Item number: M331

Year: AD 1800-1917

Material: Gold and Enamel

Size: 29.0 x 15.2 x 4.7 mm

Weight: 5.2 g

Provenance: Morton & Eden 2024

This is a custom miniature version of the Order of St. George, commissioned from a jeweller between the 19th century and before the October Revolution of AD 1917. The Order of St. George was established on November 26, AD 1769, by Empress Catherine II, with the aim of honouring soldiers fighting in the Sixth Russo-Turkish War (AD 1768–1774). Named after St. George, a revered martyr in the Orthodox Church, the order recognised military valour and was divided into four classes based on size. The first two classes also included a star badge, worn on the left side of the chest.

This miniature version of the order lacks distinguishing features to identify its specific class; however, its design closely mirrors that of the official version. The order features a white enamel equilateral cross trimmed in gold, with a red enamel central medallion on the obverse side depicting the iconic “St. George Slaying the Dragon.” According to legend, a dragon terrorised the water source on which the local inhabitants relied, compelling them to sacrifice a sheep or, by drawing lots, a maiden. One day, the lot fell upon the princess, but St. George, arriving by chance and protected by the cross, successfully slew the dragon and saved her. This act established St. George as a symbol of chivalric valour. On the reverse side, within a slightly faded medallion, the initials “СГ” in Russian, representing the name St. George, can be discerned.

The top of this miniature order features a custom-designed pin shaped like a pair of crossed sabres. Both on the ring connecting the order to the pin and on the pin itself, there is a jeweler’s hallmark stamped in Russian, reading “ЭД.”

Since the establishment of the Order of St. George, the Romanov family annually invited recipients to gather at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on November 26, which eventually became the official holiday known as “St. George’s Day of Remembrance.” Although both the awarding of the Order and its commemoration were banned during the Soviet era, the Order of St. George remained the only Imperial Russian decoration that could still be worn openly under Soviet rule. In AD 2000, the Russian Federation formally reinstated the Order of St. George, and its distinctive yellow and black ribbon has since become a common symbol in the modern Russian military.

物件編號: M331

年代: 公元 1800-1917 年

材質: 黃金, 琺瑯

尺寸: 29.0 x 15.2 x 4.7 mm

重量: 5.2 g

來源: 莫頓與伊登 2024

這是一枚公元19世紀至公元1917年十月革命以前，委託珠寶行客製化的迷你版「聖喬治勳章」。聖喬治勳章為公元1769年11月26日，時任女沙皇的葉卡捷琳娜二世為鼓勵在第六次俄土戰爭(公元1768至1774年) 作戰的將士，以東正教家喻戶曉的殉教者聖喬治為名創立的戰功勳章，按照勳章大小分為四個等級，前兩等還附有配戴於左胸的星章。

這枚迷你版勳章無法辨別其具體等級，然而其整體形制大體與官方版無二異。勳章外觀為鑲金的白色等邊十字架，正面中央的紅色琺瑯圓盤彩繪「聖喬治屠龍」經典形象。傳說中有一條惡龍盤踞在居民賴以為生的水源，居民每天被迫用一隻羊或抽籤決定一名處女作為獻祭。有一天公主輪到成為祭品的噩運，恰巧旅行至此地的聖喬治在十字架保護下，成功騎馬擊殺惡龍救出公主。自此聖喬治就成為騎士精神的象徵。勳章背面稍顯褪色的圓盤內，能看到以俄文標示的「СГ」即聖喬治的名字花押。

這枚迷你版勳章頂部為客製化的別針扣，其造型為一對交叉的軍刀。而在勳章和別針扣的圓環上，皆能找到珠寶商的俄文戳記「ЭД」。

自聖喬治勳章設立以來，每年羅曼諾夫王室在11月26日都會在聖彼得堡冬宮邀請得獎者齊聚，甚至進而演變為官方節慶「聖喬治勳章紀念日」。聖喬治勳章的頒發和紀念日在蘇聯時期被禁止，但聖喬治勳章又是唯一一款在蘇聯時期得以公開配戴的沙俄獎章。公元2000年，俄羅斯聯邦正式恢復聖喬治勳章的頒發，聖喬治勳章的黃黑相錯綬帶，也成為當今俄羅斯軍隊的常見象徵。