China Late Taiwan leader Chiang's Order of Blue Sky and White Sun going on block

[JPL]

Here is another interesting medal news item:

A medal awarded to late Taiwanese leader Chiang Kai-shek is going up for auction in Hong Kong, even though Taiwan's defence ministry says it's not the original. The Order of Blue Sky and White Sun medal is going on the block Friday. It's expected to fetch 3-5 million Hong Kong dollars ($387,000-$645,000).

Auction house Spink says Chiang was awarded the medal in 1930 by his Nationalist government, which ruled much of China while fighting a civil war with the Communists. In 1949, the defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up a rival regime. Taiwan's defence ministry said last week, after Spink announced plans for the auction, that Chiang was laid to rest in a mausoleum with the medal when he died in 1975.

But at a press preview on Tuesday for the sale, collector and scholar Chuk Hong-ming said Chiang was buried with a duplicate medal.

"Before 1995, it was the usual practice to give a new set of the medals to a general who passed away for burial," he said. The auction house says it's the first time the medal has ever gone up for auction.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Late+Taiwan+leader+Chiangs+medal+going+block+defence+ministry+says/7119369/story.html#ixzz24HviaMyc

Jean-Paul

[hc8604]

The Armed Forces Museum in Taipei has "his" set of Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun.

The Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall also has a bunch of medals that belonged to Chiang.

I am not so sure if this belonged to him. This order seems to have the new Taiwan version brooches.

[paul wood]

This is No 3 that will be coming up in auction at Morton and Eden in November. Alas at present I can't post the obverse because it is 307 KB. It reminds of all for the want of a nail but I won't go too far down that line. I'll see if next week I can get the other side scaned in low resolution.

Paul

[drclaw]

Beautiful! Even just the reverse.

If you send me the 307 KB image, I'm happy to convert it to a smaller file size for you and post it.

[JapanX]

The Armed Forces Museum in Taipei has "his" set of Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun.

The Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall also has a bunch of medals that belonged to Chiang.

Indeed!

I posted them in this thread

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/54594-chinese-phaleristic-optata-furiosorum/ (somewhere in the middle)

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/54594-chinese-phaleristic-optata-furiosorum/page__st__20 (somewhere in the middle)

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/54594-chinese-phaleristic-optata-furiosorum/page__st__60 (at the bottom)

Cheers,

Nick

[drclaw]

OK, now I'm confused.

How do we reconcile the Taiwanese Defence Ministry claims that the insignia were entombed with him with the Armed Forces Museum (presumably a government body) also holding them.

[hc8604]

Indeed!

I posted them in this thread

http://gmic.co.uk/in...ata-furiosorum/ (somewhere in the middle)

http://gmic.co.uk/in...um/page__st__20 (somewhere in the middle)

http://gmic.co.uk/in...um/page__st__60 (at the bottom)

Cheers,

Nick

Yep, too bad they were damaged. Not sure how.

[JapanX]

OK, now I'm confused.

How do we reconcile the Taiwanese Defence Ministry claims that the insignia were entombed with him with the Armed Forces Museum (presumably a government body) also holding them.

Most likely Taiwanese Defence Ministry PR representative was talking about different medal

This piece

http://gmic.co.uk/index.phpapp=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=241308

is authentic and it is in Museum.

Medal everybody is taking right now has ribbon, not sash

If indeed "Before 1995, it was the usual practice to give a new set of the medals to a general who passed away for burial," he said. The auction house says it's the first time the medal has ever gone up for auction." and if Chan indeed was buried with full set of insignia, then I it was the usual practice to give TWO extra new set of the medals to a general who passed away

One is original

One for the mausoleum

One for collectors

:lol:

Edited August 24, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

A liitle correction.

Actually it was not Defense Ministry, but Presidential Office which originally complied historical documents to show that the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with Grand Cordon given to Chiang was buried with the late Republic of China president at his mausoleum in Daxi, Taoyuan County, but the announcement was indeed made by Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he.

"According to the documents and photos of Chiang being placed into his coffin, the former president wore that medal and two others when he was entombed in Daxi in 1975" Luo said.

It's not the end guys, I'll come back later today with much more

Cheers,

Nick

Edited August 24, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Ok.

First of all this piece

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

Of course this piece never was "awarded to Mr. Chiang Kai-Shek"

This is after 1980 variation of the order - 5 years since Mr. Chiang Kai-Shek death.

This is museum piece (although it is authentic one;))

As was said earlier - these enamel splits look very strange on piece that was never wore.

[JapanX]

Another photo of this set

[JapanX]

Now let`s talk about this buried piece

Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he is completely right.

Indeed "according to the documents and photos of Chiang being placed into his coffin, the former president wore that medal and two others when he was entombed in Daxi in 1975".

Here comes one photo

[JapanX]

Second one

[JapanX]

Looks like now this piece is here.

[JapanX]

Really like this Mausoleum ...

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

Time to take a look at this mysterious (controversial? ) "medal awarded to late Taiwanese leader Chiang Kai-shek"

Obverse

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Different lighting

[JapanX]

[JapanX]

Well, this piece is the real thing.

But why Spink think that it belonged to our Generalissimo?

The main argument is reverse.

Edited August 24, 2012 by JapanX