Collar and Badges of the Royal Order of Jehova

Gold, enamel, rock crystal, and garnets.
Chain length 1320 mm.
Badge size 70 mm.
Weight 730 g.

Made by Antonij Groot the Elder (1585-1614) in 1606.

Collection of Royal Armoury /Livrustkammaren/, Stockholm.

The Royal Order of Jehova /Jehovaorden/ was created by Charles IX in 1606, as his older brothers had created theirs: Erik XIV the Royal Order of the Savior, and John III the Royal Order of Agnus Dei. Four gold collars/chains and four badges of the Order of Jehova were delivered to Charles IX in 1606 by master of the mint Antonij Groot the Elder, who had supervised the work of other goldsmiths. Among these four were the collar and badge exhibited here. The collar had twenty-four (now twenty-three) links, alternatively oval with table-cut rock crystals and garnets, and "handshakes" holding the Vasa crest of green-enameled gold. The rock crystal badge, in the form of an eight-pointed star, bears the Hebrew word JEHOVAH /the proper name of the God of Israel in the Old Testament/ in the center, engraved and gilt. A ring of garnets encircles the whole, and a crystal drop-form pendant hangs below the badge.
Three of the enameled badges were made by the Stockholm goldsmith Ruprecht Miller: for Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632) and Charles Philip (1601-1622), both sons of the king, and for Duke John of Ostergôtland (1589-1618), the youngest son of John III. The orders were carried at the coronation of Charles IX in the Uppsala Cathedral on 15 March 1607. They were counted among the Swedish regalia in the Royal Treasury until 1828, and on the dissolution of that institution came to the National Historical Collections. In 1932 the remaining ones were included in the collections of orders and medals in the Royal Armory.

Probably the very same collar was worn by Karl IX at the coronation in Uppsala on March 15, 1607.​

 

Under a different light.

 

Details.

 

Collar links.

 

Badge of the Royal Order of Jehova made by Ruprecht Miller, Stockholm. Worn at Charles IX's coronation by one of his sons, possibly Gustav II Adolf.

Gold, enamel.
Height 70 mm.
Width 60 mm.
Weight 30 g.

Driven star of gold, eight arms with white enamel, between the arms undulating, red enameled rays. In the center on one side an eight-sided star with a narrow blue border, on it in Hebrew letters in black enamel: JEHOVAH. On the opposite side, an eight-pointed sun, the tips of which go out into the red enameled arms. On the sole in black enamel, Hebrew letters: JEHOVAH (larger than on the other side). Around the star-sun a green enameled laurel wreath.
​

Collection of Royal Armoury /Livrustkammaren/, Stockholm.

Reverse

 

"Mystery" chain.

Width 217 mm.
Length 590 mm.
Weight 4585 g.

48 gold oval links, each set with 16 garnets, rounded inside with white cell enamel. Every other link studded with 16 table-cut rock crystals, between the stones six-petaled, blue-enameled flowers. The inside of the link is rounded and decorated with blue cell enamel. In a link with rock crystal hangs an open gold ring, d: 12 mm, the outside with transverse grooves. Chain could be a reduced version of Karl IX's large order collar for the Order of Jehovah from 1607, according to a publications from the 1930s+. But in the 1970s a new theory emerged, namely that the chain was probably worn by Gustav II Adolf at his declaration of authority in 1611. In this case, the chain was made by Ruprecht Miller, Stockholm.​

Collection of Royal Armoury /Livrustkammaren/, Stockholm.

Details.

 

Illustration from the Ridderordener af de nordiske lande /Orders of knighthood of the Nordic countries/ by Areen, Ernst E & Lewenhaupt, Sten, 1942.

Source.