Item number: M130

Year: AD 1900

Material: Bronze

Size: 53.0 x 53.0 x 8.0 mm

Weight: 43.05 g

Provenance: Beaussant Lefèvre 2022

This medal is the Indochinese Order of Merit, 3rd Class established by the Governor-General of French Indochina, Paul Doumer, in the year AD 1900. It is an unofficial decoration awarded to local residents of French Indochina, aiming to recognize their contributions to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the arts.

The medal features a concave six-pointed star with small spherical decorations at its apex. At the center of the star is a circular border, within which the inscription “彰美” in Vietnamese script – Nôm script, read from right to left, conveys the idea that the development of knowledge is respectable and admirable. The outer rim bears the inscription “Indochine Francaise” in French script, signifying French Indochina. The design of the suspension above the medal and ribbon resembles laurel branches, with the ribbon being yellow in color. The obverse and reverse sides of the medal share the same design.

The medal is divided into three classes, with the first class being the highest, corresponding to the material of the medal: gold, silver, and bronze. This particular medal belongs to the third class, being made of bronze. Under the jurisdiction of the committee, there are limitations on the number of members for each class of the medal. The third class is limited to 500 members, the second class to 100 members, and the first class is restricted to 15 members.

French Indochina was a colonial territory administered by the French colonial empire from the latter half of the 19th century to mid-20th century, encompassing present-day Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and surrounding regions. This colonial entity gradually took shape between the years AD 1858 and AD 1887 and came to an end in AD 1954. The inception of French control over the region dates back to the French invasion of the Indochinese Peninsula in AD 1858. Subsequently, areas such as Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) were occupied. During the Franco- Vietnamese War, France extended its control over parts of Vietnam and Cambodia, establishing French Cochinchina. In AD 1887, France unified territories including Tonkin, Annam, Cochinchina, and Cambodia (later joined by Laos), formally establishing the “Union of French Indochina.”

However, during World War II, due to France’s capitulation, Japan briefly took over the administration of Indochina, leading to escalating resistance in Vietnam. After the end of World War II in AD 1945, Japan surrendered and returned control of the region to France. In the same year, the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, declared the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, initiating resistance against French colonial rule. This led to the outbreak of the First Indochina War, known as Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam. In the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in AD 1954, France was defeated, marking the end of its rule over French Indochina.

物件編號: M130

年代: 公元 1900 年

材質: 銅

尺寸: 53.0 x 53.0 x 8.0 mm

重量: 43.05 g

來源: 博桑李費佛拍賣行 2022

此枚為法屬印度支那總督保羅· 杜默 (Paul Doumer) 於公元1900年設立的印度支那功勳勳章，又名彰美佩星。此勳章是授予法屬印度支那當地居民的非官方勳章，旨在獎勵當地居民對農業、商業、工業和藝術的貢獻 。 

勳章的外型為一個邊緣內凹的六角星，頂點處有小圓球裝飾。星星中央有圓形邊框，中央以越南文字-喃字由右至左刻有銘文「彰美」，表達發展知識是可敬、受欽佩的，外圈則刻有「Indochine Francaise (法屬印度支那)」的法文字樣。勳章正反面為相同的設計。勳章上方與綬帶的懸掛設計成月桂樹枝的模樣，綬帶的顏色為黃色。 

勳章分為三級，以第一級最高，對應到勳章的材質:金、銀、和銅。此枚屬於第三級的銅質勳章。在委員會的管轄下，此勳章的分級制度有人數限制，第三級限制500名成員，第二級100名，第一級則是15名。 

法屬印度支那（French Indochina）是法蘭西殖民帝國在公元19世紀後半至公元20世紀中葉統治的殖民地區域，包括了現今的越南、寮國和柬埔寨等地。該殖民地於公元1858年至公元1887年間逐步形成，並於公元1954年結束。始於公元1858年的法國入侵中南半島，先後佔領了西貢（今越南胡志明市）等地，並在中法戰爭期間取得對越南及柬埔寨部分地區的控制，建立了法屬交趾支那。公元1887年，法國將東京、安南、交趾支那和柬埔寨（後來又加入寮國）統一起來，正式成立了「印度支那聯邦」。 

然而，二戰期間，由於法國的淪陷，日本短暫接手管理印度支那，越南的抵抗日益激烈。日本在公元1945年二戰結束後投降，將政權交還給法國，同年，由胡志明領導的越南獨立同盟會宣布成立越南民主共和國，反抗法國的殖民統治，越南抗法戰爭(第一次印度支那戰爭)隨即爆發。在公元1954年的奠邊府戰役中，法國戰敗，結束了對法屬印度支那的統治。