Orders of Bavaria, Ludwig Cross for Fifty Years Service, Plate XII, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing insignia of the Kingdom of Bavaria. At the upper left is a crowned gold cross (27) with a profile portrait of King Ludwig in a round center, on a violet ribbon with light blue stripes; the small gold disk beside it (26) bears a looped monogram. At the upper right hangs a crowned cross (23) with dark blue arms edged in white and gold, small blue and white checky lozenges in the angles, and a white center with a gold letter T in a ring of green clover leaves, on a white and light blue ribbon. In the center a crowned white cross (25) shows a haloed woman in a red cloak handing alms to a seated beggar before a church, on a light blue ribbon edged in violet. To the left is a green wreath (28) enclosing a German inscription, to the right a gold disk (24) dated 1827. A section of gold collar (29) runs across the foot: a winged figure, an oval of Bavarian lozenges between step patterned bars and arrows, and a blue medallion with a standing figure.

The running head reads "BAVIÈRE." (Bavaria) and the plate number "XII.". The pieces are numbered 23 to 29. The arms of cross 27 read "LUDWIG KÖNIG VON BAYERN" (Ludwig, King of Bavaria), with VON cut upside down; the wreath 28 reads "FÜR EHREN VOLLE FUNFZIG DIENSTES JAHRE" (for fifty years of honorable service). Disk 24 bears the date "1827." within a ring legend.

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

The figured center of the white cross and the varied ribbons make this a lively plate to frame.

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