Otani Women’s Association Merit Badges

[TracA]

Archie,

 

Thank you. Much appreciated. Your threads are also outstanding places for information.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

[archie777]

Hi Tracy,

 

Thanks for your compliment, but I'm still new here and have so much more to learn

 

Regards

Archie

[TracA]

Greetings,

 

Something different for my Otani Women’s Buddhist Association collection: a director’s badge. 

 

The badge is circular with a 30 mm diameter. It is 2 mm thick. The central design is of a cherry blossom with the inscription 法, hō for “Dharma/Teachings of Buddha” in the center of the blossom. The obverse is enameled as such: the cherry blossom is red with an olive green border and 法 is also olive green with a gold border. The background is white and the entire obverse design is bordered with what looks to be a very thin gold painted outline. The circumference of the badge has a 1 mm gold border. The 2 mm thick edge and reverse are gold, with the latter finely sandblasted. The reverse pin back is of the “safety pin” variety, and it is threaded through an 11 mm tube that is attached to the reverse of the badge. The obverse inscription is as noted above. The reverse inscription is in three rows of very stylized kanji. The top row is 派谷大宗真; the second row is 會話法人婦; the third row is        章員役. Thus, “Otani Sect of Shinshu Women’s Dharma Association Director’s Badge”.

 

The box is made of wood and it is 49 mm wide x 50 mm long x 17 mm high. On the lid in purple stamped ink are two horizontal rows of kanji and one vertical row of kanji centered under the second horizontal row. The top row is 派谷大宗真 for “Otani Sect of Shinshu”; the second row is 會話法人婦 for “Women’s Dharma Association”; the vertical row is 役員章 for “Director’s Badge”. There is a white medalbed but it is not recessed for the shape of the badge. On the top edge of the box is a purple ink stamped cherry blossom for alignment of the top and bottom of the box.

 

This badge has a pleasing appearance. It makes a wonderful addition to my collection.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

 

Obverse:

 

 

Reverse:

 

 

Box lid:

 

 

Sakura alignment stamp:

 

[TracA]

I have another Otani Badge for today. This one is a merit badge. Specifically, the Special Merit Badge.

 

The badge is 30 mm in diameter and 2.5 mm thick. The obverse is enameled in red, white, 

mustard, and purple for the center of 法, the only inscription on the obverse. It means “Dharma/Teachings of Buddha”. The central design is of a cherry blossom. All of the non-enameled surfaces, and thin outlines of the design, including what could be two smooth leaves at 12h and 6h, are silver. Above the badge is an attachment 27 mm wide by 17 mm high to the bottom of the attached ring. The attachment is 1 mm thick. The attachment is in the design of a wreath of leaves enameled red, with an enameled white center and silver colored edging and leaf veins. The reverse is sandblasted and silver in color with a two horizontal row inscription. The top row is 特別有功章 for “Special Merit Badge” and the bottom row is 大谷婦人會 for “Otani Women’s Association”. Finally, at the bottom of the badge hangs a purple cord with two tails. The cord has a bow and knot design that is exactly like that found on Women’s Patriotic Association membership badges that have a cord. It is also of the same design as that found on the Otani Lifetime Regular Membership Badge.

 

The ribbon is a double bow in a beautiful shade of purple and white, in the following dimensions starting from either the top or bottom edge of the ribbon: 6 mm purple; 2 mm white; 2 mm purple; 8 mm white; 2 mm purple; 2 mm white; 6 mm purple. I note that on JapanX’s excellent Medals of Asia website the bow appears blue and white, not purple and white. See https://asiamedals.info/threads/otani-womens-association-merit-badges.22933/#post-358746.

 

The box is made of wood and has the following dimensions: 89 mm wide x 149 mm long x 23 mm high. The top edges are slightly beveled. On the lid in impressed gilt characters are two columns of kanji. The center column is 特別有功章 for “Special Merit Badge” and the lower left column is 大谷婦人會 for “Otani Women’s Association”. There is no medalbed. On the bottom edge of the box is a cherry blossom stamp in purple ink split between the top and bottom half of the box, indicating the correct alignment of the top and bottom of the box.

 

This is a very nice looking badge and the contrast between the red enamel and the purple in the bow is strikingly beautiful.

 

I hope that you enjoy this one. I am currently “out” of Otani badges to post. 😃

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

 

Obverse:

 

 

Reverse:

 

 

Box lid:

 

Alignment stamp:

 

Edited June 20 by TracA
Spacing; word correction

[No one]

Dear TracA,

 

I hope you won't mind, but I have grouped the photos of your badges into one tableau.

 

Your collection of Otani badges here is truly beautiful.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

[TracA]

Hello No One,

 

That is magnificent. Thank you for doing that, and thank you for the compliment.

 

I should figure out how to create an album on GMIC. I believe that others have done so.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy