Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Indian States, Patiala, Portrait Miniature Stars of H.M. Queen Victoria (2), Representative of the “Special Order” she conferred on the Maharajah of Patiala on his Accession in 1900, a pair of six-pointed stars, 24 x 21mm., in gold, lavishly set with diamonds, in the centre an enamelled portrait of the Queen, wearing robe, coronet and the sash of the Order of the Garter, with diamond-set suspension ring, extremely fine, exceptionally rare (2) £2500-3000

These portrait miniatures formed part of lot 388 at Christie’s on 22 November 1988. The lot comprised a gold miniature collar chain of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, from which a diamond-set miniature portrait of Maharajah Bhupindar Singh was suspended from the central lower link, while pendant to each side of the collar were paired miniature orders representing those awarded to the Maharajah. See lot 471 in this auction and lot 948 in Dix Noonan Webb, 19 September 2003 for other miniatures from this collar chain; also Onori e Glorie, Gran Bretagna, etc., by Antonio Spada, pp.216-17., for an illustration of the original full-size insignia.