Item number: M412

Year: AD 1911

Material: Gold

Size: 35.0 x 20.3 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 3.95 g

Manufactured by: CF Rothe & Neffe Juweliere GmbH, Wien

Provenance:

1.Künker 2024

2.Dr. Alexander Eugen Duke of Württemberg

3.Nadejda Princess of Bulgaria

4.Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria

The decoration is the neck insignia accompanying the Order of the Golden Fleece, serving as a substitute for the formal collar when wearing the latter is impractical.

The obverse of the insignia features a suspended golden fleece, hanging from an ignited flint. The flint and flames are rendered in blue and red enamel as symbolic elements. The flint is connected to the firesteel, which is fashioned in the shape of the letter “B” and similarly crafted in blue enamel, representing Burgundy. The firesteel was the personal emblem of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, the founder of the Order of the Golden Fleece. This emblem also appeared on silver coins minted during his reign. Between the flint and the firesteel, a horizontal panel bears a miniature relief depicting the mythological tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece, most likely illustrating the moment Jason confronts the dragon guarding the fleece.

The reverse of the insignia is flat and unadorned, suggesting a simplified version. In some variants, both sides feature enamel and relief decoration. The enamelled firesteel on the obverse is typically inscribed with Pretium Laborum Non Vile, which translates to “No Mean Reward for Labours.” The reverse often bears the inscription Non Aliud, a reference to the original regulation of the Order, which stipulated that knights, apart from the sovereign, could not pledge allegiance to any other chivalric order.

The Order of the Golden Fleece is one of the most prestigious and oldest chivalric orders in Europe. It was founded in AD 1430 by the Duke of Burgundy on the occasion of his marriage to a Portuguese princess, celebrating the prosperity of his duchy. The Order was established to uphold the Catholic faith, protect Christendom, and strengthen the political influence of the Duchy of Burgundy. Its name originates from the Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece, symbolising honour, trial, and the ultimate reward. The fleece is also interpreted within a Christian context as a reference to the biblical storey of Gideon’s fleece in the Book of Judges, thus bestowing a religious significance upon the Order.

Following the dissolution of the Duchy of Burgundy, the leadership of the Order passed to the Habsburg dynasty through marriage alliances, leading to its division into two branches: the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece (initially governed by the Spanish Habsburgs and later by the Spanish monarchy) and the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece (administered by the Austrian Habsburgs). Both branches regard themselves as the legitimate continuation of the original Order and remain active. The Spanish branch has since been reconstituted as a national order, conferred by the king on behalf of the government, while the Austrian branch continues to be awarded by members of the Habsburg family to royals and nobles in recognition of friendship, loyalty, and merit.

This particular insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece was conferred in AD 1911 by Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and then Grand Master of the Order, upon Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria. Ferdinand belonged to the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry family, which maintained close ties with the Habsburgs. His grandfather served in the Austrian Empire and, during the Napoleonic Wars, was stationed in multiple locations before attaining the rank of major general. Subsequently, through marriage to a Hungarian noblewoman from the Koháry family, he became a major landowner in the Kingdom of Hungary. Ferdinand’s father served in the Electorate of Saxony and sided with Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. Ferdinand himself resided in Vienna for an extended period; his godfather was Archduke Maximilian of Austria, who later became Emperor of Mexico, and his brother was Franz Joseph I. As a result, Ferdinand maintained a close affinity with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Additionally, since Bulgaria had only recently gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, the conferment of a decoration from such an ancient chivalric order may have contributed to the legitimisation of his reign.

In AD 1918, following military setbacks, Ferdinand abdicated in favour of his son, Boris III. During his exile in Coburg, he attended the wedding of his youngest daughter, HRH Princess Nadezhda Klementine Maria Pia Majella of Bulgaria, to HRH Duke Albrecht of Württemberg.

Albrecht’s fourth son, HRH Duke Alexander Eugen of Württemberg, was deeply interested in history, art history, and archaeology, ultimately earning a doctorate. His areas of expertise included art history, jewellery, genealogy, heraldry, and the study of orders and decorations. Throughout his career, he worked in various libraries, auction houses, and museums. He remained unmarried and passed away in AD 2024.

It is plausible that this neck insignia was initially gifted by Ferdinand I to his daughter, Nadezhda, who subsequently bequeathed it to her son, Alexander Eugen. Although it was a family heirloom, according to the regulations of the Order of the Golden Fleece, individuals who were not members of the Order were prohibited from wearing it on formal occasions.

C. F. Rothe & Neffe was a Viennese jeweller that held the title of kaiserlicher und königlicher Hoflieferant (Imperial and Royal Court Supplier). In AD 1855, Emperor Franz Joseph I appointed the company as the official court goldsmith. It was responsible for producing insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece for the Habsburg dynasty and papal orders such as the Order of St. Sylvester and the Order of St. Gregory. The company ceased operations in AD 2005. It is likely that this insignia and its accompanying neck decoration were designed by this firm.

