The Almighty. Sultan Abu

20, HABIT -- NONE. 21, GRADES AND CLASSES -- THE ORDER IS CONFERRED IN TWO CLASSEB~ BOTH OF WHICH CONFER ON THE RECIPIENT THE MALAY TITLE OF ~ DATO ~ ALTHOUGH IN MOST CASES RECIPIENTS ALREADY HOLD A HIGHER TITLE OF NOBILITY, MEMBERSHIP OF THE FIRST CLASS IS LIMITED TO SIX AND THE SECOND CLASS TO TEN. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP TO FOREIGNERS IS UNLIMITED AND AT THE DISCRETION OF THE SULTAN. 22. INSIGNIA -- THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES IN THE INSIGNIA SINCE THE IN- STITUTION, 2~* INSIGNIA FOR EACH GRADE AND CLASS - MEMBERS OF THE FIRST CLASS RE- CEIVE THE COLLAR~ STAR~ SASH9 AND BADGE. MEMBERS OF THE SECOND CLASS RECEIVE THE STAR (SMALLER THAN THE FIRST CLASS) AND A NECK BADGE. ’ A~ COLLAR -- THIS IS IN GOLD (10 OZ° TROY~ AND ENAMEL OF 1~ LINKS WITH A BACK CLASP AND A FRONTAL DEVICE, 77 INCHES IN ALL (95.~ CM°). THERE ARE TEN LINKS OF GOLD IN THE FORM OF THE ARABIC CYPHER OF SUL- TAN ABU BAKAR AND EIGHT LINKS OF GOLD AND ENAMEL CONSISTING OF A DES- IGN OF CROSSED SWORD AND KRIB~ TOPPED BY A CROWN. THE BACK CLASP IS AN OVAL WREATH OF LAUREL WITH FOUR CLASPED HANDS IN THE CENTERe THE FRONT DEVICE9 72 MM BY ~ MM9 IS ORNATE AND HEAVILY ENAMELLED. IT CON- SISTS OF A SHIELD BEARING THE CRESCENT AND STAR OF ISLAM IN GOLD~ TOPPED BY THE JOHORE CROWN AND FLANKED BY TWO BANNERS~ THE SULTANIS PERSONAL STANDARD ON THE LEFT~ AND THE STATE FLAG ON THE RIGHT. UNDER- NEATH IS A RED SCROLL BEARING THE MOTTO OF THE ORDER AND THE WHOLE PIECE IS INTERWOVEN WITH LEAVES AND BUDS OF PEPPER AND GAMBLER. THE BADGE CAN BE WORN FROM A HOOK AT THE BOTTOM. BI BREAST STARS - THE IST CLASS STAR 18 SILVER~ NINE POINTED AND MULTI- RAYED~ 7~ MM IN DIAMETER. {N THE CENTER A RED--ENAMELLED GARTER BEAR- INS THE MOTTO IN ARABIC SCRIPT ENCIRCLES A WHITE FIELD ON WHICH IS A GOLD CRESCENTt CROSSED SWORD AND KRIB AND THE CROWN. THE NAME OF GOD IS INSCRIBED IN ARABIC ON THE UPPER PART OF THE CRESCENT. THE 2ND CLASS STAR IS SIMILAR9 BUT HAS ONLY SEVEN POINTS AND 18 70 MM. C) BADGES -- THE BADGES O F THE 1ST AND 2ND CLASS ARE SILVER~ NINE P~INTED~ MULTI--RAYED STARS ~ MM IN DIAMETER. iN THE GOLD CENTER THERE IS THE CREBCENT~ CROSSED SWORD AND KRIS~ AND THE CYPHER OF SULTAN ABU BAKARe A RED SCROLL ABOVE CARRIES THE MOTTO OF THE ORDER AND THE SUS- PENSION DEVICE IS THE CRESCENT AND STAR AND SOLD. D) THERE ARE NO MEDALS OR JEWELS OF THIS ORDER. LADY MEMBERS OF THE 2ND CLASS WEAR THE BADGE FROM A RIBBON BOW ON THE LEFT BREAST° 2~o ~PECIAL INSIGNIA -- A~ CHANCELLORIS BADGE. A CIRCULAR~ RED--ENAMELLED GARTER BEARING THE MOTTO AND ENCIRCLING A GOLD FIELD WITH FOUR CLASPED HANDS. THE PIECE IS SURMOUNTED BY A CRESCENT AND STAR AND IS ~ MM IN DIAMETER. B~ PRELATEIS BADGE -- SAME AS THE BADGE OF THE 0RDER~ BUT SURMOUNTED BY AN IMAMIS TURBAN IN YELLOW AND GREEN ENAMEL. .