Hohenzollern, Princely House Order Insignia, Plate XLV, Wood Engraving, 1844

This original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, shows insignia of Hohenzollern. At the center (1) is a cross with black arms edged in gold and white, green laurel in the angles and a crown above, its center a crowned cipher within a blue lettered ring; beside it is the round reverse with a crowned, mantled shield quartered in black and white. Around it are a silver medal with the crowned and mantled quartered shield in a wreath (3), a gold medal with a crowned cipher in a wreath under a crown (2), a gold Maltese cross with the crowned quartered shield at its center (4), and a gold cross with a numeral (5), on white ribbons with black stripes and black ribbons edged in white.

The running head at upper left reads "HOHENZOLLERN." and the plate number at upper right "XLV."; the items are numbered 1 to 5. The blue ring of cross 1 carries the German legend for fidelity and merit, the motto of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, and cross 5 carries the numeral "XXV".

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.

The black and white of the Hohenzollern arms gives the plate a crisp, graphic look.

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