Combined Breast Stars, probably worn by King Max Joseph I of Bavaria.
The decoration consisting of four breast stars in reduced size of the Bavarian Order of St. Hubert, the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, the Wuerttemberg Hunting Order and the Baden House Order of Fidelity.
The stars made of diamond pointed silver. The center medallions and cross applications gold and enamels. In particularly fine goldsmith's ctaftmanship.
Two eyelets on the back for sewing onto the uniform or the civilian dress.
Highly important decoration of these prestigious Orders, which in this combination could only have been worn by King Max Joseph I of Bavaria.
The breast star of the Order of Saint Hubertus is placed at the top as the highest Bavarian order. Below it is the star of the Order of the Bavarian Crown, founded by Max Joseph himself, and next to it the star of the Wuerttemberg Hunting Order. Below the three royal orders is the Grand Ducal Baden "Fidelitas - Order" (House Order of Fidelity).
Wearing combinations of orders was common in the late 18th century and in the 1st half of the 19th century.
The Breast Star Combination Orders of Emperor Joseph II (Order of St. Stephen and Military Order of Maria Theresa) and Emperor Francis I of Austria (Order of St. Stephen, Military Order of Maria Theresa, Order of Leopold and Order of the Iron Crown) are illustrated on numerous portraits.
However, only a few examples of these decorations have survived to the present day, probably because they were not worn by an heir after the death of the respective recipient due to the uniqueness of the combination worn by the respective prince.
A magnificent combination order from the possession of Emperor Joseph II from the last third of the 18th century with the breast stars of the Military Order of Maria Theresa and the Austrian - Hungarian Order of St. Stephen in embroidered design is preserved in an important private collection and is illustrated and described in the work of the Austrian Society for the Study of Orders, Österreichs Orden vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, Graz 1996, plate 4, no. 2.2. p.445.
A decoration of the four combined stars of the Austrian Orders from the possession of Emperor Franz I is kept in the Coin Cabinet of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. An embroidered example of these combined orders is housed in an important private collection and is illustrated and described in Klingbeil/Thies, Orden 1700-2000, vol. IV, p. 220.
The collection of Dott. Antonio Spada owns the combined Order from the possession of Duke Bernhard of Saxe - Weimar, which was offered by us (Sales Catalog 2000). This combines the Grand Cross Stars of the then Dutch Order of the Oak Crown, the Grand Ducal Saxon Order of the White Falcon, the Order of Merit of the Württemberg Crown and the Saxon - Ernestine House Order.
A combined decoration of the stars of the Order of St. Januarius and the Constantinian Military Order of St. George is known from the possession of the kings of the Two Sicilies and is also in the collection of Dr. Spada, now exhibited at the French Museum of the Legion of Honour and Orders of Chivalry in Paris.
Already in the mid 19th century, the wearing of such combinations of orders seems to have gone out of fashion.The famous Austrian Field Marshal Prince Radetzky, for example, wore a large number of reduced breast stars of almost all the orders awarded to him on his uniform jacket preserved in the Museum of Military History in Vienna, but these are no longer made as combination orders.
The few surviving examples of combination breast stars are among the rarest of all orders.
The Combined Order of King Max Joseph also unites the most important stars of the Southern German Rhine - Confederation allies and may therefore also be regarded as a testimony to the political conditions of the Napoleonic era.
Truly magnificent Order decoration of unique rarity and highest quality craftsmanship.
Combination - the order from the estate of king Max Joseph I of Bavaria.
This combination consists of four breast stars in reduced size of the House Order of Knights of Saint Hubertus, the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, the Württemberg Hunting Order and the Baden House order of loyalty.
The body of the star of brilliant design made of silver. The medallions and applied devices of the cross of particular superior goldsmith craftsmanship.
This combination features silver, gold and enamel construction with two eyelets for the purposes of sewing to a uniform or a civilian jacket.
Important combination of orders which was only worn by King Max Joseph I.
As the highest Bavarian order, the breast star of Saint Hubertus is mounted at the highest order of precedent. Below that the order of the Bavarian Crown, which was donated by Max Joseph himself and the star of the Hunting Order of Württemberg which King Max Joseph received.
Among the three Royal Orders is the Grand-Ducal Baden order of Fidelity.
It was very common in the first half of the 19th century, for sovereign princes to wear this type of combination.
Seen in period paintings, are the following breast star combinations: Emperor Joseph II (St. Stephans - order, and the military Maria - Theresien - Orden) and Emperor Franz I. of Austria (St. Stephans -order, military Maria - Theresien order of Leopold-order, and order of the Iron crown).
However, only a few specimens of these royal decorations have been preserved to this day. Most likely because they were not worn by an heir to the throne due to the uniqueness of the combination.
A combination order from the possession of Emperor Joseph II from the last third of the 18th century, consisting of the breast stars of the Austrian order of St. Stephans and the Military Order of Maria Theresien in embroidered version is located in an important private collection.
In the Coin Cabinet of the Historical Art Museum in Vienna is a magnificent preserved specimen of the four combined breast stars from the possession of Emperor Franz I. A magnificent embroidered example of this combination is located in an important private collection.
In the collection of Dr. Antonio Spada (offered in our catalog auction from 2000) there exists a combination order from the possession of Duke Bernhard of Saxony-Weimar with the grand crosses of the Dutch Order of the Oak Crown, the Grand-Ducal Saxon order of the White Falcon, the Order of Merit of the Württemberg crown and the order of Saxony - Ernestine House order.
From the estate of the kings of the both Sicilies, there exists a combined decoration of the breast star of the St. Januarius Order and that of the Konstantine Military Order of Saint Georg. Also from the Dr. Spada collection.
A combination breast star is pictured and illustrated in Karsten Klingbeil / Andreas Thies, Orden 1700 - 2000, volume IV.
Already in the middle of the 19th century, the wearing of these royal combinations seems to have fallen out of fashion. The famous Austrian Field Marshal Prince Radetzky, for example, wore a large number of these reduced breast stars featuring almost all the medals he was awarded. The tunic is on display in the Army's Historical Museum in Vienna.
The few combination breast stars which still exist today, are among the rarest Imperial decorations.
This combination of orders from King Max Joseph unite the most important Imperial orders of the Southern German states of the Rhine who were allied with Napoleon and bear witness to the political realities of the Napoleonic era.
Order decoration of the highest Imperial craftsmanship and extremely rare. .
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