Persia - Order of the Lion and the Sun

[JapanX]

Nice example from wiener maker Rothe (marked on reverse FR for "Firma Rothe").

[JapanX]

Interesting example from local (low quality) unknown manufacturer.

[Markus]

A beautiful early 1st class Persian Faiz Allah made lion and sun breast star, 75mm across, purchased from Emedals.

[Markus]

Close up of the medallion of 1st class Faiz Allah medal.

[Markus]

The back of the Faiz Allah made 1st class breast star.

[JapanX]

Old and beautiful !!!

The back of the Faiz Allah made 1st class breast star.

Nice! ;)

[Markus]

A beautiful 4th class Lemaitre made Lion and Sun. It appears that this medal was manufactured with no green enamel rays. The medallion painting is very high quality and similar to a Kretly made Lion and Sun medallion. This medal also has a full name plate on the back with N0.42, Lemaitre, Rue Coquilliere, Paris.

Lemaitre was the largest order maker in France until just after WWI. Lemaitre firm was begun by Jeweler I. Boudier in 1785 and in 1836 it is headed up by François Hippolyte Lemaitre. François's son, Edmond Lemaitre takes the reigns in 1875. In 1905 Gaston Lemaitre runs the company. In 1920 Lemaitre purchases and absorbs the firm Boullanger. Became the firm Lemaitre & Fills in 1922. Lemaitre & Cie in 1936. it was a very active and successful company until it was acquired by Bertrand in 1937. The oldest known address for Lemaitre was 346 Rue Saint-Honore and in the late 1870's the firms address changed to 42 Rue Coquilliere. By 1901 the firm moved to 5 bis Rue du Lovre. So the address listed on this medal dates the time frame of manufacture from 1870-1901.

In addition to the Legion of Honor medal they made Mexican imperial orders, the Greek Order of The Redeemer, the Belgian Leopold Order, Prussian Black and Red Eagle Orders, Netherlands Order of Orange-Nassau, Peruvian Order of the Sun to only name a few.

Edited July 19, 2012 by Markus

[Markus]

Close up the Lemaitre medallion.

[Markus]

The back of the medal with Lemaitre makers plate.

[Markus]

Prince Arfa-ud-Dovleh Mirza Riza Khan Danisch.

http://www.iranian.com/EskandariQajar/2003/November/Arfa/

Also see:

http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/danes-pen-name-of-moin-al-wezara-mirza-reza-khan-arfa-arfa-al-dawla-ca

Edited May 3, 2012 by Markus

[Markus]

Portrait of Jaafar-Gholi Sardar-Assaad Bakhtiary and Mohammad Mirza Shams-Olmolk.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Markus

[Markus]

Portrait of General Ahmad Amir Ahmadi.

[JapanX]

Portrait of Jaafar-Gholi Sardar-Assaad Bakhtiary and Mohammad Mirza Shams-Olmolk.

Very interesting photo-portrait with very interesting sach ribbons

Not to mention beatiful Lemaitre piece :beer:

[Markus]

H.H. Shahzada Shahruh Mirza Kadjar (1844-1915)

Colonel H.H. Prince Shahrukh Persidskii [H.H. Shahzada Shahrukh Mirza Qajar]. was born 15th September 1844. Col. Imperial Guard, Russian service. Received: Knight of the Orders of St Anne 2nd class (with swords), and St Vladimir 5th class (with swords) of Russia, and the Order of the Lion & Sun 3rd class of Persia. He died in 1915.

It appears that he was a Persian working for Russian military.

[Markus]

H.H. Shahzada Darab Mirza (186x-1925)

Colonel H.H. Shahzada Darab Mirza [H.Il.H. Prince Darab Persidskii], Attended Military School at St. Petersburg. He Instigated a reactionary uprising in favour of Muhammad 'Ali Shah at Qazvin in 1910, was arrested and dismissed from the Russian service. Was Colonel in the Persian Cossack Brigade sometime after 1916. Received: Knight of the Order of St. Stanislas 5th class of Russia, and the Order of the Lion & Sun 3rd class of Persia. He was killed on the orders of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925.

Another Persian serving two masters. It must have been awkward with Russian controlled military forces (The Cossack Brigade) and Persian controlled military forces both working inside Persia and taking directions from two different governments.

http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cossack-brigade

Edited May 5, 2012 by Markus

[JapanX]

What a cool and rare photos mate!

But you are wrong in one thing - these guys simply worked for themselves

Always a right thing to do!

[drclaw]

Very interesting photos! I think it's time for Hercule Poirot style handle-bar moustaches to make a come-back.

Oh and Hussar jackets ...

[Markus]

Received some repaired medals back today from an enamel repair specialist. Initially I had some trepidation in sending these medals out to be repaired and was worried that the repair quality wouldn't match the original enamels. The medals had missing green enamel on the rays and that tended to glare out as faults. I am very pleased with the outcome of the repairs and am very happy that I took the jump. The repairs match the original enamels and it is impossible to tell which rays have been worked on.

The repair specialist is Barry Sheppard in the UK, His email is watatutu@gmail.com. I can give the highest recommendation for his excellent work. It is best to email him a photo of the medal for an estimate of repairs.

[Markus]

This is the other medal I had repaired. The green enamels were in pretty bad shape.

[JapanX]

Indeed great work!

Congrats!

[drclaw]

What a fantastic result!

The restoration work is museum quality and your Lions are now flawless.

Thanks for posting the contact details for Barry. I'll have to rifle through my collection to find things to restore now.

Edited May 8, 2012 by drclaw

[Markus]

This is Lieutenant General Benjamin Ceulmans, a Belgian officer awarded a Persian Lion and Sun medal in 1902. From a really nice Belgian web site with lots of military photos:http://www.ars-moriendi.be/

[Markus]

This is Belgian Lieutenant General Gustave Fivé with a Persian order of Lion and Sun and a Chinese Double Dragon Order.

http://www.ars-moriendi.be/FIVE.HTM

[Markus]

A Boulanger (French made) 3rd Class Lion and Sun medal with original Firman award document. The award document is dated 1907.

[Markus]

A stamp and signature on the back of the Firman document.