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  Sola Topi / Pith Helmet North India 1900-1917

  By Farkas · Posted 26 minutes ago

  Hi Bluhm, This is the background… militarysunhelmets.com ”This hat would appear to be a variant of the Cawnpore Tent Club Hat made so popular by the visit of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, to India in 1875/6 and, indeed, it is quite difficult to say which is which from an external view only, although the more expensive Cawnpores were distinguished by their quilted cover. Both hats were made entirely of sola pith – from the flowering plant Aeschynomene asper or other species of the Fabaceae family – and the corruption of sola to solar is easy to understand as all such hats/helmets were so often called “sun helmets.” The example in your picture is missing it’s two straps…     and it has the domed vent fitted to the top 👇    Bit clearer in the picture of a ‘plain’ example below 👇  I have a rather knackered Victorian/Edwardian unquilted one. At that point, which tallies with your stories period, it had the 2 straps, the one over the top goes under a small retainer as below 👇 and in the first picture above.  The domed vent fitted to the top came along a little later… (I’d guess)) that was when the hat was accepted as regulation not worn unofficially.   i hope this helps 👍   cheers  tony 🍻      
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  A Meiji Golden Kite 7th Class With ナ (NA) Hallmark

  By TracA · Posted 1 hour ago

  Greetings,   This wonderful little hallmarked bird just came into my possession: a cased Golden Kite 7th Class with the ナ (NA) hallmark.   Using JapanX’s 6th and 7th Class Kite classification system right here on GMIC (see https://gmic.co.uk/topic/51228-classification-of-golden-kites-in-6th-and-7th-class/?_fromLogin=1)  I believe that this can be classified as a Meiji Kite for the following reasons: (1) the third wingtip is the longest; (2) there are two apertures at the second tipping over of a harness (considering from below); (3) the distance between the fourth aperture of a harness (considering from below) and the first tipping over of a harness (considering from below) is short; (4) the top two apertures on the left side of the harness are a relatively short distance apart.   But which sub-variety of Meiji Kite is it? After studying the photos in JapanX’s classification thread, I believe it to be a Meiji 3.3 Kite.   Regarding the NA hallmark, per Medals of Asia these can currently be dated to the first quarter of the 20th Century and are presumably the mark of Namikawa Yasuyuki. See Medals of Asia at https://asiamedals.info/threads/mark-na-on-japanese-orders-and-medals-who-and-when.28707/.   Regarding the case: the inscription is in silver kanji and it is of the seven kanji variety, stylized of course: 功七級金鵄勲章 with 勲 (kun) in the typical Showa stylization. Per Medals of Asia the switch to silver kanji occurred in late 1938, and Nick Komiya on War Relics Forum postulates that the move from six to seven kanji for the inscription occurred sometime in 1932. So, I would expect to see the medal below in a six gold kanji case and therefore lean towards believing that the case with which the medal came was not the case of issue.   It is a beautiful Kite with a nicely faded ribbon. I hope that you enjoy.   All the best,   Tracy   Obverse. Note the four features described above:     Reverse:       The ナ (NA) hallmark:       The case lid:    
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  Some Medal Boxes, ww2?,

  By Farkas · Posted 1 hour ago

  The first question is how am I going to get these to you?? 😊 The Patriotic Women's Association is one of your passions isn’t it, what are the odds…   Thank you ever so much No one, everything explained and great links. I was starting to wonder if the boxes said ‘Tokyo flower show’ or something similar but no one wanted to tell me 🙃   thanks again both tony 🍻
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  Real eBay Items

  By VtwinVince · Posted 4 hours ago

  I looked at that one, and believe it's been restored with the orders, which were probably missing due to Rueckgabepflicht.
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  I need help in Belgium

  By Igor Ostapenko · Posted 5 hours ago

  Dear Werner,  one more medal from Leopold I period - gilded silver, but without ring and bull too …  Interesting name - F.St. Amour d Ostende 8. 8bre ( October? ) 1841 .  Can you see citation please !?