Britain's occupation of India was long, messy, and outrageously violent. To camoflauge all that chaos and convince the British public that the endeavor was a righteous one, Queen Victoria founded a kind of knighthood called "The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India". Several years after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the consolidation of Great Britain's power as the governing authority in India, it was decided by the British Crown to give this honor to Indian princes and chiefs, as well as British officers and administrators who served in India. Although most Indians would have probably preferred independent rule over a knighthood, this award is quite spectacular. A blue enamel border bearing the order’s motto — “Heaven’s light our guide” — encircling a hand-painted porcelain portrait of the Queen herself. Crafted in gold, this jewel is a miniature interpretation of the insignia of the order. Who owned it, I wonder?
MATERIALS: 10k gold (tests), enamel, porcelain portrait of Queen Victoria
AGE: c. 1870
CONDITION: Very good - damage to the enamel on the second "e" in "heaven's"
SIZE: 6.5, cannot be resized; 1" x 7/8" head, 1.6mm shank