J007957 FIVE PLACE MEDAL BAR. Five medals, from left to right, the Order of the Golden Kite, 7th class, the Order of the Rising Sun, 8th class, the 1931-34 Manchurian Incident medal, the 1934-37 China Incident medal, and a Red Cross Membership medal, each of whose ribbons are wrapped around and suspended from a 53/8" wide, nickel-silver plated alloy bar. 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 3/8" wide, watered silk ribbon, in green, which has a 3/16" wide, vertical white stripe 1/8" in from either edge. The ribbon exhibits moderate age and usage soiling and has faded to an almost light blue color. The gold wash to the medal’s falcon has worn significantly, and it appears to have bled unto the silver remainder. 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 3/8" 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. The ribbon is moderately age soiled, and the medal itself has dulled with age. The 1 3/16" diameter bronze medal which follows features, to its obverse, a falcon perched atop a Samurai shield, whose upwardly-stretched wings encompass a sixteen-lobed Imperial Chrysanthemum, with radiating lines as the backdrop. To its reverse are two helmets, one with the Navy anchor to it, the other with the Army star, above a stylized kanji inscription reading, "Showa era 6th Year to 9th Year Incident" (1931-1934), enclosed by a tape border, with a field of cherry blossoms as the backdrop. This medal was established in July of 1934, commemorating the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, and the subsequent border campaigns (as war was not officially declared, the action was referred to as an "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 front of this bar is a horizontal plate, upon which is embossed a row of four kanji characters, translating to "War Medal." The 1 7/16" wide, watered silk ribbon’s vertical bands are narrow burgundy-wide orange-wide pink-very narrow yellow-wide red-very narrow yellow-wide pink-wide orange-narrow burgundy. An elongated, vertical alloy hook is to its top, which folds down and mates with an eye sewn to its reverse. Both the medal and ribbon are only lightly age soiled. Next is the medal and ribbon awarded to Japanese soldiers departing for service in the undeclared war against China (hence, "incident"). The 1 3/16" diameter bronze medal features, to its 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-lobed 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 front of this bar is a horizontal plate, upon which is embossed a row of four kanji characters, translating to "War Medal." The 1 3/8" 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. Although its original hook is absent, the eye sewn to the mid-point of its reverse remains. The ribbon is moderately age soiled, and the medal and its bar have the dark patina of old bronze to them. Moderate verdigris may be seen to both the hanger and the bar. This medal, established in 1939, was awarded until the summer of 1945, and was abolished in 1946. The final, 1 1/8" diameter, struck silver or silver alloy medal (as they were made of before the end of the second world war), 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. To the reverse of the clasp is embossed the "Iroha" syllabary character for "i," here used as a mint mark. The red, watered silk ribbon has two silver stripes to either edge, and an elongated, vertical alloy hook is to its top, which folds down and mates with an eye sewn to its reverse. The ribbon is lightly age dulled, but clean, although the medal itself has the dark, mottled patina of old silver to it. The bar that each of the ribbons are suspended from has, descending from behind each medal, nickel-silver plated vertical prongs with openings to each of their tops, permitting the hooks and eyes to the reverses of the ribbons to mate. A hinged, horizontal pin-back device extends across the entire width of the reverse of the bar. Overall, an impressive collection, in reasonably good condition.

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