France, Legion of Honor and July 1830 Decorations, Plate XXXI, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand with watercolor, showing French decorations. At the top is a silver star of five double points, with tricolor flags between the rays and a gold center showing a laureate bearded head within a lettered ring. At middle left a white-enameled star cross with gold edges and a green wreath between the arms hangs from a gold royal crown on a red watered ribbon; its blue ring surrounds a gold head, and its reverse shows crossed tricolor flags. At middle right a white star cross with a green wreath hangs from a silver mural crown on a light blue ribbon with red stripes; its red ring surrounds a gold center with a cockerel. At the foot two silver medals hang on a blue, white and red ribbon: one with three interlaced rings, the other with a cockerel in a wreath.

The running head reads "FRANCE." and the plate number "XXXI." The items are numbered 1 to 4. The star 1 and the reverse of the cross 2 read "HONNEUR ET PATRIE" (honor and fatherland), the motto of the Legion of Honor, and the cross 2 names "HENRI IV". The cross 3 reads "PATRIE ET LIBERTE" (fatherland and liberty), and its reverse "DONNÉ PAR LE ROI DES FRANCAIS" (given by the king of the French) around a center lettered with the dates of 27, 28 and 29 July 1830. The medals 4 read "PATRIE LIBERTE" and "JUILLET 1830" around the dates in three rings and "A SES DEFENSEURS : LA PATRIE RECONNAISSANTE" (to its defenders, the grateful fatherland).

The plate comes from Ordres de Chevalerie et Marques d'Honneur, published by Auguste Wahlen in Brussels by the Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek, 12, in 1844. The half title reads Histoire, costumes, décorations de tous les ordres de chevalerie, et marques d'honneur. Auguste Wahlen was the pen name of the Belgian writer Jean-François-Nicolas Loumyer (1801 to 1875), and the title page lists his own knighthoods in the orders of Prussia, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Hanover, Greece, the Roman States, Saxe-Coburg and Brazil.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.