Awards of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza

What were the orders of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza? Most of the official portraits show him wearing four Grand Cross stars (two above and two below) and a sash. The two uppermost stars were those of the Ottoman Osmanie Order and Mejidie Order. The sash belonged to one of these orders as there is some variation in the colours of the sash in different portraits. Thus the sash is either green with red edges (the ribbon of the Osmanie Order) or red with green edges (the ribbon of the Mejidie Order). I suspect the right sash was that of the Osmanie Order, this being the senior order of the two.

The second star on the bottom row is that of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus of the Royal House of Savoy. However, the first star in this row is a mystery for me. Does anyone know which order was it? Some paintings represent it with a white centre, others with a light blue ribbon around a red centre.

Portrait of Prince Cuza with a green sash:

Source: Wikipedia

Portrait of Prince Cuza with a red sash:

Source: Cuza la Ruginoasa by Theodor Râşcanu

This is an unsolved question. All Prince Cuza portraits made by different artists reproduce with more or less talent and in different techniques, the first engraving and painting made by Carol Szathmari. Szatmari was first a photographer and he used for his artworks the photos of the Prince made about 1863. So these images remained the typical appearance of Prince Cuza. Other early images presenting him with whiskers and no goatee, are not associated with the traditional figure of Cuza.

Initially, the photos made by Szathmari show him with only three breast stars (plaques): of the Ottoman orders of Osmanie and Medjidie and of the Order of the Saints Maurice and Lazarus.


http://www.muzeuparvan.ro/pictures/expop/cuza/ex_cuza1.jpg

The Szathmari engraving and, later, the painting, present Prince Cuza with four breast stars. The fourth badge (the second line, on the center) is partially covered by the sash. This is not very clear, and later pictures present that badge in different ways. Professor Andonie of the Military Museum says that the breast star could be the Greek Order of the “Redeemer”, which was also attributed to Prince Cuza.




These resumtions of the traditional image of Cuza are more or less fanciful. For example, the painting made by Theodor Rascanu, represents Cuza with fringed epaulettes on the hussar style tunic, which is unconceivable for uniformologists.

Thanks Kepi for the comprehensive response. I suspected that some of the paintings were copies full of the "personal touch" of the artist, but wanted to be certain.

The "mystery star" might very well be that of the Greek Order of the Redeemer. It could explain both the small white cross in the painting from Wikipedia as well as the blue circle around the centre in the painting used by Theodor Râşcanu on the cover of his book (depending on the type of the star seen by the artist).


Source: Presidency of the Hellenic Republic

Another Wikipedia image: