Orders of Brazil, Order of the Rose and Southern Cross, Plate XVI, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing insignia of the Empire of Brazil. At the upper left a six pointed white star edged in gold (5) is set in a green wreath of pink roses, with the cipher P.A in a gold ring at the center; its badge (6) hangs below on the left from a crown and a pink ribbon edged in white. These are the insignia of the Order of the Rose. At the upper right a five pointed white star over gold rays (1) has a blue ring around a gold eagle holding a shield with the cipher PI; its crowned badge (2) hangs at the lower right on a dark green ribbon. In the center a gold rayed star (3) has a blue ring around four white stars on light blue, the stars of the Southern Cross, and below it a crowned white cross with green laurel between the arms (4) shows the head of Emperor Pedro I, on a light blue ribbon, with a small disk of the four stars.

The running head is printed "BRESIL." (Brazil) and the plate number "XVI.". The pieces are numbered 1 to 6. The rose star and badge read "AMOR ET FIDELIOS" (love and the faithful) around "P.A"; the eagle star and badge carry a legend beginning "FUNDATOR DEL IMPERIO" (founder of the empire) and naming Brazil; the sun star and small disk read "PRAEMIUM BENE MERENTIUM" (reward of the well deserving); and badge 4 reads "PETRUS I BRASILIÆ IMPERATOR" (Peter I, Emperor of Brazil).

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 pink roses, blue enamels and gold rays make this a bright, decorative plate.

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