Item number: M107

Year: AD 1895

Material: Bronze

Size: case 104.5 x 54.3 x 20.9 / medal 29.6 x 83.0 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 28.35 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Japan, 2022

This bronze medal is the “1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War Medal,” announced on October 9, Meiji 28 (AD 1895), accompanied by a black storage case with original red velvet lining. The medal was awarded to all Japanese military personnel who participated in the First Sino-Japanese War during Meiji 27-28 (AD 1894-1895).

The medal’s material is derived from captured Qing Dynasty cannons and is shaped like a vertically oriented treasure ball. On the obverse, there is a chrysanthemum crest symbolizing the Japanese emperor at the top. Below this crest are the intertwined flags of the Japanese Army and Navy. The reverse of the medal features seal-style Japanese kanji characters, with “Meiji 27-28 Years” and “War Service Medal” inscribed around the edges and center. Above the medal, there is a swivel straight bar suspension connected to a square clasp without any inscription, adorned with paulownia leaf decorations. The ribbon has a width of approximately four centimeters (1.2 inches), with white in the center and green on the sides, and it includes a clip on the back.

In AD 1894, a war erupted between China and Japan over control of Korea, culminating in the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki by China, ceding Taiwan and recognizing Japan’s control over Korea. This war represented simultaneous modernization efforts by two East Asian countries, with Japan’s more comprehensive Meiji Restoration emerging victorious over China, whose defeat of the Beiyang Fleet symbolized the failure of its Self-Strengthening Movement. Following this conflict, Japan’s position in East Asia was acknowledged by Western powers, and it continued to assert its expansionist ambitions by using China as a springboard until its defeat in World War II.

This medal bears witness to the rise and fall of the national power of China and Japan in modern times. In the history of Japanese medals, it is also unique as the only one presented in the shape of a spherical jewel, with the clasp plaque not bearing any inscription, serving as a military service medal.

物件編號: M107

年代: 公元 1895 年

材質: 銅

尺寸: 盒 104.5 x 54.3 x 20.9 / 獎章 29.6 x 83.0 x 2.0 mm

重量: 28.35 g

來源: 日本私人收藏 2022

此銅質獎章為日本明治28年(公元1895年)10月9日布告的「明治二十七八年從軍記章」，附有原版紅絲絨內襯的黑色收納盒。該獎章授予明治27至28年(公元1894至1895年)間，參與甲午戰爭的全體日軍官兵。

獎章的原料取自擄獲的清軍大砲，外觀為直豎的寶珠狀。正面的上方有象徵日本天皇的菊紋章，下方則是交錯的日本陸軍聯隊旗及海軍軍艦旗。獎章背面以篆體日本漢字，在周圍跟中央分別刻有「明治二十七八年」和「從軍記章」字樣。獎章上方的旋轉直桿懸掛連接方型無字銘條，並以桂葉作為雕飾。綬帶寬度約為四公分(一寸二分)，中央為白色，左右則是綠色，背面還有一別扣。

公元1894年，中日兩國為了朝鮮的控制權爆發戰爭，最終以中國簽訂《馬關條約》割讓臺灣和承認日本對於朝鮮的控制落幕。這場戰爭代表東亞兩個國家近乎同時進行的現代化改革，由日方更為全面的明治維新勝出，中方則以北洋艦隊覆滅標示其洋務運動的失敗。經過此役後，日本在東亞的地位為西方列強接納，也持續以中國為跳板展現擴張的野心，直至第二次世界大戰戰敗為止。

此獎章見證近代中日兩國的國力消長外，在日本的獎章歷史上，亦是唯一一款呈現寶珠形狀，和銘條未帶有文字的從軍記章。