J005958 THREE PLACE MEDAL BAR. Three medals, from left to right, the Order of the Rising Sun, eighth class, the 1937-1945 China Incident War medal, and a Red Cross Membership medal, each of whose ribbons are wrapped around and suspended from a 4 1/2" wide bar. The Order of the Rising Sun ("Kyokujitsusho"), established in 1875 as Japan’s first national decoration, could be awarded to either military or civilian personnel for meritorious service. There were eight classes to this order, of which only the lowest two were given to enlisted personnel. Foreigners, on occasion, could also be bestowed the award. This medal, the eighth of the eight classes, is in the form of a three-lobed spray of silver Paulownia leaves, each surmounted by silver Paulownia flowers, five to the center and three to each side. Its otherwise featureless reverse has a horizontal row of four kanji characters impressed to it, translating to "Order of Merit Decoration." Through a perforated ball atop the uppermost, central flower passes the ribbon’s suspension ring. Fed unto the ring is a 1 7/16" wide watered silk ribbon, in white with crimson edges, which has an elongated, vertical alloy hook to its top, which folds down and mates with an eye sewn to its reverse. A darkened age patina may be seen to the recesses of the medal, and its ribbon is moderately soiled. The 1937-1945 China Incident War medal, established in 1939 and awarded to Japanese soldiers departing for service in the undeclared war against China (hence, "incident"), is 1 3/16" in diameter and features, to its bronze obverse, the mythical giant crow "yata-no-karasu," flanked by two Rising Sun flags (for the Army and Navy), whose upwardly-stretched wings encompass a sixteen-petaled Imperial Chrysanthemum, with radiating lines as the backdrop. To its reverse are three stylized mountains above, and stylized water beneath, a cloud bank, against which is a row of four kanji characters, translating to "China Incident." The swiveling hanger connected to the top of the medal features abstract foliage as its pattern, and is itself connected to a swiveling, horizontal bar, through which the ribbon passes. To the face of the bronze bar is embossed a row of four kanji characters, translating to "War Medal." The 1 7/16" wide, watered silk ribbon has a narrow, vertical red stripe to its center, flanked by wider pink stripes, then even wider stripes in yellow, then narrow light blue, and, to its outside edges, narrow navy blue stripes. These represent, respectively, loyalty, the blood-stained soil of China, the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. An elongated, vertical alloy hook is to its top, which folds down and mates with an alloy eye sewn near the base of its reverse. The medal has light age darkening to its recesses, and its ribbon is moderately age soiled. This medal was awarded until the summer of 1945, and was abolished in 1946. The Red Cross Membership medal is 1 1/8" in diameter, of struck silver or silver alloy (as they were made of before the end of the second world war), and has, to its obverse, what appears to be a peacock (the "ho-o") above a Geneva cross, with bamboo branches arching up either side, and flowering Paulownias to the base of each branch. To its reverse are two rows of stylized kanji characters, the uppermost reading, from right to left, "Meiji era 21st Year" (1888 - the year of the establishment of these awards), with that underneath it reading "Japanese Red Cross Society." A clasp is to the top of the medal, through whose perforation is fed the suspension ring for its ribbon. The 1 7/16" wide, watered silk ribbon is red with two very pale blue stripes to either edge, and has a pale blue rosette applied to its center. Rosettes were used to indicate honorary membership, with the medal further distinguished by being gold plated. An elongated, vertical alloy hook is to its top, which folds down and mates with an eye sewn near the base of its reverse. The silver medal has darkened with age, with hints of what may have been gold plating, and its ribbon and rosette are lightly to moderately soiled. The aluminum alloy bar that each of the ribbons are suspended from has, descending from behind each medal, vertical prongs with openings to each of their tops, permitting the hooks and eyes to the reverses of the ribbons to mate. Two columns of kanji characters may be seen embossed to the bar behind the Red Cross medal. A pin-back device, hinged at one end, and feeding into a catch at the other, extends horizontally across the entirety of the reverse.

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