KIMKAN

Dear all, A good source of information in English is the booklet written by Gustav A. Tammann in 1993 and published by Spink of London. It is called "Imperial Russian Maker's Marks on Orders and Decorations". Page 19, Quote : "Bogdanov, Mikhail Ivanovich, born in 1886, owner of a workshop in St. Petersburg for gilt and silver objects from 1882 to 1912. Many of the insignia of the transitional (1898-1902) and second (1902-1911) type of the Imperial Order of the Double Dragon of China carry the assay office mark of St. Petersburg, but no maker's mark. It is possible that he made many of them. His mark was MB (Source Postnikova-Loseva)." Unquote. It is interesting to note that Gustav A. Tammann picks the dates 1898-1902 as those pertaining to the transitional type and 1902 as that of the beginning of the second and final type. Furthermore, no other Russian maker is listed in his book with respect to Chinese orders. No mention of Feodor Ruckert for instance. Additional research has been conducted since and new light has been shed on interesting discoveries. However, this booklet is definitely a "must have" for those who do not have any command of the Russian language. I am convinced that a fantastic documentation must be available in Russia these days. Regards, KimKan

Dear all, Additional research has panned out this interesting Russian-made transitional breast star by Feodor Ruckert. It was part of the Baldwin Hong Kong auction N°49 of August 2010, listed under number 850. Very similar to the Spink breast star to be sold this week. This beautiful piece went for US$ 70.000, excluding auction fees. Should be close to USD$ 85,000 once everything has been paid for. It will then be most interesting to see how it fares as this is the only similar Russian ODD star we have seen so far with an official auction price tagging along. No doubt the very conservative estimate made by Spink will be exceeded. Regards to all. KimKan

Dear all, The Double Dragon of Generalmajor Hoepfner looks very much like the one that will be sold by Spink this coming Thursday, i.e certainly a Russian-made transitional type. Those made by Godet of Berlin look quite different. It is quite interesting to see a high-ranking German officer wearing a Chinese order made in another country. Shall we conclude that these ODD transitional stars were not available at that time from German houses ? No doubt he would have worn a German-made star had it be available on the local "market". Reagrds to all. KimKan

Dear all, Thanks to Utopis for the additional information. Yes, Morton & Eden had one Russian-made ODD star on its December 1st 2011 auction, under number 1203, already picked by Drclaw in this post. I missed that one. So, the Russian ODD World Cup reads 1-0 for the time being, soon 2-0 after the Spink sale, the only difference being that at Spink's estimate, i.e close to auction kick-off price, that Bogdanov star will fly our the window in no time. The Feodor Ruckert star did not sell in 2011 as the price must have set back many potential buyers. Your could almost buy a brand new Lamborghini with that kind of money and drive like mad through King's Road - Hong Kong -....at the end of the day, this is just a matter of preference. Regards to all, KimKan

Dear all, Yes, the Spink auction at the end of this month carries very interesting Chinese items, including a rarely seen cased medal issued by the Legislative Department to reward those who helped out putting together the Chinese republican constitution and an award certificate for the Double Dragon 2nd Class bestowed upon an Austrian officer just a few months before the fall of the Ching dynasty. These very thin and fragile award documents are almost more difficult to find than the medal they relate to. Unfortunately, no picture on the catalogue. It should be present on the on-line auction system. The Russian-made ODD star is quite incredible indeed ! I have checked all my papers and computer-based auction documentation over the past seven or eight years and I have not found a Russian-made ODD star. I have found a few German (Godet) and French (Bacqueville) but no Russian. I do not know if this Mikhail Bogdanov was a famous maker or not and if he produced other orders and decorations than Chinese ODD. Gustav Tammann's book indicate that he produced these "transitional" ODD stars. Anything else ? Just one tricky idea pops to mind. During his overseas trip in 1896, Li Hung Chang stopped by Russia in April and May, both in Odessa and in St. Petersburg, where he received the order of Saint Alexander Nevsky. Do I jump to conclusions if I say that at that time a stong demand for ODD badges could have led the Chinese delegation placing orders with various local makers to reciprocate on these courtly manners ? Alternatively, these Russian-made ODD 1st type stars could have been produced on the fly to satisfy a continous demand. I like the April-May 1896 possibility as it perfectly matches the style of the badges and could explain why various makers (as not only Bogdanov made them) suddenly jumped on the bandwagon. Foof for thought only. Yes, I am of the opinion that a 0 fell off Spink's estimate. Printer's typo no doubt.... Regards. KimKan