~,1, SECRETARYIS BADGE -- A RED ENAMELLED OVAL GARTER WITH THE MOTTO AND SURMOUNTED BY A CRESCENT AND STAR IN GOLD. IN A GOLD FIELD AND IN THE CENTER IS AN OPEN BOOK WITH A PEN LYING ACROSS IT AND AN INK BOTTLE BELOW. O) HERALD IS ~AOGE -- A RED--ENAMELLED OVAL GARTER WITH THE MOTTO AND SUR- MOUNTED BY A GOLD CRSCENT AND 6TARo iN A GOLD FIELD IN THE CENTER ARE THE SULTANIs STANDARD AND THE ~TATE FLAG WITH CROSSED SWORD AND KRI6 BELOW. E~ THERE IS A KRIS OF THE ORDER WHICH IS CARRIED ON FORMAL OCCASIONS BY THE GENTLEMAN USHER. IT IS A TWO FOOT STRAIGHT BLADE WITH THE IN- SCRIPTION IN ARABIC ON ONE SIDE ~ 01 GOD THE ALMIGHTY. SULTAN ABU BAKAR IBNI IBRAHtM~ 1S61 " AND ON THE REVERSE THE MOTTO OF THE ORDER. THE HILT IB STUDDED WITH A SMALL DIAMOND CROWNS AND IS SURMOUNTED BY A SMALL REPLICA OF THE CROWN OF JOHORE° THE GOLDEN SCABBARD~ WHICH HAS A SMALL REPLICA OF THE CROWN NEAR THE HILT9 HAS A FLORAL DESIGN WITH SMALL HEADS IN RELIEF OF THE VARIOUS ANIMALS FOUND IN THE STATE. 4 THE STARS OF" THE ROYAL FAMILY ORDER OF JOHORE. UPPER STAR -- THE: 1ST CLASS LOWER STAR -- THE 2ND CLASS 5 NOTE - AB FAR AS I AM AWARE~ THERE IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF EACH OF THE BADGES-MENTIONED ABOVE. THEY ARE WORN AS NECK BADGES ON RARE OCCASIONS BUT THE POSTS OF SECRETARY AND GENTLEMAN USHER ARE OFTEN VACANT FOR YEARS AT A TIME. THE STATE IMAM IS EX-OFFICIO PRELATE OF THE ORDER. VARIATIONS IT IS MOST UNLIKELY THAT ANY VARIATIONS OF THE INSIGNIA EXIST BUT THE LATE SULTAN IBRAHIM, WHO DIED IN LONDON IN 19~ HAD THE STAR AND BADGE OF THIS AND HIS OTHER ORDERS GET IN DIAMONDS AND RUBIES BY BENSONS OF OLD BOND STREET° HIS MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION NOW REPOSES IN A BANK VAULT IN JOHORE BAHRU~ PENDING THE OUTCOME OF A LEGAL BATTLE OVER HIS pERSONAL ESTATE 26~ HALLMARKS -- ON THE REVERSE OF ALL OF THE INSIGNIA THE NAME OF THE MAKERS APPEARS IN VERY SMALL ARABIC SCRIPT, 27. OTHER MARKS -- NONE 2~. DESIGNER OF INSIGNIA -- UNKNOWN. I COULD FIND NO RECORD OF THE DESiGN- ERS IN JOHORE FOR FROM THE MANUFACTURERG~ BUT IT wOULD APPEAR THAT VERY LIKELY HE WAS BRITIBH~ AS THE MALAYS HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD IN THE LAST CENTURY. MANUFACTURERS -- THE INSIGNIA HAS BEEN MANUFACTURED FOR THE pAST 7~ 29- YEARS BY Go W. BENBON LTD., 2~ OLD BOND ST.