Japan Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum at Christmas

[Markus]

Absolutely stunning Nick! Thanks for sharing this treat.

Merry Christmas guys and thanks for all your contributions and posts this year.

Ours can be a lonely hobby (it's not like you can wander into your local pub and discuss insignia variations on the Order of the Golden Kite ...).

But being part of this community really makes a difference.

Well said Gavin! Thanks to all the GMICers, I have had such a great time reading all the posts and learning quite a bit.

Merry Christmas to all!

[JapanX]

Glad you liked it guys!

[JapanX]

Do you have some close ups of later periods for comparison? And of course a document, please

I'll see what I can find

[JapanX]

Ok.

Let`s roll!

Our first stop will be collection of Metropolitan Museum.

Grand Gordon was added to museum collection in 1906 as Gift of Edward D. Adams and Jacob H. Schiff.

Museum dated this specimen as "late 19th century"

[JapanX]

Not really "close-ups" you were counting for?

Ok, ok.

Breast star

See how wide cabuchon ring is?

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Let`s compare it with mine breast star

Obverses

[JapanX]

Reverses

[JapanX]

Comment is superfluous

[JapanX]

Sash + reverse of sash badge

[JapanX]

Next stop - Grand Gordon of 5th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan Marquess Ōkuma Shigenobu.

He got it on July 14, 1916

Case

[JapanX]

Interior

[JapanX]

Closer

[JapanX]

Breast star

Same feature as breast star from Metropolitan set

Unfortunately no photos of reverse

[JapanX]

Sash with badge

[JapanX]

Obverse close up (please note original rosette - mine is a replacement that came from much later time period)

[JapanX]

Reverse

See

[JapanX]

Really interesting question will be:

when this interior was changed to dark blue one http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_12_2013/post-6141-0-11888100-1387984778.jpg?

Edited December 25, 2013 by JapanX

[JapanX]

My current time estimates will be:

for case with dark blue interior - at least since January 1922

for case "with birdies" interior - at least until January 1926.

[utopis]

Ok, right but if the 1906 added set features the same characteristics as the 1916 set it's practically not possible to differentiate between late Meiji and Taisho?

[JapanX]

You get that right!

It`s doc time!

[JapanX]

First will be this gorgeous and super rare posthumous doc that was issued to 24th Prime Minister of Japan Count Katō Takaaki on January 28, 1926 (many thanks Pieter! )

[JapanX]

Left side

[JapanX]

Right side

[JapanX]

Famous and extra rare "double signature" of Hirohito