Great Britain, Order of the Bath Insignia, Plate XXXIV, Wood Engraving, 1844

This original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, shows insignia of the Order of the Bath. At upper left (10) is a breast star: a gold cross with patterned arms laid over pale blue rays, the center holding three gold crowns on white within a red ring and a green laurel wreath, with a scroll beneath. At upper right (11) is a smaller silver rayed star with the same center. Across the middle runs a section of collar (12): a gold crown, silver and blue knots, sprigs of rose and thistle, and an oval gold badge with crowns, a scepter and flowers. Lower left (13) is the badge, a white-enameled gold Maltese cross with ball tips and lions in the angles, hung from a crown on a red ribbon, its center again showing a sprig of rose, thistle and shamrock with three crowns. Lower right (14) is a further gold collar section with crowned harps and a green roundel bearing a red rose.

The running head at upper left reads "GRANDE BRETAGNE." (Great Britain) and the plate number at upper right "XXXIV."; the items are numbered 10 to 14. The red rings of the stars carry the Latin motto "TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO" (three joined in one), and the scrolls beneath read "ICH DIEN", German for "I serve".

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. The illustrations are relief prints, wood engravings colored by hand with watercolor.

With its strong reds, greens and gold, the plate makes a clear display piece for a collection of British orders.

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