~ LONDON W. 1. THIS FIRM ALSO PRODUCED THE CROWN JEWELS AND REGALIA FOR THE STATE OF JONORE. RARITY -- AS A COLLECTORIG PIECE~ THE ORDER MUST BE CLASSED AS EXCEED- ~0. INGLY RARE. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY PIECE OF THE INSIGNIA IN THE POSSESSION OF A COLLECTOR OR IN A MUSEUM. ~1, CELEBRANT PURPORTED 0WN.E.R’ - NONE KNOWN BE.STOWAL8 -- THE ORDER IS HELD BY THE SULTAN OF JAHORE~ SENIOR MEM- ~2. BERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY9 THE MALAY RULERS~ AND THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI. ~, VALUE -- IT 18 IMPOSSIBLE TO VALUE THE INSIGNIA9 AS THERE ARE APPAR- ENTLY NO PIECES IN CIRCULATION, HOWEVER9 A FIRST CLASS SET IN CABE~ WHICH WAS RECENTLY MADE BY BENSONIS~ COST THE JOHORE GOVERNMENT 1~ POUNDS (ABOUT ~"""~O.O0) ~. NOTABLE RECIPIENTS - THE ORDER WAS GIVEN TO THE KING OF SIAM IN THE EARLY 190018~ BUT I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY BRITISH OR AMERICAN RECIP- IENTS. IT HAS NOT BEEN CONFERRED UPON ANY OF THE BRITISH ROYALTY. ~. DISPOSITION OF REGALIA -- THE INSIGNIA OF ORDINARY MEMBERS 18 RE- TURNED ON THE DEATH OF THE RECIPIENT AND MANY OF THE PIECES NOW HELD IN THE REGALIA ROOM, HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN IN USE FOR A LONG TIME~ AS THE ENAMEL IS CHIPPED BADLY. THE INSIGNIA OF HONORARY MEMBERS IS NOT RETURNABLE. ~6. LOCATION OF COLLECTIONS - IT IS MOST UNLIKELY THAT THIS ORDER AP- PEARS IN ANY COLLECTION OR IN ANY MUSEUM. THE COMPLETE STOCK OF IN- SIGNIA AVAILABLE FOR ISSUE CAN BE SEEN IN THE ISTANA BEGAN AT JOHORE BAHRU ON APPLICATION TO THE SULTANIS PRIVATE SECRETARY. THE RIBBONS ARE NOT FOR SALE EVEN IN JOHORE. ~. REFERENCES -- THE ORDER IS MENTIONED BRIEFLY IN A FEW OF THE BIGGER STANDARD WORKS~ BUT THE INFORMATION FOR THIS REPORT WAS COMPILED FROM THE ORIGINAL BTATUTES~ PERSONAL EXAMINATION OF THE INSIGNIA IN JOHORE9 AND ENQUIRES OF STATE OFFICIALS. ~= COMPILED BY SQUADRON LEADER E, H, O1TooLE R.A. Fo STAFF COLLEGE BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND APRIL 1961 0N PAGE 8 & 9 IS A PORTRAIT OF H,H, SULTAN ISMAIL OF JOHORE iN THIS PICTURE~ H°Ho is WEARING THE UNIFORM AND INSIGNIA OF COLONEL OF THE JOHORE MILITARY FORCE. HE IS WEARING THE COLLAR~ 1ST CLASS STAR AND BADGE OF THE FAMILY ORDER AND THE SASH AND 1ST CLASS STAR OF THE ORDER OF THE CROWN OF JOHORE, HIS NECK BADGES ARE CoB,E, AND C°MoG= AND OTHER STARS INCLUDE KoB°E,, FAMILY ORDER OF BRUNEI~ ORDER OF THE CROWN OF THAILAND AND OTHERS WHICH DISAPPEAR ROUND THE CORNER. FEBUARY 1960, 6 .

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