Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
The Tibet and World War I Medal Set
(Miniature)
西藏和第一次世界大戰獎章組 (迷你版)
Item number: M158
Year: AD 1905-1919
Material: Silver
Size: Tibet 17.8 x 47.2 x 1.7 mm
Weight: 32.9 g
Provenance: J. Collins Medals 2024
This is a set of miniature medals awarded to British veteran who participated in both the Tibet Expedition of AD 1903-1904 and the First World War. The set consists of five medals in total, with the leftmost one being the “Tibet Medal” issued on February 1st, AD 1905, to honour those who took part in the Tibet Expedition. Participants in the nearly one hundred days-long Gyantse Battle were additionally entitled to receive a clasp inscribed with the word “Gyantse.”
The miniature Tibet Medal is of the same design as the official version. On the obverse side, it features a profile portrait of King Edward VII in the uniform of a Field Marshal, sculpted by G.W. de Saulles, with the Latin inscription “Edward VII Emperor of India” around the edge. The reverse side, sculpted by Ernest Gillick, depicts the representative architecture of Tibet, namely the Potala Palace where the Dalai Lama resides, with the inscription “TIBET”, and the expedition year “1903-04” below. The suspension is a replica of the swivel scroll suspension with claw found on the official version. The ribbon is centred in burgundy, with white and green colours symmetricly arranged on either side.
The four medals on the right are all related to the First World War. From left to right, they are: the 1914 Star, the Victory Medal of the First World War, the War Medal, and the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal from the era of King George V. Upon observation, these medals feature three common types of suspensions: ring suspension, swivel scroll suspension, and swivel straight bar suspension.
The history behind the five mentioned medals reveals a diplomatic shift for the British Empire as it entered the 20th century. The motivation for the AD 1903 British expedition to Tibet was part of the “Great Game” diplomatic policy inherited from the late 19th century, where Britain feared Russian expansion from Central Asia as a threat to its colonial interests in India. However, with the rise of Germany posing threats to both Britain and Russia’s influence in Europe or other regions, a shift occurred. In AD 1907, Britain and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian Convention, delineating their spheres of influence in Asia. This transformed them from rivals into partners, jointly working to counter the rise of Germany, which became a contributing factor to the outbreak of the First World War.