J004457 (IJA) CASED ORDER OF THE GOLDEN KITE, 7TH CLASS, WITH DOCUMENTS. The Order of the Golden Kite ("Kinshi Kunsho"), established in February of 1890, was a purely military award for bravery or leadership. General officers were eligible for its first to third grades, field officers its second to fourth, junior officers its third to fifth, non-commissioned officers its fourth to sixth, and soldiers its fifth to seventh grades. The Order was abolished in 1947. This seventh class silver award is in the form of crossed Samurai shields, with crossed, sheathed swords laid over them, banners with heraldic devices along either side of them, and, to the center, a vertical, sheathed halberd, surmounted by a spread winged, gilded falcon. The falcon is the "kite" from which the award takes its name, and relates to a story about the first Japanese emperor, who, after having been defeated by a rival prince, was sent a divine messenger in the form of a golden falcon, who advised his successful counter-attack, and who perched atop his standard during the battle. A perforated ball is to the top of the falcon’s head, through which passes the ribbon’s suspension ring. Fed unto the ring is a 1 7/16" wide, watered silk ribbon, in green, which has a 3/16" wide, vertical white stripe 1/8" in from either edge. An elongated, vertical alloy hook is to its top, which folds down and mates with an eye sewn to its reverse. The ribbon exhibits moderate age soiling. The gold wash to the medal’s falcon has dulled and worn significantly, and the silver remainder has an overall dark patina to it. The medal and ribbon are nested in corresponding depressions to the purple velvet interior base of its original presentation case, whose interior lid is lined in padded, purple silk. Typical nap wear and age soiling is evident to the velvet, although the silk is less affected. The exterior of the 2 3/8" x 3 1/2" x 1", dark brown lacquered wooden case has a wide alloy hinge along its top edge, and a perforated, hinged alloy flange and mating stud to its lower edge. A column of kanji characters, are painted, in gold, to its cover, which includes the number "7." The bottom of the case has become undone along one side and its forward edge, where several small nicks may be seen. Included with the award is a 13" x 8 7/8", light brown paper envelope, within which are three documents. To the front of the envelope is printed a column of eight, large kanji characters, and to its reverse is a large box filled with columns of characters, which includes a smaller box with what appears to be "707" and "6" hand written to it. The envelope has several fold lines and wrinkles to it, as well as light edge wear. The first of the documents within is a 14" x 10" sheet of even lighter-weight, light brown paper, filled with numbered columns of characters, and with a central, vertical fold line. With this sheet folded over, it accommodates two, 7" x 10" sheets of equally lightweight paper, again with numbered columns of characters printed to them. Fold lines, and some light edge wear to the larger sheet, are evident. The second, 10 5/8" x 13 1/2", document is of a heavy paper stock, and has three horizontal fold lines to it. A decorative border is printed to it, to each corner of which is a kanji character, that to the upper right being that for "Japan." A sixteen-petaled Imperial Chrysanthemum, above crossed national and war flags and enclosed by a wreath of laurels and oak leaves, with the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum to its base, breaks the top center of the border. The bottom center of the border is broken by sprays of laurels and oak leaves beneath a shield with a "Himaru" to it, flanked on the right by the base of a cannon, with a sword and an Army officer’s cap resting on it, and, to the left, by a fouled anchor, a globe, and a "fore-and-aft" Naval officer’s cap. Shadow printed against the textured background of the document are two, horizontally arranged kanji characters, and two, vertically arranged ones. Three rows of characters are printed to the top of the document, and nine columns of characters are printed beneath them, the four farthest from the right with encircled characters, in red, beneath them. The fifth column from the right translates to "Showa era, 2nd Year, 5th Month, 19th Day," or, 19th May, 1927. The document is lightly to moderately age soiled, but is otherwise intact. The final document was originally 11 5//8" x 14 3/4", although a section from its lower right corner has been clipped. Printed to the upper half of its obverse is a decorative border, incorporating floral motifs, with standards suspended from halberds against shields to either side, and a spread-winged falcon to the base. The top center of the border is broken by an Imperial Chrysanthemum, with sprays of what must be Paulownia flowers and leaves to either side of it. "No. 074498" is printed, in red, within the border and to the top left, to the right of which is a row of kanji, five of whose seven characters translate to "Great Japanese Empire." Three rows of characters, each incrementally larger than the previous, are beneath the aforementioned, and seventeen columns of characters are beneath that. The portrait of what is most likely an emperor is to the right of these columns, and an illustration of what may be his residence is to their left. A red seal is to the base of the leftmost column, and a "Showa era 15th Year," or, 1940, indication is to the row of characters underneath and to the right of that. Printed to the lower half of the document are seventeen of its original twenty "coupons," the three missing having already been clipped, with the red number previously mentioned repeated to each of them. A larger coupon is to the top center of this grouping, with the same serial number as the others, but with a different arrangement of characters to it. To the reverse of the document are the numbered reverses of the coupons, above which is a large, decorative background to "30 Yen." The document is lightly age yellowed and soiled, and has a central, horizontal fold line to it, and at least two vertical folds. The consigner reports that the coupons to the latter document are the monthly and yearly gratuities that accompanied the award, and that the other documents are the medal notification and explanations concerning its wear and its pension. Rare.

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