IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE DOUBLE DRAGON AS BREAST STAR

Estimated Value:

8.000 € - 12.000 €

Schätzpreis:

14.000 €

Description:

China, late Qing dynasty, around 1900
D. ca. 9,2 cm
2nd model (1896-1902), eight-pointed breast star, 2nd class, 2nd grad. Weight ca. 90 g. Silver, the separately applied medallion partly gild and enamelled, a coral cabochon in the center engraved with a 'shou' chracter. Engraved inscription in Manchu and in Chinese: 'yu ci' (granted by the Emperor), 'Shuanglong baoxing' (Double Dragon Precious Star). On the reverse the city mark of St. Petersburg, 84 zolotnik (fineness), master's mark 'FR' in Cyrillic, probably for Fedor Rückert (1840-1917), carrying pin. Red case by A. A. Treiden, St. Petersburg (active until ca. 1926), old paper label signed '... v. Eichhorn'.
Noble property South Germany, inheritance of Wolf Albrecht Friedrich von Eichhorn (1883-1969), Lieutenant Commander of the Imperial German Naval Officer Corps 1914/18 - Barely visible wear to the order, otherwise in good condition
The Order of the Double Dragon was an order awarded in the late Qing dynasty, founded by Emperor Guangxu on December 19, 1881. originally only to foreigners but was extended to Chinese subjects from 1908. as an award and was initially used to honor foreigners and, from 1908. The design was based on the European order and was modified by several models till the end of the Chinese Empire (1911/1912). The present order is an excellent product by the important Russian manufacturer of orders, which was extremely rare due to the very short time of its award. Possibly it was commissioned in relationship with the diplomatic mission of General Li Hongzhang's (1823-1901) trip in Europe to the order manufacturer Treiden in Moscow, probably using medallions for the breast stars delivered from China.

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