Orders of Russia, Virtuti Militari Insignia and Izmail Cross, Plate LXVIII, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing decorations under the heading of Russia. At upper left is a silver star bearing a black cross edged in gold, with a crowned gold eagle in a green wreath at the center. At upper right a gold cross with rounded arms and an oval central panel of lettering hangs from an orange and black striped ribbon. Below left a broad sash of blue and black stripes carries a crowned black cross edged in gold, with a white eagle in a gold wreath at the center. At lower right a silver cross with a script letter on each arm and a wreathed center of lettering hangs from a blue ribbon edged in black.

The running head reads "RUSSIE." and the plate number "LXVIII." The items are numbered 21 to 24. The arms of the black crosses, items 21 and 22, read "VIR TUTI MILI TARI" (Latin, for military valor). The cross of item 23 is lettered "REX ET PATRIA 1831" (Latin, king and country, 1831). The gold cross of item 24 is cut "N3MANAP ВЗЯТЬ АЕКАЬРЯ II 1790", a garbled rendering of the Russian for Izmail taken, December 11, 1790.

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 strong black and gold crosses read clearly from a distance on a wall.

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