Orders of Denmark, Order of the Elephant and Dannebrog, Plate XIX, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing insignia of the Kingdom of Denmark. At the upper left is a silver star (1) with a gold ring and laurel wreath around a red center bearing a cross of studs. At the upper right a second star (4) is a white cross edged in red and gold, lettered and crowned, on silver rays. In the middle on the left is the badge of the Order of the Elephant (2): a white elephant with a blue cloth set with jewels, a red tower on its back and a dark rider holding a goad, hanging from a blue ribbon. Beside it the same cross as star 4, without rays (5), the cross of the Order of the Dannebrog. Below are two collars: on the left (3) two gold elephants with blue cloths marked D on either side of a tower, linked by chains; on the right (6) crowned W monograms and red and white crosses around a crowned C monogram.

The running head is printed "DANEMARCK." (Denmark) and the plate number "XIX.". The pieces are numbered 1 to 6. The crosses 4 and 5 read "GUD OG KONGEN" (God and the King), set out on the arms as OG, GUD, KON, GEN around a crowned W.

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 white elephant badge shown beside its collar makes this a distinctive plate to frame.

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