Dear all, Yes, nice pocket money indeed ! We have a happy seller and a new proud owner. This is just the way it is when it comes to public auction. The Morton & Eden sale had great many beautiful pieces to go and not only Chinese pieces. No doubt that such a nice display of quality materials plus a catalogue that we all keep as precious reference for the future (the American Numismatic Association auction a few years ago was an absolute must for Chinese medals) do attract high-end customers. I am convinced that all these beautiful Chinese items are just moving all the way back to where they came from. Regards to all, KimKan

Dear all, The best research paper I have ever come across on this topic is an 18-pages long article put together by Mr. King Kwok and published in the January-February 2004 - Volume 55 - Number 1 issue of the JOMSA. Extremely interesting and well documented paper indeed. Mr. Kwok reaches the conclusion that lack of known offiicial documentation does not permit to establish award criterias and number of medals issued. The article shows six different medals (of which two for Yuan Shi Kai as a special medal for the Navy was issued), including the two beautiful pieces that Morton & Eden will auction off on July 2nd . As a result, five Chinese presidents semm to have an inauguration medal. How about the others ? Possibly not as the Harry H. Mohler census of these medals does not exceed that number as well. Regards to all. KimKan

Dear all, Just a simple and possibly tricky question pops to mind. We can see on that specific set that it bears the number 143 on its reverse side. Similar numbers can be found on many Chinese orders. However, these numbers are always at a rather low level (in the tens or in the hundreds, never reaching the thousands with the exception of some commemorative medals and decorations where the number on the back can exceed four or even five digits). Do we have to assume that each set has a specific number or that this number could refer to a group of sets, like that of a series comprising different sets. I have read in the past that some Chinese orders were issued at more or less regular time intervals and not in a continuous mode. Each attribution period could have been referred to with a specific number, all badges encapsulated within that attribution "campaign" bearing the same number. Doe this technical possibility make sense ? When we look at the rather generous attribution policy of some Chinese orders over a long period of time, we could expect some high individual numbers if they were issued and struck on one-by-one basis. I must admit that not all badges were numbered on the back and that the best way to prove this possibility would consist in finding two badges with the very same number on the back. Just food for thought, awaiting the Morton & Eden sale on July 2nd and the next one of Spink later on in July. Word has it that it comprises some excellent Chinese material as well. Best regards. KimKan

Dear all, Yes, an extraordinary set indeed ! Too bad that the pictures provided by Morton & Eden do not show the whole set sitting within the original black lacquered box. It should be just amazing. I am pretty confident that the bill that will tag along will be just as amazing.....this just the way it is when beautiful Chinese pieces hit the road.... Regards KimKan

Dear all, Item 657 on that Carsten Zeige auction looks very suspicious to me. Ready to bet some personal money that this is a modern forgery. Does anyone share this opinion or am I getting too anxious about these truckloads of fakes and fantasy Chinese medals that flourish all over the marketplace ? Regards, KimKan

Dear all, Yes, most impressive stuff indeed. I am of the opinion that the upper "coral" stone on the second ODD badge is a modern replacement. It looks too rosy-glossy to me and a bit oversized as well. Never seen upper stones like that before....though I have not seen everything yet. Regards. KimKan

