Item number: M49-3

Year: AD 1855-1870

Material: Gold, Silver and Enamel

Size: 30.5 x 17.79 mm

Provenance: Künker 2023

This set of miniature chain consists of three miniatures, from left to right, including Red Eagle Order, type IV, Order of the Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and The National Order of the Legion of Honour, 2nd Empire.

The National Order of the Legion of Honour, 2nd Empire

The Legion of Honour, instituted in AD 1802 during Napoleon Bonaparte’s first consulship, serves as a merit-based order designed to commend individuals—both military and civilian—for their outstanding service to the nation. Its inception aimed to reinforce the legitimacy of his rule, with conceptual roots traceable to Louis XIV’s establishment of the Order of Saint Louis and the Saint Louis Medal in AD 1693.

The Legion of Honour consists of five hierarchical ranks corresponding to military positions: Knight (chevalier), Officer (officier), Commander (commandeur), Grand Officer (grand officier), and Grand Cross (grand-croix).

This miniature belong to the period of the Second Empire. After the overthrow of the July Monarchy in AD 1848, the French Second Republic was proclaimed, and Louis-Napoleon, who seized power through a coup, became the president. In AD 1851, he declared himself emperor, initiating the Second Empire, which lasted for over 18 years. The design of the order during this period closely resembles that of the First Empire, with the main distinction lying in the arch shape of the crown. In the order, the crown is adorned with the imperial symbol of the eagle, whereas during the First Empire, a trefoil was used for embellishment.

The obverse of the miniature features the portrait of Napoleon I, encircled by the inscription “Napoleon Empereur des Francais” (Napoleon Emperor of the French). The reverse side features the iconic symbol of the Napoleonic era—the eagle—surrounded by the inscription “Honneur et Patrie” (Honour and Fatherland). Encircling the central emblem is a white-enamelled five-pointed star, incorporating design elements from the Maltese cross and the insignia of the old French orders of chivalry. The surrounding elements include green enamel laurel leaves and oak leaves, with the top of the order adorned with a crown symbolizing royal authority.

Upon receiving these honors, recipients frequently commission private jewelers to create miniatures for convenient carrying or display alongside other decorations. Subsequently, after the death of the decorated individual, governments typically requested the return of the original medals, making the miniatures cherished heirlooms for future generations. Workshops would provide different price quotes based on the size and material specifications.

物件編號: M49-3

年代: 公元 1855-1870 年

材質: 黃金, 白銀和琺瑯

尺寸: 30.5 x 17.79 mm

來源: 昆克拍賣 2023

此迷你版勳章鍊條包含三個迷你版勳章，由左至右分別為第四型紅鷹勳章、聖莫里茲和拉撒路騎士勳章，以及第二帝國榮譽軍團勳章。

第二帝國時期榮譽軍團勳章

此枚為法國的官方版指揮官級榮譽軍團勳章。榮譽軍團是拿破崙擔任第一執政時於公元1802年創設的勳位，頒予對國家有功績的軍人和平民，旨在希望能夠強化自身的統治合法性，其概念構想發源於路易十四在公元1693年建立的聖路易騎士團和聖路易勳章。 

榮譽軍團成員分為五種勳位級別，對應到五個軍階，分別是騎士級 (chevalier)、軍官級(officer)、指揮官級commander、大軍官級(grand officer)、和大十字級(grand cross) 。

此枚迷你版勳章屬於第二帝國時期。公元1848年，七月王朝被推翻後，法蘭西第二共和國宣告成立，通過政變取得政權的路易·拿破崙成為總統，他在公元1851年稱帝，開始了長達18年多的第二帝國時期。 此時期勳章的設計和第一帝國時期十分相似，不同之處在於皇冠的拱形上，此勳章使用帝國象徵的雄鷹裝飾，而第一帝國時期則使用三葉草點綴。

此迷你版勳章的正面為拿破崙一世的肖像，外圈銘文為「法蘭西拿破崙帝國」(Napoleon Empereur des Francais)，背面則是拿破崙王朝的經典象徵—雄鷹，背面的外圈銘文刻有「榮譽與祖國」(Honneur et Patrie)。圍繞勳章中心的是白色分岔的五角星，此種概念吸收了馬爾他十字和法國舊騎士團的勳章設計，周圍環繞的是綠色琺瑯製造的月桂葉和橡樹葉，勳章頂部則是作為王室威權象徵的皇冠。

受勳者在獲得勳章後，通常會委託民間珠寶工匠製作復刻品，以方便攜帶或與其他勳章一同展示。再來當受勳者逝世後，政府通常會要求遺族上繳勳章，復刻品便成為供後人留念的傳家寶。工坊則會依據尺寸和材質提供不同報價。