1900年围攻北京铜样章。
CHINA. China - Germany - Great Britain - Japan - Russia. Siege of Peking Bronze Award Medal, 1900. PCGS SPECIMEN-65 Gold Shield.
1900年围攻北京铜样章。57mm。J. Taylor Foot 铸于伦敦。呈送俄国驻华公使库朋斯齐男爵 (Василий Николаевич Крупенский)。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。Gem 品相，巧克力棕色表面光泽流丽。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"。此纪念章应香港上海滙丰银行职员 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。俄罗斯外交官瓦西里-库朋斯齐，时任俄罗斯驻华公使，当时亦身陷困境。其后来亦担任驻美国、中华民国及日本的大使。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。
CHINA. China - Germany - Great Britain - Japan - Russia. Siege of Peking Bronze Award Medal, 1900. PCGS SPECIMEN-65 Gold Shield.BHM-3672; Eimer-1842. Weight: 57mm. By J. Tayler Foot in London. Presented to Baron Basil Kroupensky (Василий Николаевич Крупенский). Obverse: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD! --<em>from </em>Belshazzars Feast<em> by Rembrandt, roughly translating as "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!" [itself a reference to the book of Daniel]</em>, 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 glossy Gem medal features chocolate brown surfaces that exude tremendous luster. 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."<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. One such member present within the complex was Basil Kroupensky, a Russian diplomat who was in the middle of his stint as 1st Secretary of the Russian delegation in Peking. He would also serve in similar positions as the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Republic of China, and Japan.</em><p><em></em><em>The obverse legend is a reference to an inscription illuminated in the paining by Rembrandt entitled </em>Balshazzars Feast<em>. 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>
