Item number: M429

Year: AD 1815-1918

Material: Silver, Gold and Enamel

Size: 57.1 x 14.7 x 4.9 mm

Weight: 3.2 g

Provenance: Katz Auction 2025

This is the miniature version of the Knight Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion, intended to be worn with formal civilian dress, such as a tailcoat, rather than military uniform.

At the centre of the obverse is a circular medallion framed in gold, depicting the ancestral emblem of the House of Zähringen—the Castle of Zähringen. The four arms of the cross radiate symmetrically around the medallion; the ends of the arms are broader than their bases, and their fronts are filled with green, convex, semi-cylindrical glass enamel, bevelled at the tips. The spaces between the arms are filled with foliate silver ornament.

The reverse bears a circular medallion with the Zähringer family arms: a gold upright lion on a red enamel field. Above the medallion is a soldered suspension ring, linked to a second ring attached to the reverse of the gold oak leaf, from which the ribbon is also suspended. The ribbon is green, bordered on each side by a yellow stripe set slightly inward from the edge.

This decoration belongs to the Knight Second Class. It consists of an equal-armed cross, with arm-ends broader than their roots and with hook-shaped ornaments filling the spaces between the arms. Each arm is filled on the front with convex green glass enamel, bevelled at the tips. At the centre is a gold-edged medallion depicting the emblematic Zähringen Castle. The reverse medallion shows a gold upright lion on a red enamel ground. Above the cross hangs a hollow gold oak leaf composed of three leaves, from which the ribbon ring is suspended. The ribbon is green with orange-yellow stripes along its borders.

The Order of the Zähringer Lion was instituted by Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of the Grand Duchy of Baden on 26 December AD 1812, the name day of his consort, Grand Duchess Stéphanie. It is recognised as one of the most aesthetically distinguished decorations among the orders of the German states. After AD 1815, recipients who had rendered exceptional service were awarded a gold oak leaf affixed above the insignia; this leaf originally bore a stamped “L” for Grand Duke Leopold, a practice discontinued in AD 1866 when Grand Duke Friedrich I revised the relevant statutes. After AD 1866, decorations awarded for military merit were distinguished by crossed swords.

At its establishment in AD 1812, the order comprised three classes: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight. Subsequent reforms introduced further differentiation, including the division of the Commander class into First and Second Class in AD 1840, of which the First Class was accompanied by a breast star, and the division of the Knight class into First and Second Class in AD 1866. The Knight Second Class was manufactured in silver, whereas the higher classes were produced in gold. Around AD 1910, the Commander grades began to be made in silver gilt.

The emergence and expansion of the modern Grand Duchy of Baden were largely shaped by the geopolitical transformations of the Napoleonic Wars. Through the Treaty of Pressburg and the Confederation of the Rhine, Baden acquired extensive new territories and, in AD 1806, was elevated to the status of a grand duchy, becoming a middle-ranking state within the Napoleonic system. After the Congress of Vienna in AD 1815, Baden became a member of the German Confederation and an important political entity in Upper Germany. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the grand duchy developed a comparatively liberal legal and administrative order. Grand Duke Carl and his successors promoted modernising reforms in judicial institutions, civil rights and education. The constitution promulgated in AD 1818 was among the most liberal in the German states, establishing parliamentary structures and civil liberties and providing a relatively stable constitutional framework. However, during the revolutions of AD 1848–1849, Baden became one of the principal centres of revolutionary activity; reformist and republican forces briefly seized power, advocating universal male suffrage and a republican form of government. Their rule was ultimately suppressed by Prussian troops, and Baden returned to a constitutional-monarchical structure. After the Austro-Prussian War, Baden aligned itself closely with Prussia militarily and joined the North German Confederation during the Franco-Prussian War. In AD 1871, Baden entered the newly founded German Empire as a state retaining a high degree of internal autonomy. Although the grand duke remained the nominal ruler, defence, foreign policy and monetary affairs were governed at the imperial level.

Culturally and socially, the grand duchy developed an extensive educational system, sophisticated administrative institutions and major urban public works throughout the nineteenth century, including law faculties, theatres, museums and scientific societies. With the defeat of the German Empire in AD 1918, Grand Duke Friedrich II abdicated, the monarchy was abolished and the state was reorganised as the Republic of Baden within the Weimar Republic. The political structures of the former grand duchy were consequently dissolved, marking the end of a polity that had endured for more than a century.

