Item number: M125

Year: AD 1936

Material: Gilt Silver and Enamel

Size: 11.9 x 11.9 x 0.2 mm

Weight: 1.15 g

Provenance: La Galerie Numismatique 2023

This is a miniature version of the Order of the Pillars of State, the lowest rank among the four orders in the Manchukuo, created in AD 1936 and made of gilt silver with enamel decoration. According to Imperial Edict No. 142 of AD 1936, the Manchukuo modeled this order after Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure. It was awarded to individuals who had meritorious contributions to public affairs or had achieved special accomplishments.

The design of the order was based on Emperor Puyi’s ideas and was commissioned to Professor Shokichi Hata of the Tokyo Advanced School of Arts and Crafts. The production and manufacture were handled by the Japan Mint. The order consisted of eight ranks, each with the same design. At the centre was an octagonal plate painted according to the five-colored flag of Manchukuo, with a red enamel Eastern palace pillar decoration on each of the four sides. The outer edge of the octagon featured eight white pearls for ranks above the fourth, while ranks below the fourth had the same number of white enamel beads. The reverse side of the medal was engraved with the four characters “Order of meritorious service,” and the ribbon was colored with red silk with yellow edges on both sides.

The miniaturized version omits the original colors around the periphery, and the octagonal plate is not arranged in the same color sequence as the original version. Additionally, gold lines highlighting the contours are added to the octagonal plate in the miniaturized version, showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship of the goldsmith. The reverse of the miniaturized version also omits the four characters “Order of meritorious service” found on the original version.

Between AD 1936 and AD 1945, this order was awarded a total of four times, with the number of awards being quite substantial. The combined total for the first two instances alone reached 39,604 orders. Awards presented by Emperor Puyi were termed “Personally Conferred,” those by the Prime Minister were termed “Formally Conferred,” and those distributed by various levels of government were termed “Officially Awarded.” Recipients were mostly Japanese advisory personnel who were effectively controlling Manchukuo.

物件編號: M125

年代: 公元 1936 年

材料: 鎏金, 琺瑯

尺寸: 11.9 x 11.9 x 0.2 mm

重量: 1.15 g

來源: 貨幣畫廊 2023

這是一枚公元1936年打造，材質是鎏金和琺瑯為裝飾，滿洲國的四種勳章中最後一等的柱國勳章迷你版。根據公元1936年的第142號敕令，滿洲國模仿日本的瑞寶勳章創立該勳章，其授予對象為對公共事務有功勞者或特殊成績者。

勳章的外觀依據溥儀皇帝的想法，委由東京高等工藝學校的畑正吉教授設計，和日本造幣局負責生產製造。勳章總計有八個勳等，圖案設計皆相同，中央是按照滿洲國五色國旗塗裝的八角盤，四側各有一個紅色琺瑯的東方宮廷柱子裝飾。八角的外圍依照勳等差異，四等以上鑲有八顆白色珍珠，四等以下則是相同數量的白色琺瑯珠。勳章背面刻有「勳功旌章」四字，綬帶配色為兩側各有一條黃邊的紅色絲綢。

迷你版省略周圍原先的塗色，八角盤亦未按照原版顏色排序。八角盤上則新增凸顯輪廓的金線，亦讓人窺看到金工師傅細膩的手藝。迷你版背面則省略「勳功旌章」四字。

公元1936至1945年間，該勳章總計頒發過四次，其頒發的數量十分龐大，前兩次的總和就達到39,604枚之譜。頒自溥儀皇帝的稱作「親授」、總理頒發為「奉授」和委託各級政府發放的「頒發」。綬勳者多為實際控制滿洲國的日本顧問人員。