Order of Merit with a Portrait of Ranjit Singh thumbnail 1
Order of Merit with a Portrait of Ranjit Singh thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On short term loan out for exhibition

Order of Merit with a Portrait of Ranjit Singh

Medal
1837-1839 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Lahore (made)

This order of merit was introduced by Ranjit Singh, the first Sikh maharaja of the Panjab (r.1801–1839), and seems to have been directly inspired by the French Legion d’honneur worn by one of his foreign military commanders, General Allard. It may be the ‘Star of the Prosperity of the Panjab’ instituted in 1837. This example was said to have been owned formerly by Duleep Singh, Ranjit Singh’s son and the last Sikh maharaja of the Panjab, who lost his territory when the Panjab was annexed by the British in 1849.


Object details

Categories
ELISE
Images Online
Portraits
Royalty
SCRAN
Coins & Medals
Object type
Medal
TitleOrder of Merit with a Portrait of Ranjit Singh (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Enamelled gold, set with emeralds and rock crystal
Gold
Enamel
Emerald
Rock Crystal
Brief description
Order of Merit; enamelled gold set with emeralds; Lahore, Pakistan; ca.1837-9.
Physical description
The medal is of gold, and has a flat pendant with 10 projecting rays set with pale beryls on the front. The back has an enamelled ground of translucent green, decorated with white flowers that have opaque pale green leaves.The front is set with a circular portrait of Ranjit Singh sitting on a terrace with a white balustrade against a blue background. He holds a bow and is facing right. The upper domed section hangs from a circular ring and is enamelled in white, and translucent red and green.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.1cm
  • Width: 4.8cm
Historical context
This was said to have belonged formerly to Duleep Singh, the last Sikh Maharaja of the Panjab who was deposed when the British annexed his territories in 1849. It was bought from Christie's, London, Objects of Vertu, Tuesday 24 February 1981, lot no. 25.
Subject depicted
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Summary
This order of merit was introduced by Ranjit Singh, the first Sikh maharaja of the Panjab (r.1801–1839), and seems to have been directly inspired by the French Legion d’honneur worn by one of his foreign military commanders, General Allard. It may be the ‘Star of the Prosperity of the Panjab’ instituted in 1837. This example was said to have been owned formerly by Duleep Singh, Ranjit Singh’s son and the last Sikh maharaja of the Panjab, who lost his territory when the Panjab was annexed by the British in 1849.
Bibliographic references
  • Susan Stronge, Nima Smith, and J.C. Harle. A Golden Treasury : Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent London : Victoria and Albert Museum in association with Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 1988. ISBN: 0944142168 p.70 Susan Stronge, Nima Smith and J.C. Harle, A Golden Treasury, V&A Publications, 1988, cat. 64. Susan Stronge, ed., The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, V&A Publications, London 1999, cat. 149 pp. 229-30, illus. pl. 99. Guy, J., and Swallow, D., (eds). ‘Arts of India: 1550-1900’. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990. ISBN 1851770224. p.191, pl.166.
  • Stronge, S. (Ed.) "The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms", V&A, 1999 Cat. 149a, p.229 and pl. 99, p.90
  • The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 Number: ISBN 0 906969 26 3 p. 109, cat. no. 302, Susan Stronge
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.92-1981

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O17079/order-of-merit-with-a-medal-unknown/
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