Interesting Early Armenian Political Badge/medal

[dlorenzo]

Hi All,

I just picked this piece up and thought I would share. It looks to be a badge made by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) on the occasion of Armenian independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1918.

The wikipedia page on the party shows that they still basically have the same emblem as that used on this badge. Does anyone know or can read the slogan of the party?

The badge measures 31mm and is really exquisite. The details of the party's emblem particularly fine. I'm not sure what this type of painted enamel is called, but I guess its the same technique which was used to make the center pieces of Imperial Russian orders like St. Anne and St. George. Since this branches of the ARF were set up in all corners of the Armenian diaspora, it might be impossible to say where this badge was produced. However, the similarity in style to Imperial Russian awards would lead me to guess somewhere in the neighborhood of Armenian proper. The reverse is blank, so I wonder if this was a medal, a party pin or a fob, probably any and all three at the discretion of the wearer. Does any information exist on awards of the short lived Democratic Republic of Armenia?

Thanks-

Dan