Orders of the Netherlands, Order of the Netherlands Lion, Plate LIII, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing insignia of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. At the upper left, item 6 is a gold breast star of pointed rays with a white cross and a blue center. At the upper right, item 7 is a crowned gold cross with white arms and a blue center. In the middle, item 8 is the crowned badge on a blue ribbon with orange stripes: a white Maltese cross with gold scrolls between the arms and, at its gold center, a crowned lion rampant; the blue reverse medallion is drawn below. At the bottom, item 9 shows both faces of a silver medal on a blue and orange ribbon, one lettered between two stars and the other showing the crowned lion with sword and arrows standing on the ground.

The running head reads "PAYS-BAS." and the plate number "LIII." The blue centers of items 6 and 7, the reverse medallion of item 8 and the lettered face of item 9 read "VIRTUS NOBILI TAT", broken over three lines (Latin, virtue ennobles), the motto of the order. The items are numbered 6 to 9, continuing from the previous Netherlands plate.

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 rich gold of the star and the blue and orange ribbons make this a handsome single plate for a Dutch collection.

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