An Superb French-made Iranian Order of Pahlavi; 1st Class Breast Star

Item #W4446

$3,812

An Superb French-made Iranian Order of Pahlavi; 1st Class Breast Star

(Pahlavi Empire): An impressive Seven-piece star with red, white, green, light blue and ultramarine blue enamels, maker marked "ARTHUS BERTRAND PARIS" on the reverse cartouche, centrepiece illustrating the Damavand peak with golden rays of the rising sun, centrepiece ring with branches of laurel leaves on either side, inscribed in Persian script "Pahlavi" above and dated "1304" in the Persian calendar (AD 1925) below, referencing the date of the establishment of the House of Pahlavi, framed by four Pahlavi crowns, with five rays between each crown, measuring 94 mm x 95 mm, vertical pinback flanked by dual prongs, old repair evident in the blue enamels on the tip of the ray at the lower right, some crazing in the light blue enamels on the centrepiece, near extremely fine.

 
Footnote: The Order of Pahlavi was instituted in 1932 by Reza Shah the Great, the founder of the Pahlavi Dynasty and was the highest Iranian decoration, until it was abolished in concert with other awards and decorations of the previous regime in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution of 1979. However, unlike of the Shah's era this, being a dynastic order, remains available to the head of the House of Pahlavi or the claimant of the crown in exile for potential investiture.