Great Ribbon of the War Order of Virtuti Militari from the Funeral Gun Carriage of the First Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski

Silk, historic photograph and metal in a historical frame, 37.5 x 26 cm, 20 May 1935.
This ‘secular reliquary’ contains a relic in the form of Piłsudski’s posthumous attire — a fragment of the great ribbon of the War Order of Virtuti Militari — symbolising heroism. Lined with blood-red velvet, the ornate gilded frame also includes a photograph of the funeral gun carriage. The enclosed handwritten label made by lieutenant colonel Tadeusz Tomaszewski (1894–1967) on 20 May 1935 in Kraków, evidences the authenticity of the contents.
2023-11-30