Persia - Order of the Lion and the Sun

[paul wood]

Any marks on the back when the screw fitment and backing is removed?

Paul

 

[ramin7]

no. none. no marks anywhere. it looks like the russian mades ones. but i am just guessing

[paul wood]

I am afraid that in my opinion it looks a lot newer than it should be.

Paul

[ramin7]

yes i agree. it does look newer. or at least the painted gold circle on top is newer. i have never seen anything like it i have to say.

[922F]

Star body looks [completely?] very similar to Georgian Tamara Order!!!   Note especially obverse star ray 'dish or hollow' format, ray 'flattening' at reverse perimeter & reverse junction between rays and center......   

[Markus]

A Lemaitre Lion and Sun breast star 1st class. This breast star has a very large medallion painting, bigger than the typical ones with the Lion and Sun order. In the late 1870's Lemaitre moved to the address 42 Rue Coquilliere listed on the backplate of this breast star. They moved again in 1901 to 5 bis Rue du Louvre, so this places the production of this medal from 1870 to 1901. A very fine French Jewelers edition of the Persian Lion and Sun.

Lemaitre 1st class Lion and Sun Order, close up of the medallion and back name plate.

[ramin7]

Hi Markus

I would love to know your take on the images i have posted to the group on the large unusual sun and lion centre circle medal

 

Thanks

[Markus]

Hi Ramen7,

 I agree that is probably Russian made. In Russia there have been quite a few reproductions of order medals. The quality doesn't appear too high and probably wasn't produced by a top jeweler firm. I have seen a number of similar items like the one you posted popping up on German EBay with low asking prices.

Best Regards,

Markus

[ramin7]

Hi all

How small do these orders come in? 

This one is seriously tiny. Looks like it was made for a doll house. It very nicely made though and why so small? Whats the point? 

 

Ps. Thanks markus for the reply

[Markus]

1 hour ago, ramin7 said:

This one is seriously tiny. Looks like it was made for a doll house. It very nicely made though and why so small? Whats the point? 

 

Generally the minurature medals were used in formal situations in which the recipient wore the small medal rather than the large medal to show their award, to better fit the occasion. For instance a cocktail party or formal event. Wearing the full size awards was limited to a few occasions. Many of the Grand orders where provided with a minurature medal as well as the regular size medal to cover all occasions.

Markus

[JapanX]

Just now, ramin7 said:

 it looks like the russian mades ones. but i am just guessing

Looks like fake to me  

[Mark_R69]

Gentlemen,

A fabulous forum and thread you have here. While researching medals and regalia on a historical Iranian figure, I cam across this site.

I've the following contribution. My great-grandfather: Esmail Momtaz od-Dowleh. He is the brother of Prince Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh; featured in earlier posts on this thread.

I'm attempting to ID Esmail Momtaz's  medals and related regalia. I provide his image on postcard below, followed by crop of his chest of medals, followed by a crop of the obverse of this related postcard. 

Third from left appears to be Order Lion and Sun similar in likeness to thread ID:349. Center medal appears to be Turkey Ottoman Empire Order of Osmani. I am in midst of researching. 

Any assistance with IDs greatly appreciated. Also, if there are experts that can be referred to, please let me know. --Mark

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by Mark_R69

[paja]

Greetings Mark and welcome to GMIC.
Amazing photography of your ancestor, thank you for sharing it with us. I've been able to identify two decorations, Serbian Order of the Cross of Takovo 1st class and Bulgarian Order of the Civil Merit 2nd class (so-called princely type).
I'm not sure about the rest, images are little bit blurry.
As for the decorations on the back side of the photo, second one from the left looks like Montenegrin Order of Danilo and third one is Ottoman Order of the Medjidie.
Regards

[Dragomir]

Lovely. Takovo 2nd Class, I presume.

Dragomir

[paja]

Apologies for the wrong attribution, thanks for the correction.
I remember reading an article about Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar's visit to Serbia in 1900. Perhaps Esmail Momtaz od-Dowleh was decorated with Takovo on that occasion. 

[paja]

Looks like one more Serbian recipient, artillery 2nd lieutenant, uniform from 1900. Second foreign order might be Medjidie.
Historical Museum of Serbia

Edited April 12, 2017 by paja

[pieter1012]

Hi all,

although not my main area of collecting, I could buy recently an attractive grand officer star of the Lion & the Sun for a reasonable price. It is a small 6 ray star (8cm diameter) and the ray at 4 o'clock looks repaired. The center medaillon is very nicely painted with an eye for details. It has no maker or silver marks, so I went through this long but very interesting thread on the order. What I learned is that most European made stars have a nameplate on the back, and that usually the grand officer star consists of 7 rays. Therefore I think my star could be a locally Persian made one.

Actually, in post nbrs 424 and 425 (2012) Owain pictures a similar small sized star. However he doesn't mention a maker or from which period it might be, so I wonder if Owain, if he reads this, or any other member of this forum could give me some information on the possible maker and time period.

Thanks and regards, Pieter

[ramin7]

Hi All

Who can help with the text of this?

I know the top line aays: the celebrated royal jewellers. Then it says in tehran. I think the last word says Ibrahim. I am not sure whats in the middle?

Its a really well made iranian made badge and i think there maybe a gold ring around the central enamel. 

Havent seen iranian made ones of this quality much. Except one Markus showed looong time ago. 

The front

Edited August 8, 2017 by ramin7

[JapanX]

Please show the obverse.

[ramin7]

2 minutes ago, JapanX said:

Please show the obverse.

Hi Japanx

I have showed both sides of the medal

[JapanX]

Indeed.

Thanks!

[oamotme]

Dear Mark,

Further to studying the photo of your grandfather I am almost certain that he is also wearing the Order of the Star of Ethiopia - instituted by Emperor Menelik II in the late 1880's. Do you have any idea as when the photograph was taken? The neck badge is of an early type and I would suggest he received it in the 1890's. Was he on a Mission to Addis Ababa.

Kind regards,

Owain

P.S. I suspect the big star in the centre is Ottoman.

[paja]

What an amazing piece!


Photo found HERE.

[paja]

Comparison with order shown by Markus, post #36 (page 2).
LINK

[paja]

Serbian politician and diplomat Jevrem Grujić (Јеврем Грујић), first class star?
Portrait by Stevan Todorović (Стеван Тодоровић) from 1888.



The rest of his decorations:
-Order of the White Eagle, 2nd Class (Serbia)
-Order of the Star of Takovo, 1st Class (Serbia)
-Medal for Devotion (Serbia)
-Legion of Honor, Grand Cross (France)
-Order of the Medjidie, 1st Class (Ottoman Empire)
-Order of Leopold I, Grand Cordon (Belgium)

Edited September 5, 2017 by paja