Deal all, The Order of the Double Dragon 2nd type 3rd Class (any grade) is definitely the most frequently encountered as it was typically bestowed upon many military attachés, visiting officers and diplomats, vice-consuls etc.... The lower grades are apparently much more difficult to find and seldom turn up at public auctions, especially when they come with supporting documentation. The house of Carsten Zeige in Germany will offer a good dozen of interesting Chinese medals on June 28th 2014 (items 120 to 133). Item 125 is a fully documented and illustrated 4th Class ODD neck badge bestowed upon a German diplomat. Very interesting sale indeed. http://www.zeige.com/ Regards to all. KimKan

Dear all, Morton & Eden has just put online its July 2nd auction catalogue. There are many magnificent Chinese medals and a most striking set of the Brilliant Jade, catalogued under number 35. The description does match what has been written on this post so far. This is a cased "Ta Shou" or Grand Cordon set whose badges comprise only one red circular border in the center. As a result, it is described as a third class Grand Cordon set in the auction catalogue. Nothing to add to that. My understanding is that this specific class of the Grand Cordon was the highest possible grade bestowed upon foreigners and it always comes with a plain dark blue sash. Anyway, this is a beautiful piece indeed. Regards KimKan

Dear all, Thanks to Drclaw for these most interesting contributions, especially those pertaining to the number of red circles around the center. It is true that the China Year Book frequently provides very good information. I should have checked it in the first place. The 1937-1945 issue that I have been able to grab sheds new light on the upper classes of the Brillant Jade. Page 98 reads : "Altogether 500 (awards) of this order were made from July 1937 to the end of 1943. They included three Special Grand Cordon, seven Grand Cordon, nine Plaque, six Special Cravat, 22 Cravat, five Special Rosette, five Rosette and three Ribbon Class in 1937......" We can thus see that the first two grades are built upon a Grand Cordon set and that the third grade must look like a single "Plaque" or breast star, unless this Plaque also comprises a sash badge and sash, though I am a bit doubtful about that. Should this source prove reliable, there is still a problem with the third grade as the word "Plaque" may or may not mean complete set with sash and sah badge. At least, there is a breast star to count on.... Regards. KimKan

Deal all, I am just pulling an old thread to shed light on the Order of the Brilliant Jade ("OBJ"). 1 - Looking back at the most important public auctions of Chinese medals of the past years, I have noted that : - The American Numismatic Association sale of April 2007 organised by Morton & Eden did not have a single OBJ piece within the vast quantity of Chinese medals offered. - The Tammann sale of November 2008 put together by UBS had only one set described as "1st Class 2nd grade". - The Polyauction of April 2014 also had only one set described as "Grand Order of Brilliant Jade" with no specific mention of Class or Grade. It looks similar to the Tammann set. - The Gongquing Li book on Chinese Orders shows five pieces. Of interest is a set comprising breast star, dark blue sash and sash badge described as "3rd Class set." It also looks similar to the previous two sets, i.e dark blue sash, red central jade stone, blue surroundings. Fourth Class badges have a central blue jade disc and lower classes a central white jade disc. 2 - My pesronal conclusions on this : - It seems that this republican order is quite rare, if not completely elusive. - There is an issue to clarify with respect to the first three classes. It appears that tey are all comprising a breast star, a blue sash and a sash badge, with a central red jade disc for the star and sash badge, i.e something like a 1st Class with 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. This is what I understand from the Tammann catalog and from the Gongquing Li book when he refers to a thirsd Class set. Maybe I am wrong on this. Any better idea ? Regards. KimKan

Dear all, I am just pulling out an old thread to shed light on the Order of the Brilliant Jade ("OBJ"). 1- Looking back at trhe most important public auctions of Chinese medals of the past years, I have noted that :

Dear all, 100% OK with JapanX. Fake. Regards to all. KimKan

Dear all, Yes, it is quite expensive indeed and out of reach to most "ordinary" medal collectors. Spink is a global house and they can easily tap international markets. Please note that a very traditional British set of medals sold for nothing less than 120,000 UK Pounds in that auction ! Chinese badges look like petty cash after that....The most amazing thing is that the 3rd Class ODD neck badge that was presented in a glass frame sold for almost twice as much as the other 3rd Class ODD badge which was a higher grade (1st grade) and a much larger badge (95 mm instead of 75 mm). At first sight, one would have bet on a totally different result, i.e the highest price to the highest grade and, possibly, to the most impressive one. Just the opposite took place. The same can be written on the Golden Grain knight badge that went for 2.000 UK Pounds ! Similar badges frequently sell for a third of that price at public auctions. We just have to conclude that auction results are just unpredictable. Regards to all. KimKan

