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Order of the Seal of Solomon | |
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![]() Breast star of the Grand Cordon grade. | |
Type | House Order |
Country | Ethiopian Empire |
Royal house | House of Solomon |
Religious affiliation | Ethiopian Orthodox |
Sovereign | Emperor of Ethiopia |
Grand Master | President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia |
Grades | Grand Cordon Grand Officer Commander Officer Chevalier (Knight) |
Former grades | Collar |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Imperial Order of Solomon |
Next (lower) | Imperial Order of the Queen of Sheba |
![]() Ribbon of the order |
TheOrder of the Seal of Solomon is an order ofknighthood of theEthiopian Empire, founded byEmperor Yohannes IV in 1874 as the highest imperial honour, containing five grades. In 1930, an even higher Order was established, i.e. theOrder of Solomon, which was a split off from the Order of the Seal of Solomon. The Order was conferred on members of imperial house and upon persons who had rendered meritorious services.
After the deposition of Haile Selassie and dissolution of theEthiopian Empire, the order continued as a house order to be awarded by theHouse of Solomon. Today, its current Grand Master is the President of the Crown Council,Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, the grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
TheSolomonic dynasty, the ancientImperial House ofEthiopia, claims descent fromKing Solomon and theQueen of Sheba, said to have given birth toKing Menelik I after her visit to Solomon inJerusalem.[1]
The Order has five grades. The superior class "Collar" was introduced in the Order byEmpress Zauditu in 1922, but with the amendment in 1930, this grade was separated as independent order byEmperor Haile Selassie (i.e., as theOrder of Solomon, with a single class of "Collar").
The badge of the order is a goldStar of David with across bottony in the center enameled green with a central gold Latin cross. The badge was suspended by the Ethiopian crown in gold. The plaque bears the badge of the order on a gold star with rays. The ribbon is solid green. Lower grades of the order had the central cross botton enameled.
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