Item number: M263-1

Year: AD 1878-1887

Material: Gold and Enamel

Size: 131.7 x 51.9 x 9.1 mm

Weight: 65.75 g

Provenance:

1. Spink 2024

2. Direct descendant of Sir J. W. Tyler

This medal is the Third Class of the Order of the Indian Empire, established by Queen Victoria in the year AD 1878. It was created after Queen Victoria assumed the title of Empress of India, to be awarded to British and native officials who served in India. The medal is in a deep brown leather case.

The obverse of the medal features a gold rose design with five red enamel petals, each inscribed with the letters “I N D I A.” Green leaves are interspersed among the petals. At the centre is a gold disc adorned with a left-profile portrait of Queen Victoria, wearing a crown. Surrounding the disc is a blue background with the legend “VICTORIA IMPERATRIX” in gold, denoting Queen Victoria’s regnal title. At the top, the medal has a crown set with enamelled jewels, mounted above the rose design, and is suspended from a blue ribbon by a metal ring. The medal is designed as a single-sided piece.

The interior of the case is lined with the following gold-stitched inscription:

“R&S. GARRARD & CO

Goldsmiths & Jewellers

TO THE CROWN

25 HAYMARKET LONDON”

The Garrard company was founded in the 1720s by George Wickes as a manufacturer and retailer of silverware and jewelry. Due to frequent changes in the company’s leadership, the name of the company also changed over time. In AD 1843, Garrard was appointed by Queen Victoria as the official Crown Jeweller and was formally named R&S Garrard & Co., tasked with producing silverware and jewelry for the Royal Family.

The Order of the Indian Empire was awarded to British and native officials who served in India. Originally confined to Companions only, together with the Sovereign and Grand Master. Members of the Council of the Governor General were admitted ex officio as Companions for meritorious service but from the outset it was regarded as a junior alternative to the Star of India. In AD 1886 the Order was expanded to two classes by the addition of Knights Commanders up to a maximum of 50 in number. In AD 1887, however it was again re-organised into three classes: up to 25 Knight’s Grand Commanders, G.C.I.E., up to 50 Knight’s Commander, K.C.I.E., and an unlimited number of Companions. The Order has been in abeyance since AD 1947.

The Order of the Indian Empire can be categorised into three types based on different periods and designs:

The petals of the medal are engraved with the word “INDIA,” and the inscription around the central disc reads “VICTORIA IMPERATRIX,” which is a characteristic of the first type of the Order of the Indian Empire. The inscriptions for the second and third types are “IMPERATRICIS AUSPICIIS,” meaning “by the Queen’s auspices.”

The medal was awarded to Sir John William Tylor, C.I.E., a renowned British-Indian medical official. In AD 1862, he completed his Doctor of Medicine degree and was appointed to a medical service institution in the Northwest Provinces in AD 1863, becoming a surgeon. Later, in AD 1876, he was appointed as the superintendent of the Agra Central Jail, a position he held for 14 years, during which the prison achieved notable success under his leadership. In AD 1888, Sir John William Tylor was knighted.

During the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, Sir John William Tylor, at the Queen’s request, brought two Indian servants as gifts for her. One of these servants, Abdul Karim, became greatly favoured by the Queen. Not only did she commission a portrait of him, but she also granted Karim numerous privileges and honours, with the two frequently corresponding by letter. Karim was considered the Queen’s closest confidant. As Karim was a gift from Sir John William Tylor, the relationships among the three were closely intertwined, and when Karim was on leave from the Queen, he would stay with Sir John William Tylor. The Queen’s close relationship with Karim was largely facilitated by Tylor.

The close bond between the Queen and Karim caused dissatisfaction among the Queen’s family and other royal members, who felt that an Indian servant should not receive such treatment. This relationship was viewed by the royal family as an indelicate and disgraceful scandal. Consequently, after Karim’s death, his existence was erased from royal history, and all correspondence between the two was destroyed. It was not until a century later that a journalist visiting Queen Victoria’s summer residence discovered Karim’s portrait, leading to a five-year investigation that eventually unearthed and published this unique story.

In AD 2017, this story was even made into a movie named “Victoria & Abdul.”

