China - Medals. CHINA: Kuang Hsu, 1875-1908, AR medal (14.89g), year 30 (1904), 46mm, sterling silver award medal for the Chinese Empire Reform Association, portrait of the Emperor facing slightly left in circular center framed with 8-rayed star // crossed flags with dragon and three stars, guang xu san shi nian dong / hui zhang kang zeng bao huang hui tong zhi ("winter of Guangxu year 30 / awarded by President Kang [Youwei] to comrade of the Society to Protect the Emperor"), top ray stamped with the hallmark of Mappin & Webb, city mark of Birmingham and date letter for 1904, attached with loop and ring, tip of bottom ray slightly bent, VF, RR. The Chinese Empire Reform Association was founded in 1899 by Kang Youwei, the famed reformist who fled China after the coup of 1898, which ended the Hundred Days Reform. It was composed of members of the Chinese diaspora loyal to the Emperor (who was to remain under house arrest for the rest of his life) and the ideas of reform. It had 103 chapters in major world cities with large Chinese populations. Unlike the more common bronze membership medals (see our Auction 42, Lot 596), this appears to be an award medal based on the descriptions of the Chinese ambassador in London, Zhang Deyi, who caught wind of the secret plan by Chinese emigrés in the Sheffield area to make these medals. He noted, "The award medal is shaped like an order. The front is emblazoned with the image of the Emperor. The reverse has two flags, one with a dragon, the other with three stars, whose meaning is unclear. It is also engraved with da qing (Great Qing) san shi nian dong hui zhang kang zeng bao huang hui tong zhi among other inscriptions. Among its planners, one is a Cantonese named Luo Chang, currently a student at Ya enfu Academy. Another is Zhou Guoxian (Kang s confidant and interpreter). A total of 12 gold, 300 silver, and 5000 copper medals were originally planned. But due to the lack of funds, only gold and silver medals were ordered. A third of the price was paid, at a total of £15 in gold. A good number of the accomplices of Kang and Liang (Qichao) are in hiding in Britain, and recently they have been especially restless." This is the first and only example of the silver medal that we have encountered.
