Background
To be considered for the award, French government guidelines stipulate that citizens of France must be at least thirty years old, respect French civil law, and must have "significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance". Membership is not, however, limited to French nationals; recipients include numerous foreign luminaries. Foreign recipients are admitted into the Order "without condition of age". The Order has three grades: * (Commander) — medallion worn on a necklet; up to 20 recipients a year * (Officer) — medallion worn on a ribbon with rosette on left breast; up to 60 recipients a year * (Knight) — medallion worn on a ribbon on left breast; up to 200 recipients a year The (medallion) of the Order is an eight-pointed, green-enameled asterisk, in gilt for Commanders and Officers and in silver for Knights; the obverse central disc has the letters "A" and "L" on a white-enameled background, surrounded by a golden ring emblazoned with the phrase . The reverse central disc features the head of Marianne on a golden background, surrounded by a golden ring bearing the word