Original 19th Century French July Monarchy National Guard Officers “Liberté” Brass Gorget with Gallic Rooster Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a 19th Century French “July Monarchy” Era Officer’s Gorget, as worn by the French “National Guard”. A gorget , from the French gorge meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman’s neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the throat, a set of pieces of plate armor, or a single piece of plate armor hanging from the neck and covering the throat and chest. Later, particularly from the 18th century, the gorget became primarily ornamental, serving as a symbolic accessory on military uniforms, a use which has survived in some armies.

The gorget is constructed out of brass which has tarnished to a lovely patina, and the insignia features the Gallic Rooster with the right wing raised and looking to the left, with the left good on a globe bearing the French motto LIBERTÉ. The other foot is grasping the oak leaf wreath that surrounds the entire insignia. In the Middle Ages, the Gallic Rooster was widely used as a religious symbol, the sign of hope and faith. It was during the Renaissance that the rooster began to be associated with the emerging French nation. With time, the French kings adopted the rooster as a symbol of courage and bravery.

There were numerous different gorget designs used by the French during the 19th century, which was also a time of numerous revolutions and different governments. We have found referent materials linking this specific design to the “July Monarchy” period that preceded the 2nd Empire, though it is very possible that the design continued to be used into that period.

The condition of the gorget is in very good condition for its age, displaying a lovely mellow brass patina. There is some deformation to the brass, and there is also some minor oxidation and patination present on the reverse. The insignia is well preserved, with a lovely antiqued look.

A lovely example ready for further research and display.

The July Monarchy (Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under Louis Philippe I, starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 February 1848, with the Revolution of 1848. It marks the end of the Bourbon Restoration (1814–1830). It began with the overthrow of the conservative government of Charles X, the last king of the main line House of Bourbon.

Louis Philippe, a member of the more liberal Orléans branch of the House of Bourbon, proclaimed himself as Roi des Français (“King of the French”) rather than “King of France”, emphasizing the popular origins of his reign. The king promised to follow the juste milieu, or the middle-of-the-road, avoiding the extremes of both the conservative supporters of Charles X and radicals on the left.

The July Monarchy was dominated by wealthy bourgeoisie and numerous former Napoleonic officials. It followed conservative policies, especially under the influence (1840–48) of François Guizot. The king promoted friendship with the United Kingdom and sponsored colonial expansion, notably the French conquest of Algeria. By 1848, a year in which many European states had a revolution, the king’s popularity had collapsed, and he abdicated.