Orders of Portugal, Saint Isabel and Vila Viçosa Insignia, Plate LIX, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing insignia of Portugal. At upper left is a star crowned with a royal crown, its white and gold rays set with small pale blue stars, and a blue ring around a gold center bearing a script monogram. At upper right a smaller crowned badge of the same design hangs from a blue and white striped ribbon. Below, on a large bow of pink and white, hangs a crowned oval badge framed in gold roses: within a green wreath a woman in a red cloak and blue gown takes the hand of a poor man seated on the steps, and a blue scroll runs beneath. At the foot is the reverse, an oval with a blue lettered border and a gold script monogram on white under a small wreath.

The running head reads "PORTUGAL." and the plate number "LIX." The items are numbered 14, 15 and 16. The blue ring of star 14 reads "PADROEIRA DO REINO." and that of badge 15 "PADROEIRA. DO REINO" (patroness of the kingdom), the motto of the Order of Our Lady of the Conception of Vila Viçosa. The scroll on badge 16 reads "PAUPERUM SOLATIOI." (Latin, comfort of the poor), and the reverse is lettered "REAL ORDEN DE SANTA ISABEL." (Royal Order of Saint Isabel) with the date "MDCCCI." (1801).

The plate comes from Ordres de Chevalerie et Marques d'Honneur, published by Auguste Wahlen at Brussels by the 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 illustrations are relief prints, wood engravings, colored by hand with watercolor.

The pink bow and the small figure scene make this a lively sheet among the more formal stars of the series.

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