Item number: M231-5

Year: AD 1889-1914

Material: Gold and Enamel

Provenance: Morton & Eden 2024

This is a miniature version of the Order of the Crown of Italy. The Order of the Crown of Italy is a distinguished and historically significant order of chivalry in Italy. It was established by King Vittorio Emanuele II in AD 1868 to commemorate the unification of Italy in AD 1861. This order recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Italian nation and society across various fields. 

The order is divided into five classes based on both civil and military achievements.

The order features a white enamel-edged, gold-plated cross with curved arms, adorned with Savoy knots between each arm for decorative purposes. The central medallion on the obverse bears a Lombard Iron Crown against a blue enamel background. In the late Middle Ages, the crown was regarded as a legacy of the Lombard Kingdom and was used in the coronation of some Holy Roman Emperors as Kings of Italy, as depicted in the Austrian Iron Crown Order. The reverse side of the central medallion displays a black enamel eagle with a circular flag of the Savoy Duchy at its center, symbolizing the heritage of the Savoy dynasty. 

However, this miniature version omits the reverse design, using the Lombard Iron Crown on both sides as decoration.

Iron Crown of Lombardy: Considered one of the oldest royal insignia of Christendom, featuring six gold plates connected by hinges and stabilized by a 0.5-inch-wide inner iron ring, is adorned with jewels and enamel, reflecting Byzantine craftsmanship. Early descriptions did not mention the iron ring, scholars believe that it was possibly added in the 12th century, and only around 1585 or later, did the legend that the iron ring was made from the Crucifixion nail of Jesus Christ exist. Napoleon I once uttered the famous quote while putting the iron crown atop his head in AD 1805:
God has given it to me; beware he who touches it!
(Dio me l’ha data, guai a chi la tocca!)

In the political referendum of 1946 in Italy, the monarchy was abolished, leading to the establishment of the Italian Republic. Despite legal constraints on the order, Umberto II, unwilling to relinquish his honor and position, the order is continued to be awarded privately as a dynastic order of the House of Savoy until his death in AD 1983. 

Umberto II, the last reigning monarch of Italy, was forced to abdicate within a month of assuming office in May AD 1946 due to the referendum results. His brief rule earned him the epithet “the May King.” The order remained active, privately bestowed as a dynastic order by the House of Savoy until the cessation of conferrals following Umberto II’s demise in AD 1983.

物件編號: M231-5

年代: 公元 1889-1914 年

材質: 黃金和琺瑯

來源: 莫頓與伊登 2024

這是一枚迷你版的「義大利王冠勳章」。義大利王冠勳章是義大利其中一個傑出而歷史悠久的騎士勳章。由國王維托里奧·埃馬努埃萊二世於公元1868年設立，以紀念公元1861年義大利的統一。該勳章給予在各個領域中對意大利國家和社會作出傑出貢獻者肯定。 

騎士團總共依據民事和軍事功績分為五個等級:

騎士團的勳章是一個白色琺瑯製的邊緣彎曲的鍍金十字架，每個十字臂之間有薩伏伊結作為裝飾。正面中央圓盤上有藍色琺瑯背景的倫巴底鐵王冠 (在中世紀後期，皇冠被視為倫巴底王國的遺產，並被用作一些神聖羅馬帝國皇帝加冕為義大利國王的王冠。 如奧地利鐵王冠勳章所呈現)。背面中央圓盤上有一隻黑色琺瑯的雄鷹，雄鷹中央帶有圓形的薩伏伊公國旗幟的紅底白十字象徵。

不過這一枚迷你版省略背面的設計，兩面皆使用正面的倫巴底鐵王冠作為裝飾。

倫巴底鐵王冠：被認為是基督教世界中最古老的皇室象徵之一，六塊金板組成，透過鉸鏈連接，並由 0.5 英寸寬的內鐵環穩定住，飾有珠寶和琺瑯，體現了拜占庭工藝。 早期的紀錄中並沒有提到鐵環的存在，學者們認為可能是在 12 世紀時添加的，且直到 1585 年左右或之後鐵環才開始被形容為是由基督受難釘所做成的。 西元1805年，拿破崙一世將鐵王冠戴在頭上時曾說過一句名言：
天主賜給我的，得罪者必受懲罰！
(Dio me l’ha data，guai a chi la tocca!) 

在公元1946年義大利的政體公投中，義大利人民捨棄君主制，義大利共和國就此誕生，而後此騎士團不斷受到法律的壓制，翁貝托二世不願放棄其榮譽與地位，仍作為該騎士團的統帥掌握權力，此勳章一直繼續作為薩伏依王朝的王朝勳章私下授予，直到公元1983年翁貝托二世去世才不再頒發。 

翁貝托二世，為末任義大利國王，由於公元1946年義大利舉行的政體公投，使他上任後一個多月就被迫下台，因短暫的統治時間(公元1946年5月9日 – 1946年6月12日)，他也被稱為「五月國王」。