion & Sun 1st class that recently popped up on Emedals. Nice quality and it has the Bertrand name engraved on the back. Bertrand doesn't mark their medals with maker marks very often. Bertrand moved to 46 Rue de Rennes in 1896, so this medal has a manufacture dating 1896 to 1925 time period.

Nick, Your scholarly detail and thoroughness on this thread just blow me away as usual! Thanks for such an interesting and beautiful post and Happy New Year! Markus

Hey Nick! Thanks for all your incredible posts across GMIC threads. Wishing you a great new year! The Persian medal in post # 694 really shows the construction process of the rays utilized in Persian Lion & Sun medals. It appears that a gold foil underlayment was coated with an enamel that flakes off quite easily. Many of the old Persian made medals are missing the gold foil underlayment and the enamel on the rays. The European made Lion and Sun medals have a cast gold enamel bed that is filled with glass enamel and affixed as individual units to the medal, thereby making them more resistant to the ravages of time.

A 2nd Class Kretly made breast star of early vintage, made in the last half of the 1800's. There is some debate among collectors about this style of breast star with stars fixed beween the rays, some sources saying that it is a pre-1872 style and other sources indicating that they have seen this style with award documents to prove that this style was issued after that 1872 time period. Incredible workmanship!

A Kretly made 4th class Lion & Sun badge. Very nice workmanship and the first time I have seen this lion painting style. An early type, probably late 1800's with re-pierced medal work. So far most of the plaques seem to have this 46 Galerie Montpensier, Palais Royal address. There was a later address for this firm at 5 Avenue de L'Opera, but I have never seen a Kretly maker plaque with this address.

Hey Gavin! Too many great Lions and Suns examples to choose from and not enough space! Lol! Wishing everyone on GMIC a very Merry Xmas and happy holidays! I have met some really great people here on GMIC and made some really great friends! Markus

Congrats on such a rare and fine aquizition Gavin! Always enjoy the history as well. Markus

Here is a collage I put together of the many Lion and Sun medallions by different makers showing the extreme variation and artistic beauty of this order.

This is a 2nd class breast star with stars between the rays, most likely pre-1872 era. Very high quality and appears to be by Saniolmamalek Persian maker based on other samples I have seen with this style of enamel painting.

Hi Nick, great idea for a new thread! The quality and precision of the mini Lion and Sun medals are all over the board. Some are with incredible detail and others looked like it was difficult for the jeweler to downsize. Markus