J005058 GRAND CORDON OF THE ORDER OF THE SACRED TREASURE, WITH ISSUE CASE INSERT. The Order of the Sacred Treasure ("Zuihosho"), established in January of 1888, was awarded to either military or civilian personnel for long and distinguished service. It came in eight classes, of which only the lowest two could be given to enlisted personnel. It is the lowest ranked of the three main Japanese Orders. This first class set includes its sash, the medal to be suspended from it and the accompanying breast star, both on their velvet covered insert for an absent case, and a small rosette, which would have been worn through a buttonhole. The watered silk sash is 4" wide and 69" in overall length, in light grey (establishing it as an older award as later examples are in light blue), with a 1/2" wide orange stripe 5/16" in from either edge. Both ends are cut in a zig-zag pattern, and 6 1/4" in from one the ribbon is bound by a smaller version of itself, from underneath of whose obverse protrudes an alloy hook. The same distance in from the other end the ribbon is similarly bound, and has an alloy spring clip to its reverse, which would mate with the aforementioned hook, while its obverse is covered with a 4" diameter rosette, of the same material as the sash, underneath of which is another spring clip that the medal would have been suspended from. The sash is in excellent, unsoiled and perhaps unused condition. The gold plated silver medal is roughly in the form of a cross, with each arm comprised of five, white enameled rays, whose eight longest points are 2 5/8" from one another. To the center of the cross is a raised, silver "mirror" against a dark blue enameled background, encircled by a raised, golden ring with a 3/4" outside diameter and beading along its inside. Immediately beyond the ring are eight red paste jewels, with eight slightly smaller red jewels between each of them, all connected by red lines, forming a stylized necklace. These are the "sacred treasures" from which the award takes its name: the "Yata" mirror, representing purity and wisdom, and the "Yasakani" jewels, which represent benevolence, obedience and affection. To the reverse, a small rivet may be seen to each arm, and stamped to the center are the four kanji characters for "Order of Merit Decoration." The western letter "M," being a mint mark, is stamped beneath the rivet to the lowermost arm. A perforated ball is to the top of the uppermost arm of the cross, through which passes the suspension ring for the sash’s spring clip. The gold plated silver, convex breast star is 3" in diameter, and is comprised of eight arms of five, white enameled rays, each group separated by a shorter, blue enameled ray. Every other group of rays is bordered in gold, the remainder in silver. To the center of the cross is the raised, silver "mirror" against a dark blue enameled background, encircled by a golden ring with a 15/16" outside diameter and beading along its inside. Immediately beyond the ring are the red paste jewels, forming its stylized necklace. To its convex reverse, four small rivets may be seen to each corner of the square of four kanji characters stamped to its center, again translating to "Order of Merit Decoration." Bent hooks are to either side of that, and over it vertically extends a hinged pin with a catch to the base. It would appear that all of the enamel work and plating has been retained to both the medal and breast star, although both have an age patina visible to their reverses. A 7/16" diameter rosette is also included, which follows the same form as that to the ribbon, with a ribbed, golden colored bar along its base, from whose reverse extends an alloy post which is connected to a blackened alloy "button," 1/2" in diameter. It exhibits only light age soiling. The medal and breast star are nested into corresponding depressions to a 4 5/8" x 6 7/8", purple velvet covered base, whose reverse is covered in purple silk and which is hinged along its center, and which has a loop to its upper right, through which the rosette is fed. The velvet is lightly worn along its edges, and lightly soiled throughout, but is otherwise intact. An impressive grouping, in overall excellent condition.

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