Neck Decoration, 90 x 46 mm., GOLD, from the Napoleonic period, chiselled fleece of early design suspended to the black-enameled “stone” with 7 gold-bordered, white drop-shaped dots, sided by convex, red enameled “flames”, upper “Feuer-Eisen” with bas-relief chiselled scene of Jason killing the dragon, blue enameled details and the Order’s motto “PRETIVM NON VILE LABORVM”, reverse with similarly chiselled scene of Jason holding the Fleece and warriors rising from the ground, blue enameled details and the inscription “NON ALIVD”, green enameled upper globe (some chips), ribbon ring chiselled with acanthus leaves, with a length of correct ribbon.
An exceptional decoration of the best, early, Austrian manufacture, unmarked, as usual on Austrian decorations made prior to the introduction of the marking system, extremely fine condition.
The Order of the Golden Fleece, in its Austrian branch is one of the oldest and most illustrious chivalric orders in Europe, dating its origins (before the separation between Austria and Spain in the right to award it) back in the late 13th Century.
Badges of this quality and age are of outstanding rarity and present in museums, amongst the decorations still belonging to families of noblest descent, and few important, private collections only. II RR!