A Mid-19th Century Breast Star of the Order, 85x72 mm., Silver, with chiseled rays after the typical, Portuguese style, white enameled centre medallion bearing the finely executed, red and white enameled cross in gold within diamond-cut, golden border, convex outer circlet in gold with beautifully done, white enameled flowers flanked by green enameled leaves and chiseled ornaments, the whole surrounded by openwork frame of stylized acanthus leaves, on top, the red enameled sacred heart with green enameled thorns’ crown and black enameled cross, the reverse fitted with pin and and a label “A.B. Da Costa Cabral / Marquiz de Tonar” (sic! An engraver’s mistake, since he was Marquis of Tomar); in the original, red morocco fitted case, with black velvet inside and ivory silk lined inner cushion.
A beautifully-made star with an interesting provenance, excellent condition. I R!
provenance: the estate of the da Costa Cabral family. The inscription,
gives clear attribution to Antonio Bernardo da Costa Cabral, 1st Marquis of Tomar (1803–1889) nominated as governor of Lisbona t a relatively young age, he became Minister of the Interiors, in a period of revolts and turmoils, experiencing also the exile. Returned to his country, he was appointed as envoyé to the Holy See, arriving in the same moment of the fallo of the Pope’s Reign in 1870, acquiring respect and appreciation by the Pope himself and the foreign Ambassadors in Rome, even from the new ruling, Italian King Victor Emanuel II. His failing health forced him to leave Italy and return to Portugal, where he couldn’t recover, dying shortly after.