A Golden Kite 3rd Class - Meiji Late - Taisho Early 2.2

[TracA]

Greetings,

 

The opportunity arose, I was able to make the price work, and so I brought a wonderful Order of the Golden Kite 3rd Class into my collection. I never really thought that I would obtain one, but lucky I am.

 

For a history of the Golden Kite, see the excellent “Story of the Golden Kite” by Nick Komiya on the WRF at https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japanese-militaria/story-golden-kite-671453/. For outstanding classification and statistical work, of course see JapanX’s four Golden Kite threads pinned here at GMIC on the Japan forum. For my purposes I relied on the thread related to the 3rd and 2nd class Kites.

 

After quickly reading over JapanX’s thread I simply assumed that this was a Showa Kite, and that my only work would be to determine if it was a Showa 3.1 or 3.2. I did not think that I might possess a rarer Kite variation than the “often encountered” Showa variation. However, I read JapanX’s thread closer, several times, and came to the conclusion that my Kite is a Meiji Late - Taisho Early 2.2.

 

The shape of the Kite on my 3rd Class matches that of the Meiji Late - Taisho Early 2.2, and the color of the enamel on the sword scabbard and lower part of the harnesses matches that of the Meiji Late - Taisho Early 2.2 as opposed to the 2.1. On my Kite the 12h ray is part of the ring through which the cravat loop is threaded, which holds true for all of the Kites discussed in the above referenced thread, with the exception of the Showa 3.1. The clincher, however, is the fact that on my Kite the 12h beam at the top is recurved, a characteristic per JapanX that only Meiji Late - Taisho Early 2.2s have. 

 

I note one difference related to my 3rd Class versus all of the examples that JapanX displays in his thread: each of his examples have two flag fasteners on the left side flag but mine only has one. I really do not know if this would be enough to qualify for a sub-variation, but I mention it nonetheless.

 

It is a beautiful 3rd Class Kite and is a centerpiece of my collection.

 

Enjoy,

 

Tracy

 

Obverse:

 

 

Close-up of the Kite. Notice how the 12h ray is part of the ring through which the cravat loop is 

threaded. Also notice the flag fasteners. Both sides have only a single fastener.

 

 

Scabbard and harness close up:

 

 

Notice that the 12h beam at the top is recurved:

 

 

Reverse:

 

 

The case lid, with seven gold kanji and the Showa stylization of 勲 (kun). I would expect the case lid to have only six kanji, so I assume that the Kite and the case could be a put together.