Orders of Mecklenburg, Medals and Service Crosses, Plate XLVIII, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing decorations of Mecklenburg. At the top left, item 3 shows both faces of a medal on a pale blue ribbon with red and yellow edges: a silver obverse with a portrait bust in profile and a gold reverse with a lettered inscription between two small rosettes. At the top right, items 1 and 2 are an oval silver medal with an upright sword and a sprig of leaves dividing a date, on a pale blue ribbon with red and yellow edges. In the middle row, item 5 is a bronze cross with a roman numeral in its center and item 6 a bronze cross with a crowned script monogram on a silver center. Below, items 4 and 7 are a gold cross with a roman numeral on a red ribbon edged in pale blue and yellow, and item 8 is a pale silver cross with a crowned monogram on a gold center.

The running head reads "MECKLEMBOURG." and the plate number "XLVIII." The portrait side of item 3 is lettered "FRIEDERICH FRANZ HEBZOG ZU MECKLENBURG" (Friedrich Franz, Duke of Mecklenburg, the title spelled as engraved), and its reverse "DEM REDLICHEN MANNE UND DEM GUTEN BURGER" (to the upright man and the good citizen). The oval medal is dated "18 13" either side of the sword. The crosses carry the numerals "X" and "XXV."

The plate comes from Ordres de Chevalerie et Marques d'Honneur, published by Auguste Wahlen at Brussels, 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 orders of Prussia, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Hanover, Greece, the Roman States, Saxe-Coburg and Brazil. The plates are relief prints, wood engravings colored by hand with watercolor.

The plate frames well alone or with other German subjects.

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