物件編號: M263-1

年代: 公元 1878-1887 年

材質: 黃金和琺瑯

尺寸: 131.7 x 51.9 x 9.1 mm

重量: 65.75 g

來源:

1. 斯賓克拍賣行 2024

2. 約翰·威廉·泰勒爵士直系後裔

此枚勳章為公元1878年維多利亞女王設立的印度帝國三等勳章。在維多利亞女王被冠上印度女皇的頭銜後，這枚勳章被創立以授予在印度服務的英國和土著官員。這枚勳章置於一個深棕色皮質收納盒中。

勳章的正面為黃金玫瑰造型，五片紅色琺瑯的花瓣，花瓣上分別刻有「I N D I A」的字樣。綠色葉片穿插於花瓣間。中央金色圓盤飾有維多利亞女王面左的側面肖像，頭戴皇冠。圓盤周圍以藍色為底，以金色刻有「VICTORIA IMPERATRIX」的文字，為維多利亞女王的名諱。整體頂部有鑲有琺瑯寶石的皇冠置於玫瑰造型的勳章之上，由金屬環懸掛在藍色綬帶上。勳章為單面設計。

收納盒的內襯上繡有金字

「R&S. GARRARD & CO

Goldsmiths& Jewellers

TO THE CROWN

25HAYMARKET LONDON」

公元1720年代，創始人喬治·威克斯(George Wickes) 創立了Garrard公司，為一間銀器與珠寶的製造兼零售商。期間由於公司負責人不斷變更，由不同人接管公司，因此公司名稱也不斷更改。公元1843年起，Garrard被維多利亞女王任命為首位官方的皇冠珠寶商，並被正式稱為R&S Garrard & Co. ，為皇室生產銀器和珠寶。

印度帝國勳章授予在印度服務的英國和土著官員。最初授予對象僅限於爵士，元首及大團長，議會成員因卓越服務而自動成為爵士。此勳章從一開始就被視為印度之星的次級替代品。公元1886年，通過增加最多50名的騎士指揮官，該勳章擴大至兩個等級。然而，公元1887年，勳章的授予規模再次擴大，劃分為三個等級：最多25名的大騎士指揮官（G.C.I.E.），最多50名的騎士指揮官（K.C.I.E.），以及無數量限制的爵士(C.I.E.)。該勳章自公元1947年以來一直處於停止頒授狀態。

印度帝國勳章依據時期和設計的不同可分為三種版本:

勳章的花瓣上刻有「INDIA」的字樣，並且中央圓盤周圍的銘文為「VICTORIA IMPERATRIX」，是第一版印度帝國勳章的特色。第二和第三版的銘文為「IMPERATRICIS AUSPICIIS」，意思是女王的祝福。

這枚勳章的授勳者為約翰·威廉·泰勒爵士(Sir John William Tylor, C.I.E.)，一位著名的英印裔醫療官員。公元1862年，他完成醫學博士學位，並在公元1863年被任命到西北省分的醫療服務機構，成為一名外科醫師。而後，他在公元1876年擔任阿格拉中央監獄的監獄長，擔任該職位長達14年，阿格拉中央監獄在他的領導下達到一番成就。公元1888年，約翰·威廉·泰勒被授予爵士爵位

維多利亞女王登基50周年紀念時，泰勒爵士應維多利亞女王的要求帶了兩名印度僕從作為女王的禮物。其中一名僕人阿卜杜勒·卡里姆深得女王的喜愛，女王不僅為他留下肖像畫，更授予卡里姆許多特權與榮譽，兩人間經常以信件交流，卡里姆可說是女王最親密的心靈知己。由於卡里姆是泰勒爵士帶給維多利亞女王的禮物，三人間的關係密不可分，而當卡里姆休假不在女王身邊時，都和泰勒爵士待在一起，女王和卡里姆的親密關係泰勒爵士更是功不可沒。

女王與卡里姆之間的密切關係引起女王家人和其他王室成員的不滿，認為一名僕從身份的印度人不應該獲得這種待遇，這段關係也被王室視為一段不光彩的、有失體面的醜聞。因此在卡里姆逝世後，他們將卡里姆的存在從王室歷史中抹滅，並燒毀所有兩人來往的信件。直到百年後，一名記者拜訪維多利亞女王的避暑別墅，發現了阿卜杜勒·卡里姆的肖像畫，展開一連串長達五年的調查，才將這段特別的故事挖掘出來並出版成書。

公元2017年，這個故事甚至被拍成了電影《女王與知己》。