Lot n° 178
Estimation :
60000 - 80000
EUR
Important jewel of the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the - Lot 178
Important jewel of the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Union presented by Louis of Holland to General Rampon on August 16, 1809.
Work of the goldsmith Martin-Guillaume Biennais
White-enameled gold stars with four main rays separated by four smaller rays, the tips dome-shaped, beveled with eight chased gold bees. The two-part medallion features a swimming Zeeland lion on the obverse, encircled by the legend DOE WEL EN ZIE NIET OM (do what you must, come what may) on an opaque light-blue background; on the reverse, a bundle of eleven arrows bound around a scepter by a ribbon, encircled by a serpent of eternity and the legend EENDRAGT MAAKT MAGT (union is strength). A royal crown in chased, partially burnished and amatized gold is attached to the upper tip by a thick tubular hinge, with a wide suspension ring at the top.
Good condition, except for small chips at the points, and the trigger guard and lower cheekbone slightly bent.
L. 118 mm - W. 83 mm - Weight: 91 g
France, circa 1809
Important Grand Cross jewel of the Royal Order of the Union given by Louis de Hollande to General Rampon on August 16th 1809
Made by goldsmith Martin-Guillaume Biennais
Stars in white enamelled gold with four main rays separated by four smaller ones, the tips adorned with rosettes, angled with eight bees in chased gold. The medallion, divided into two parts, features on the obverse a swimming Zealand lion, surrounded by the inscription on a light blue opaque background "DOE WEL EN ZIE NIET OM" (Do what you must, come what may).
On the reverse, an emblem of eleven arrows bound around a scepter by a ribbon, encircled by an eternity serpent and the inscription "EENDRAGT MAAKT MAGT" (Unity makes strength). A royal crown in chased gold, partially burnished and matt, is attached at the upper point by a thick tubular hinge, with a wide suspension ring at the top.
Good condition, except for small chips at the tips, and the loop and lower rosette slightly misaligned.
H. 4 5/8 in - l. 3 1/4 in - Weight: 3,20 oz
France, circa 1809.
5 J
Provenance:
- Antoine-Guillaume Rampon, then by descent.
- Ferri, Décoration anciennes, Drouot, Paris, April 13, 2012, no. 89.
Two Grand Cross jewels of the Royal Order of the Union are held in French public collections: at the Château de Fontainebleau, the one attributed to Napoleon I on April 5, 1810 (inv. N157); at the Musée National de la Légion d'Honneur et des Ordre de Chevalerie, the one attributed to Baron de Sénégra, appointed on August 12, 1808 (inv. 03250).
The final stage in the chaotic history of the first ambitious Dutch national order, initiated in 1806 by King Louis of Holland against the advice of his brother Napoleon, the Royal Order of the Union was organized by the statutes of February 6, 1808. Article 4 stipulates that it will comprise 30 Grand Crosses, 50 Commanders and 400 Knights, excluding the King and his family, and foreigners. Article 7 describes the insignia, all made in Paris in the workshops of the famous Biennais. The award ended on July 1, 1810 with the abdication of King Louis and the annexation of the Kingdom of Holland to the French Empire. It was officially abolished by article 12 of the decree instituting the Order of Reunion on October 18, 1811. This article also specifies that "The grand crosses, commanders and knights of the said order, will form part, in their respective capacities, of the imperial order of Reunion". In reality, few holders were appointed to the Order of Reunion, such as Gen.
Rampon.
Antoine-Guillaume Rampon (1759-1842), enlisted as a soldier in the Médoc regiment in 1775 at the age of 16, became a second lieutenant in 1792, and took part in the first campaigns of the Revolution, where his exploits against the Spanish in the Pyrénées-Orientales quickly saw him rise through the ranks to the rank of adjutant-general and battalion commander (colonel). The Italian campaign made him a true hero. On April 11, 1796, trapped in the Montelegino redoubt, the last entrenchment before Savona, he made his 1,200 soldiers swear an oath to die rather than surrender, and routed 15,000 Austrians. To reward him, Bonaparte appointed him brigadier general on April 25. He then participated brilliantly in the Egyptian expedition, fighting at the Pyramids and in Syria, where, after the battle of Mont-Thabor, he was promoted to major general. Appointed senator in 1800 by the First Consul, on his return to France on June 7, 1802, he was awarded an honorary saber engraved with the words "Le général en chef Bonaparte au général Rampon½; témoignage de satisfaction pour les campagnes d'Allemagne, d'Italie et d'Égypte" ("General Bonaparte to General Rampon½; token of appreciation for the German, Italian and Egyptian campaigns"). Retired at his own request in 1802, he was named Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor on June 14, 1804, and Commander of the Order of the Iron Crown on February 26, 1806.
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