1900年德国-英国-日本-俄罗斯围攻北京铜样章。直径：57毫米。伦敦J. Tayler Foot之作。呈予R. B. de Courcy。正面MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD!出自伦勃朗的《伯沙萨王的盛宴》，意为汝邦气数已尽，即将覆亡，此乃神旨。汝之所为俱已为度，有所亏。呜呼！荣光已逝！[此句原本出自《但以理书》] 章上刻画三名女性形象：头戴花冠的是德国与头戴自由之帽的英国执手相对，背后为身穿和服的日本。三名女性赤脚踩于象徵大清帝国及义和团的捲曲龙身之上。反面刻有JUNII XX - AUGUSTI XIV / A D MDCCCC，描绘被烧毁的前门 (正阳门)，浓烟形状似是龙在咆哮，门前有一大炮。非常罕见，极具历史价值的一枚纪念章。顶级Gem品相，PCGS评级中的唯一冠军分。义和团运动巅峰时期的遗物。附原盒，盒上受勋人的名称用箔纸压印，有标题PEKING SIEGE / 1900。上一枚类似拍品获评PCGS SPECIMEN-64，于2021年9月上拍，成交价达18,000美元 (拍品编号21618)。此纪念章应香港上海滙丰银行僱员 Arthur D. Brent 要求而制，赠予 1900 年夏季八国联军之役的在场人士。在被义和团及大清朝帝国围攻的 55 天内，欧洲、日本及中国基督教徒藏匿于东交民巷中。攻势最终在八国联军登岸后被瓦解。正面铭文引用伦勃朗的画作《伯沙萨王的盛宴》。写于墙上的希伯来文在章上音译为英文，预示即将到来的厄运。英语中the writing is on the wall(写于墙上)有厄运临头，难逃一劫的含义。在此章上可被理解为，欧洲使者所享受的荣耀与欢乐时光即将被忍无可忍的中国人画上句号。此纪念章的获赠人R. B. de Courcy是爱尔兰卫理公会 Rev. E. de Courcy的长子，曾任北京国子监英语教授。<p>CHINA. Siege of Peking Bronze Award Medal, 1900. PCGS SPECIMEN-66.BHM-3672; Eimer-1842. Diameter: 57mm. By J. Tayler Foot in London. Presented to R. B. de Courcy. Obverse: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD! --from Belshazzars <em>Feast by Rembrandt</em>, roughly translating as <em>God hath numbered the days of thy kingdom and hath brought it to an end; thou hath been weighed, and thou art lacking; Alas! The glory hath departed!</em> [itself a reference to the book of Daniel], female allegories of Germany, wearing mural crown, and Great Britain, wearing Phrygian cap, standing facing one another and clasping hands along with allegory of Japan in background, wearing kimono; at their feet, they tread upon a coiled dragon emblematic of the Qing Empire and the Boxers; Reverse: JUNII XX - AUGUSTI XIV / A D MDCCCC, frontal view of the Qianmen (Zhengyangmen) Gate, under siege and engulfed in a plume of smoke slightly zoomorphized as a snarling dragon; cannon in foreground. <strong>VERY RARE</strong> and extremely historically important, this stunning Gem stands as the single finest example of the type graded by PCGS. A relic from the height of the Boxer Rebellion. Includes original box of issue with the recipients name embossed in gilt foil, along with the title PEKING SIEGE / 1900. Compare to a similar example, a PCGS SPECIMEN-64, which realized a total of $18,000 in our September 2021 Hong Kong auction (Lot # 21618).<p><p><em>Struck at the request of Arthur D. Brent, an employee of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, these medals were given to others present during the siege that ensued at the International Legations in Peking (Beijing) during the summer of 1900. A group of Europeans, Japanese, and Christian Chinese took refuge within the Legation Quarter as the forces of the Boxers and Qing Empire laid siege for 55 days--the siege ultimately broken by a joint international effort that marched from the coast.</em><p><p><em>The obverse legend is a reference to an inscription illuminated in the paining by Rembrandt entitled Balshazzars Feast. On the wall, the Hebrew phrase that is transliterated on the medal became an English expression used for foreshadowing impending doom. The phrase the writing is on the wall retains the general meaning of the concept, the idea that ones fate has been sealed. In the context of the medal, the glory and good times enjoyed by Europeans within the legation had seemingly come to an ominous end at the hands of the Chinese beyond their walls.</em><p><em></em><em>The recipient of this medal, R. B. de Courcy, was a professor of English at the Imperial College in Peking, and was the eldest son of Rev. E. de Courcy of the Irish Wesleyan Church.</em>
