Converted Japanese Orders

[JapanX]

From time to time you could see sacred treasure, rising sun and golden kite orders without ribbons and with strange looking pins on their reverses.

What is this?

Who did it?

What for?

We will begin our discussion with a little display of such converted specimens.

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First – this mutilated golden kite 5^th class (type 7).

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Obverse

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Reverse

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Now let’s take a look at this interesting chained couple of 4^th class rising suns.

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Obverse

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Reverse

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Paulownia leaf obverse

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Paulownia leaf reverse

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Blowups of the badge obverse

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Reverse

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Now let’s take a look at these examples of mutilated sacred treasures.

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Obverse of the 4^th class badge

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Reverse

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Close-up of the pin mark

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Close-up of the pin fastener

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Now this still beautiful 3^rd class badge from Meiji epoch marked N.

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Obverse

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Reverse

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Close-up of reverse.

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What is this?

Obviously they are original orders.

Some genius just decided to “redo them a little bit”.

“Redo it” generally includes “get rid of ribbon and ribbon hoop + solder the pin”

Only in case of rising suns we see signs of additional “work” – destroyed enamel and polished reverses of the paulownia leafs (this is done for pin soldering of course). This is quite usual “modernization” for rising suns in higher classes (I once saw rising sun 6^th class from Meiji – same work – only no chain – just the badge).

Edited November 29, 2011 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Who did it?

These pieces were victimized after the WW II.

Who were the vandals?

I vote for jewelry business.

Primary US and probably Japanese small private jewelry workshops.

The reasons are quite obvious.

[JapanX]

What for?

“Let make exotic, nice looking jewelry pieces out this phaleristic nonsense”.

I think the probability of this scenario is about 90% or even more.

[JapanX]

That’s all for today folks!

Cheers,

Nick

[pieter1012]

Hi Nick,

I bought in Japan some time ago, a golden Russian St. Anna order, that had been converted into an obijime (accessory) for on the obihime (rope around the obi). It was beautifully done with a kind of gold frame around the order. Might have been done by the widow of a Japanese who received the St. Anna order, because I don't think in Tarist Russia many women, except the nobility, received Imperial orders. Have never seen a Japanese order adapted in this way.

Regards,

Pieter