物件編號: M399

年代: 公元 1911 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 102.3 x 37.3 x 6.3 mm

重量: 27.2 g

製造地: C. F. 羅特珠寶商有限公司, 維也納

來源:

1.昆克 2024

2.符騰堡公爵亞歷山大·歐根博士

3.保加利亞公主娜傑日達

4.保加利亞沙皇斐迪南一世

該飾品為頒授金羊毛騎士團勳章時所附之領徽(neck insignia)，作為無法佩帶正式鏈章(collar)時的替代。

領飾的正面為被懸吊起來的金色綿羊皮，懸掛於引燃的燧石之上，燧石與火焰以藍色與紅色的琺瑯作為象徵。燧石再與火鐮相連接，火鐮呈字母「B」形狀，同樣為藍色琺瑯所製，代表了勃艮第(Burgundy)。火鐮是金羊毛騎士團創立者，勃艮第「好人」腓力三世(Philip the Good)的個人徽記，這個徽記也出現在其鑄造的銀幣之上。火鐮與燧石中間有一橫幕，上有微型浮雕，描繪了伊阿宋與金羊毛的故事，應為伊阿宋面對守護金羊毛之惡龍的場景。

領飾的背面平坦而無任何裝飾，可能為較簡略的版本。在一些版本中，兩面皆有琺瑯與浮雕裝飾，正面的琺瑯火鐮上應書有「Pretium Laborum Non Vile」，可譯為「勞苦必得嘉獎」，背面的琺瑯火鐮上應書有「Non Aliud」，此為騎士團最初的規定，即君主以外的騎士團成員不可轉仕於其他騎士團。

金羊毛騎士團(Order of the Golden Fleece)是歐洲最負盛名且最古老的騎士團之一，由勃艮第公爵於公元1430年，其與葡萄牙公主大婚之際創立，以慶賀公國的富饒。其設立目的在於維護天主教信仰、保護基督教世界，並強化勃艮第公國的政治影響力。騎士團的名稱源自希臘神話中伊阿宋與金羊毛的故事，象徵榮譽、試煉與至高獎賞，同時也被解釋為《聖經·士師記》中基甸的羊毛，賦予了其宗教意涵。

勃艮第公國滅亡後，金羊毛騎士團的統帥權轉移至其姻親哈布斯堡王室，並自此分為兩個分支：西班牙金羊毛騎士團(初由哈布斯堡西班牙分支統領，後由西班牙國王統領)與奧地利金羊毛騎士團(由哈布斯堡奧地利分支統領)。這兩個分支均視自己為騎士團的合法繼承者，並持續活躍。西班牙金羊毛騎士團現改為為國家級勳章，由政府頒布，國王綬予。奧地利金羊毛騎士團則由哈布斯堡王室成員授勳予各皇室及貴族，以表彰其友誼、忠誠與功績。

該金羊毛騎士團勳章為公元1911年，由時任大團長，奧匈帝國皇帝法蘭茲·約瑟夫一世綬予時任保加利亞沙皇的斐迪南一世。斐迪南一世所屬的薩克森-科堡-哥達-科哈里家族(Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry)，與哈布斯堡家族關係密切。其祖父仕於奧地利帝國，於拿破崙戰爭中轉站多處，最終官拜少將。其後與匈牙利貴族科哈里家族聯姻，成為匈牙利王國的大貴族。其父仕於薩克森選侯國，於普奧戰爭中加入奧地利陣營。斐迪南一世長期居於維也納，教父為日後成為墨西哥皇帝的奧地利大公馬克西米利安，其兄即為法蘭茲·約瑟夫一世。是故，斐迪南一世長期親近奧匈帝國。此外，由於保加利亞帝國甫自鄂圖曼帝國獨立，來自古老騎士團的綬勳可能為其王位增添了合法性與正統性。公元1918年，由於軍事上的挫折，斐迪南一世讓位與其子鮑里斯三世。流亡祖地科堡期間，他出席了其么女，保加利亞公主娜傑日達·克萊門汀·瑪麗亞·皮亞·瑪耶拉(Nadezhda Klementine Maria Pia Majella)與符騰堡王儲阿爾布雷希特(Duke Albrecht of Württemberg)的婚禮。

阿爾布雷希特四子，符騰堡公爵亞歷山大·歐根(Duke Alexander Eugen of Württemberg)，醉心於歷史、藝術史及考古學，後獲博士學位。其專長為藝術史、珠寶、家譜學、紋章學與勳章制度，輾轉於各圖書館、拍賣行與博物館任職，一生未婚，於公元2024年去世。

該領飾可能為斐迪南一世贈與其女娜傑日達，娜傑日達復贈與其子亞歷山大·歐根。雖然該領飾為家傳之物，但按金羊毛騎士團規定，非成員無法於正式場合佩帶。

C. F. 羅特珠寶商有限公司是維也納的珠寶商，曾為帝國與皇室宮廷供應商(kaiserlicher und königlicher Hoflieferant)，公元1855年，該公司被法蘭茲·約瑟夫一世任命為宮廷金匠，為哈布斯堡王朝製造金羊毛勳章，為教廷製作聖西爾維斯特和聖格雷戈里勳章。公元2005年，公司關閉。該金羊毛騎士團勳章及領飾可能由該公司設計。