Abu Dhabi

[Megan]

Here is the Collar and Grand Cordon Star of the Order of Al Nahayyan. There's a story to these: they were made by my friend the master goldsmith James Miller - quite a rush job as the Emir was due to visit the UK and wished to present them to HM The Queen and so they were hand-made as steel dies could not be prepared in time!

[oamotme]

_{Dear Megan,}

_{Nice pictures of this very incredibly scarce award - Spink had a cased set for sale in the late 1980's hallmarked 18ct gold, 1973, and engraved, "Algernon Asprey Ltd. 27 Bruton Street London." The star differs slightly as the central red circle on this later example reads, "Order of Al Nahyan the Great 1969". Your star must be the only example of the 1st Type, and then after the rush of getting it ready for the Queen, a 2nd Type was manufactured at more sedate pace. From my notes I have recorded awards to Sultan Qaboos in 1973 and also to President Zulfiqar Bhutto of Pakistan - date unknown.}

_{KInd regards, Owain}

[Megan]

I've now sourced a good image of the 2nd Type collar & star which will be posted shortly

[oamotme]

Megan,

I have this one from an old Spink (?) catalogue.

I did have the catalogue but misplaced it may years ago and this image aquired later is slightly cropped

Regards,

Owain

[peter monahan]

I think I prefer type 2, but either way, brilliant work, both of you. Thanks for sharing!

Peter

[Jamille]

The original set was made by me for Asprey of Bond Street in 1972 when I worked at a goldsmiths based in Soho, London, named Padgett & Braham Ltd. When Algernon Asprey left the Asprey family firm and started his own business in Bruton Street he also took the commission for this Abu Dhabi order from Asprey, So I had to get a new set of dies made so that we could make the order for Algernon Asprey, there were other levels of this order, made in silver and gilding metal. 

 

James

[Megan]

Thank you for the additional information, James

[Jamille]

Megan, when sorting out some of my old boxes I found these stampings of Abu Dhabi regalia bits. 

[oamotme]

James,

Many thanks for posting this information and pictures. From my limited Arabic the "Aal Nahyan" (Aal as opposed to Al = the) on the badge translates as 'Nahyan Family' (or tribe). The inscription on the star reads, "Wissam Aal Nahyan Al Akbar" -Order of the Great Nahyan Family.

Kind regards,

Owain

[Jamille]

James,

Many thanks for posting this information and pictures. From my limited Arabic the "Aal Nahyan" (Aal as opposed to Al = the) on the badge translates as 'Nahyan Family' (or tribe). The inscription on the star reads, "Wissam Aal Nahyan Al Akbar" -Order of the Great Nahyan Family.

Kind regards,

Owain

Thanks for the translation Owain, if you are interested I have also made every British order from CBEs up to the Order of the Garter during my long career. I also made 4 Field Marshalls Batons. I also made some of the the orders for Oman, starting in the 1970s, I also made the Jordanian order  Al Hussein ibn Ali a few times in the early 1980s. I stopped making regalia in 1885 when I started my own business but I still made items for Arab customers, like this.

Regards, James

 

[Jamille]

This was the first Abu Dhabi set that I made

[oamotme]

James, Many thanks for posting these images - it is good to know that there is a 1st Type and  2nd Type of this order and the reasons why. I suspect that any likelihood of any collector acquiring either is remote to say the least! Regards, Owain