Physical Description

A Maltese cross, constructed of gold and enamel. The obverse cross arms are in white enamel with narrow gold borders and three gold flames per arm. Between the arms are gold rays, together forming a square. On top of the 12 o’clock arm sits a gold three-piece agraffe. The centre medallion is enamelled in blue with a painted white phoenix looking to the viewer’s right, emerging from a flaming pyre. The medallion’s ring is enamelled in translucent red with a narrow gold border. The reverse cross arms are white enamelled with narrow gold borders, with a superimposed eight-sided square star in gold. In the centre is the monogram ‘PE’ with a blue and white enamelled duke’s hat and a golden imperial orb on top. On a loop for suspension, on a red ribbon with white borders and a narrow gold stripe within each border.
Variants exist with the phoenix looking to the viewer’s left, with a duke’s hat without the imperial orb, and with the inscription ‘IN SENIO’ (‘in old age’) in red or gold between the phoenix’ wings.
Specimens for ladies were worn on a bow ribbon and are smaller in size.

History

The House Order of the Golden Flame was founded by Prince Philipp Ernst I. It was originally conferred upon the male and female descendants of the prince in an effort to foster bonds of kinship and friendship.

The order was redesigned by the founder's son, Prince Karl Albrecht I, in 1770 to include the grades of Commander, Commander Breast Star, and Knight. The prince renamed the order the House Order of the Phoenix and expanded the order recipients to include foreign and German aristocrats. Recipients from German nobility had to trace their lineage back a minimum of four generations.

The obverse inscription translates to “In Old Age”, referring to the founder’s advanced age at the time of the House Order’s institution.

The reverse of the cross features the monogram of the founder.