33 Monastery Order of Heiligengrabe.
Magnificent Ladies' Breast Badge of the 1740 model, gold and enamel. On a magnificent original lady's ribbon bow of finest silk with silver-plated metal threads.
A splendid example of the best jeweller's quality of the Frederician period. The enamel painting in finest quality. The letters of the medallions inlaid in gold foil.
According to it's age in excellent condition.
Rare opportunity to acquire this most highly regarded Old Prussian Order for Ladies from the mid-18th century.
In my opinion the best example of this order, that has been offered at auction so far and with original ladies ribbon bow of greatest rarity.
The origins of this order go back to a Cistercian nunnery that is said to have been established in 1239 by Margrave Otto of Brandenburg.
In 1548, the convent was converted into a Protestant noble lady's convent, which before and after the secularisation took in the daughters of the oldest and most famous Brandenburg noble families,such as v. Rohr, Quitzow, Putlitz, Klitzing, Möllendorff, Rochow, Alvensleben, etc.
In 1740, the year of his coronation, King Frederick II conferred the newly established Order of this Lady's Convent on the prioress and the four oldest conventual nuns in a Cabinet Order of 10 October. When and wether the other 20 conventual ladies received the order cannot be inferred from the records.
The special relationship between the royal house and this venerable convent is emphasised not only by the early endowment, but also by the meaningful design.
Thus the front medallion with the inscription "Par Grace" is framed by praying hands on all arms of the cross. On the reverse, the inscription "Pour la conservation de la maison royale" is surrounded fourfold by the crowned founder's royal cypher of Frederick the Great.
In 1847, the Order received a completely redesigned Collegiate Cross.