Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, Teutonic Order and Templars, Lithograph, 1842

An original antique lithograph with hand coloring, from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). In the upper image a young knight in an open helmet, a blue tunic with red crosses and a white cloak bearing a red cross gestures with his right hand, a red sheathed sword at his side; beside him a knight in plate leg armor and an orange skirt wears a white cloak with a black cross. In the lower image a bearded knight in armor, with a yellow surcoat patterned and marked with a black cross, holds a long sword upright and rests his hand on a red shield with a black and white cross and an eagle. Next to him a bearded knight in mail, a white turban and a long white mantle with a red cross leans on his sword.

The top margin is lettered Tom. IV at upper left, "FRANCIA" at center and Tav. 33 at upper right. The captions read "Cav. del S. Sepolcro" (Knight of the Holy Sepulchre), "Cav. Teutonico" (Teutonic Knight), "Gran Maestro dell' Ordine Teutonico" (Grand Master of the Teutonic Order) and "Cav. Templario" (Knight Templar).

The Knights Templar and the Teutonic Order were military religious orders that arose in the crusader states of the twelfth century. The red cross on a white mantle was the sign of the Templars and the black cross on white that of the Teutonic Knights; the Order of the Holy Sepulchre takes its name from the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The white mantles and bold crosses give this plate a clear graphic quality that holds up well framed.

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