Item number: M334

Year: AD 1908

Material: Brass

Size: 22.7 x 22.7 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 5.0 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2024

This is a commemorative badge issued in Meiji 41 (AD 1908) by the Taiwan branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society to mark the convening of its first annual meeting. The badge is made of brass.

The obverse of the badge features Prince Kan’in Kotohito of the Japanese Imperial Family. The prince is depicted with a Western-style haircut and a distinctive moustache, with clear and deep-set eyes. He is dressed in formal Western attire, adorned with medals on his chest. Above the portrait, the inscription “President Prince Kan’in” is engraved in seal script, reflecting the tradition of the Japanese Red Cross Society being led by members of the imperial family.

The reverse side contains three lines of text at the centre: “Commemorative Medal of the First General Assembly of the Taiwan Branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society.” Surrounding the text is the inscription “October 29, Meiji 41” (AD 1908). At the top of the medal, a hole and circular ring are included for attachment.

The Japanese Red Cross Society was officially established in Meiji 20 (AD 1887). In AD 1895, during Japan’s military campaign to take control of Taiwan, the society dispatched medical personnel to aid and established a branch in Taipei in June of that year. On April 1, AD 1902 (Meiji 35), the Taiwan Branch was formally established, with civil affairs chief Goto Shinpei serving as its first director.

The current “Red Cross Society of the Republic of China” operating in Taiwan is an entirely separate organisation with no historical connection to the former Taiwan branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society. After the end of World War II, the Taiwan branch’s headquarters in Taipei was seized by the Kuomintang (KMT) and repurposed as the KMT’s central office. In AD 1994, shortly before the city government was set to designate the building as a heritage site, the KMT demolished it, sparking controversy. The site is now occupied by the “Chang Yung-Fa Foundation Building.”

物件編號: M334

年代: 公元 1908 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 22.7 x 22.7 x 1.4 mm

重量: 5.0 g

來源: 臺灣私人收藏 2024

這是一枚明治41年(公元1908年)，日本赤十字會臺灣支部為召開第一次總會發行之紀念章，其材質為黃銅。

獎章正面為日本皇族閑院宮載仁親王，親王以西式髮型和八字鬍示人，瞳孔十分清晰深邃，身著西式大禮服和胸配獎章。人像上方以篆書鐫刻「總裁載仁親王」字樣，日本赤十字會總裁一職至今仍由皇室成員擔任。背面中央的三行銘文為「日本紅十字會臺灣支部第一回總會紀念章」，外圍則是環繞的「明治四十一年十月二十九日」字樣。獎章頂端有一穿孔和圓環作銜接。

明治20年(公元1887年)，日本赤十字會正式成立。公元1895年，日本派兵前往接收臺灣的戰役中，日本赤十字會亦派出護理人員協助，同年6月設立台北支部。明治35年(公元1902年) 4月1日，臺灣支部正式成立以民政長官後藤新平為首任支部長。現今在臺灣活動的「中華民國紅十字會」跟臺灣支部為不同脈絡下的組織，兩者並沒有關聯。第二次世界大戰結束後，臺灣支部於台北的廳舍遭到中國國民黨佔據為中央黨部。公元1994年，廳舍在市政府宣告為古蹟前夕遭到國民黨拆除也引發爭議，目前現址為「張榮發基金會大樓」。