物件編號: M429

年代: 公元 1815-1918 年

材質: 銀, 黃金和琺瑯

尺寸: 57.1 x 14.7 x 4.9 mm

重量: 3.2 g

來源: 捷克Katz 拍賣 2025

此為騎士二級扎林格雄獅勳章的迷你版，用以著非軍服正裝(例如燕尾服)時配戴。

勳章正面中央為金色描邊的圓盤，圓盤上繪有家族的象徵——扎林格城堡。圓盤四周十字四臂等距，但十字末端較根部寬大，十字臂正面填充綠色半圓凸起玻璃琺瑯。填充物末端磨成斜角。十字臂之間的空間填滿花葉紋銀飾。

勳章的背面圓盤繪有以紅色琺琅為底的金色直立雄獅，為扎林格家族紋章。章緣上方有焊有圓環，與金橡葉背面圓環相扣，綬帶則再與金橡葉相扣。綬帶底色呈綠色，兩側各一道黃帶與邊緣稍微相隔。

此勳章屬於騎士二級，呈等臂十字型，但十字末端較根部寬大，十字臂之間有彎鈎狀飾物。十字臂正面填充綠色半圓凸起玻璃琺瑯。填充物末端磨成斜角。十字臂之間的空間填滿彎鈎狀飾物，中央為金色描邊的圓盤，圓盤上繪有家族的象徵——扎林格雄城堡。勳章的背面圓盤繪有以紅色琺琅為底的金色直立雄獅。勳章上方為空心的橡葉，由3片葉子組成，懸掛在此處。緞帶環懸掛在橡葉的頂部。 該勳章的緞帶是綠色的，邊緣有橙黃色條紋。

扎林格雄獅勳章由巴登大公國大公卡爾·弗里德里希(Karl Friedrich) 於公元1812年12月26日設立，該日亦為大公夫人史蒂芬妮的命名日。扎林格雄獅勳章是公認最漂亮的德意志邦國勳章之一。公元1815年後，如果受勳者作出了獨特的貢獻，他們的勳章上方會有黃金打造的橡樹葉，葉子上刻有「L」的戳記，代表大公利奧波德(Leopold)，直到公元1866年大公腓特烈一世(Friedrich I)修改相關的法規，將「L」移除。公元1866年後如果受勳者是因為軍功而被授予此枚勳章，他們的勳章上會有交叉的雙劍。

在公元1812年設立時，扎林格雄獅勳章分為三級——大十字級、指揮級及騎士級，及後經歷多次修改，包括公元1840年將指揮官級分為一級及二級，其中指揮一級同時獲頒星章；公元1866年將騎士級亦分為一級及二級。二階騎士勳章由銀打造，其餘勳章的原材料為金。公元1910年左右，指揮級勳章改為銀鍍金。

巴登大公國近代的形成與擴張主要源於拿破崙戰爭的重塑。經由《普雷斯堡和約》與《萊因邦聯條約》，巴登獲得大片新領土，並於公元1806年正式升格為「大公國」，成為拿破崙體系中的中等強國。公元1815年維也納會議後，巴登成為德意志邦聯成員，是上德意志地區的重要政治實體。19世紀上半葉，巴登大公國建立相對自由主義的法律與行政體系。大公卡爾(Carl)與其繼任者們推動了司法、人身權與教育制度的現代化改革。公元1818年頒布的憲法是當時德意志諸邦中最具自由精神的綱領之一，包含議會制度與公民權利，為國內帶來相對穩定的憲政秩序。然而，公元1848至1849年革命浪潮席捲德意志地區時，巴登成為革命運動的核心之一，改革派與共和派短暫奪權，主張普遍男性選舉權與共和體制；但最終革命被普魯士軍隊鎮壓，巴登重返君主立憲架構。在普奧戰爭後，巴登與普魯士建立緊密軍事同盟，並在普法戰爭中加入北德意志邦聯一方。隨後，巴登於公元1871年加入新成立的德意志帝國，成為帝國內部擁有高度自治權的邦國之一。雖名義上仍為大公統治，但國防、外交與貨幣政策均受帝國層級統一規範。在文化與社會方面，巴登大公國在19世紀逐步建立完善的教育體系、高度發展的行政機構與蓬勃的城市公共建設，如法學院、劇院、博物館與科學協會等均在此時成形。然而，隨著德意志帝國於公元1918年戰敗，巴登大公腓特烈二世(Friedrich II)被迫退位，君主制終結，國家改組為「巴登共和國」(Republik Baden)，並成為魏瑪共和國的一部分。此後，原大公國的政治體制皆告停止運作，標誌着延續百餘年的巴登大公國正式走入歷史。