Richard LaTondre Posted May 15, 2012 Posted May 15, 2012 What an outstanding presentation! You have done so much in this area that You should be presented with a medal. When is your book coming out? Thank You, Richard
Richard LaTondre Posted May 15, 2012 Posted May 15, 2012 http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-3065-0-08883700-1337107829.jpgHere is my medal for you.
JapanX Posted May 15, 2012 Author Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) When is your book coming out? I'll let you know http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-3065-0-08883700-1337107829.jpgHere is my medal for you. Gee! That's a nice medal! Order of Nobility .... Thank you my friend! Regards, Nick Edited May 15, 2012 by JapanX
drclaw Posted May 16, 2012 Posted May 16, 2012 What a wonderful thread, Nick! Well done and thank you! Everyone who was anyone received the Order of Merit. Yet these come up very very rarely at auction. In fact, only once in the last four years I believe (UBS Tammann Collection 2008). I can never spend too much time looking at Warlord photos with their egret plumed kepis, big gold epaulettes and bling. They certainly had style in those days. Gavin
JapanX Posted May 16, 2012 Author Posted May 16, 2012 Glad you liked this thread chaps! Next stop - Grand Order (a.k.a. 12-motif Order of Honour). We'll hit it on Saturday Cheers, Nick
JapanX Posted May 19, 2012 Author Posted May 19, 2012 I was lucky enough to find a better colore scans of Major-General Xiong Bingkun document and order. Doc
Greg Collins Posted May 19, 2012 Posted May 19, 2012 Great stuff, Nick! Now, what happened to the pearls?
JapanX Posted May 19, 2012 Author Posted May 19, 2012 (edited) Great stuff, Nick! Now, what happened to the pearls? We could only guess ... The grandson of Xiong Bingkun donated his grandfather order to Hubei Provincial Museum about 10 yeas ago in the very same condition. Maybe family used this pearls during hard times? Or maybe they were lost when children played with the order... There are many different possibilities. Edited May 19, 2012 by JapanX
JapanX Posted May 19, 2012 Author Posted May 19, 2012 I can never spend too much time looking at Warlord photos with their egret plumed kepis, big gold epaulettes and bling. They certainly had style in those days. In this case you gonna like this gentleman Please welcome General Johann Wilhelm Normann Munthe the man who actually designed this uniform for Yuan Shikai army.
JapanX Posted May 19, 2012 Author Posted May 19, 2012 Johann Wilhelm Normann Munthe (1864–1935) was born in Bergen, Norway. After a military education in the cavalry, he emigrated to China in 1887, and started working as a customs officer. He enlisted in the Chinese army in the war against Japan (1895–96), and remained as a cavalry instructor under general Yuan Shikai. Johann Munthe's association with Yuan Shikai proved advantageous, and he advanced in rank to lieutenant general and advisor to the Ministry of War; according to his own words, he was the first foreigner to achieve such a prestigious position. General Munthe was an avid collector of Chinese works of arts, and his collection includes porcelain, paintings, costumes, and statues in bronze and marble. The collection now resides with the Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum. General Munthe was the stepfather of Sir Alexander Grantham, Governor of Hong Kong from 1947 to 1957.
JapanX Posted May 19, 2012 Author Posted May 19, 2012 Unreal photo from his days in China (he marked by red oval) Most likely this photo was made right after Boxer Rebellion in 1900 or 1901. By the way, for his services during Boxer Rebellion he was awarded with 4th class St.George order!!!
JapanX Posted May 28, 2012 Author Posted May 28, 2012 Beautiful plume! And under this plume this nice cockade ;)
drclaw Posted July 29, 2012 Posted July 29, 2012 Nick, I was going through this wonderful thread again. The Order of Merit is very rare. However, given the fact it was awarded in more than a handful of numbers, it doesn't explain why these don't appear more often at auction. My guess is that most of these insignia would have been destroyed during the Japanese invasions / Civil War / Communist era / Cultural Revolution. And few if any were given to foreigners so we hardly see any outside China unlike say the 1st / 2nd Class Order of the Precious Golden Grain. Gavin
drclaw Posted July 29, 2012 Posted July 29, 2012 And that kepi badge is just beautiful. I've only ever seen it in black and white photos. To see an actual example in colour .... :o
JapanX Posted July 29, 2012 Author Posted July 29, 2012 The Order of Merit is very rare. However, given the fact it was awarded in more than a handful of numbers, it doesn't explain why these don't appear more often at auction. Indeed. These are very rare. "Handful of numbers"... Hmmm... I am not sure about that
JapanX Posted August 9, 2012 Author Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) Ooops. Wrong thread :blush: Edited August 9, 2012 by JapanX
drclaw Posted September 8, 2012 Posted September 8, 2012 Hey Nick, I was marvelling at these photos again. Do you know the name of this chap in post #34, photo 22? He looks like Mr Creosote squeezed into the uniform of a Chinese warlord!
JapanX Posted September 8, 2012 Author Posted September 8, 2012 Do you know the name of this chap in post #34, photo 22? He looks like Mr Creosote squeezed into the uniform of a Chinese warlord! Very colorful chap! Unfortunately I don`t know his name :(
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