Dear all, Please tighten your seat belt ! The medal went for an astonishing 75,000 Euros + auction fees and taxes, i.e a grand total of about 92,000 Euros or 127,000 US$ to fork out ! This incredible price was apparently hit through web bid, not through physical bid in the auction room. Assuming it will be paid (so many ghost buyers when it comes to China-related auctions), this is definitely a new milestone in the small world of Chinese orders, decorations and medals. Regards to all KimKan

It will then be most interesting to see how the Paris-based Bacqueville ODD 3rd Class breast star fares during the next Spink auction to be held at the end of April. Catalog estimate of circa one thousand UK Pounds proposed by Spink seems to ve very attractive (not to say completely underestimated) for a such a high-quality foreign ODD breast star, in perfect condition on top of that. We may have another surprise round the corner...... Regards KimKan

Dear all, These results are just amazing. The local (or international ?) "market" has been able to absorb these rare and valuable items without a glitch. Even if more items had been offered, no doubt they would have gone at the same speed .... It seems that there is an endless appetite for quality pieces, a situation that is not specific to orders, medals and decorations as similar trends can be observed in other areas. To me, the German Godet ODD breast star is the most surprising result as I was under the impression that China-made items were the most sought after and that ODD badges made by various foreign makers (French, Belgian, Russian, German....) in the early 1900s were less palatable to Chinese bidders. This auction tends to prove the contrary, though only one such foreign piece was on sale (only one amongst many many Chinese pieces...does this tell something about scarcity of foreign ODD badges ?). Worthy of note is also the fact that there were a bunch of rare Japanese items (thinking of the second class Golden Kite) that did not find a new home. Overall, this sale was a great success and will be regarded as an important milestone in the small world of Chinese orders, medals and decorations. We have had the Tamman collection sold by UBS a few years ago and that of the American Numismatic Association sold by Morton & Eden. This one will definitely rank third over the past ten to fifteen years. Regards to all. KimKan

Dear all, A very interesting Ching dynasty gold medal will be offered at public auction on April 11th in Paris by the auction house of Thierry de Maigret, under number 337. Though wrongly cataloged as being a first type Double Dragon, this gold medal was awarded to French rear-admiral Henri Martineau des Chesnez (1816-1904). Another extraordinary Chinese piece of history that will feed a very rich April auction calendar (Hong Kong, London, Paris....you name it, you get it...) http://www.thierrydemaigret.com/html/fiche.jsp?id=3807656&np=1&lng=fr&npp=10000&ordre=&aff=&r= Regards to all. KimKan

This is the link straight to the auction catalog https://www.spink.com/auction.aspx?id=14001 KimKan

Dear all, The well-knowm house of Spink in London will auction off some interesting imperial Chinese medals on April 24th. Catalogue is online on their website. Only 7 items (number 325 to 331) pertaining to China. Worthy of note is a 2nd type First Class 3rd Grade ODD set, in its original case of issue and in perfect condition. If we add up these items to those of the Hong Kong auction just mentioned by Drclaw in a previous post, this boils down to an amazing quantity of high quality Chinese medals that suddenly swamp the market. It is springtime after all, flowers and Chinese medals are blossoming all over the place !... Just fascinating.... Regards to all. KimKan

Thanks to Drclaw for sharing this great information. Incredible items indeed. Just wondering if the prices will be higher, lower or just at estimation level. It seems that there is enough material there to stuff potential buyers for many months to come, unless appetite for Chinese quality items is still on its way up and more hungry collectors will jump out of the bushes. Such high-level collections do not come frequently on the market as there should not be that many floating around these days. Will be very interesting to follow. Regards to all. KimKan