20 JOMSA

The badges of the First through Sixth Classes feature a suspension device in the shape of a laurel wreath tied by a red ribbon. This is a Western motif symbolizing victory and can be traced back to Ancient Greece and Rome. The label ribbons for the Order match those of the sash or ribbon (Figure 11).

Presentation cases

Insignia were presented in cases. There were three types of cases: black lacquer wood (Figure 12), wood covered with embroidered cloth, and wood covered with vinyl paper strips. The cases were likely produced by specialist workshops and then combined with the medals and ribbons before bestowal. It is uncertain whether particular types of cases were associated with different time periods. One theory is that embroidered cases became more common in later years as they were easier to produce.

The black lacquer cases are most frequently encountered for the Striped Tiger. Cases have the class and name of the order inscribed on the lid in gold, traditional Chinese characters. The black lacquer cases were inspired by Japanese award presentation cases that had become well established in Japan from the late 1880s. While lacquering originated in China before making its way to Japan, the Chinese cases are of noticeably lesser quality and rarely approach the mirror-like sheen of Japanese cases. The inscriptions are also larger with clearly visible carving strokes.

Figure 12: Presentation case for a Second Class set of insignia. The inscription reads: ER DENG WEN HU XUN ZHANG or Second Class Order of

the Striped Tiger (Morton & Eden).

Award documents

Decree No. 9 specified the form of the licence certificate. This was to include: the seal of the President of the Republic; the conferral of the award by the president; the reasons for the award; the recipient’s details; the name of the Chief of the Army or Chief of the Navy; the date; and the number.

Actual licence certificates closely copied the style of the Japanese award documents that were introduced in the Meiji period with the first Japanese orders. The top of the certificate contains an image of the badge or star of the relevant class (Japanese certificates have the imperial chrysanthemum symbol instead). At the bottom is an image of the accompanying lapel rosette (Japanese certificates have the insignia of the order instead). While the regulations specified that certificates were to be numbered, this did not occur in practice. The center features the large red seal of the President of the Republic, either individually stamped or simply printed as part of the document design.

Certificates for the First through Third classes bear the signature of the president in Chinese characters below the red seal. This followed Japanese practice whereby licence documents for the Third Class and higher (Fifth Class and higher for the Order of the Golden Kite) were personally signed by the Emperor.19

Figure 13 is a First Class document, signed by President

Figure 13: Certificate for a First Class award to Admiral Sir Alexander Duff, dated May 16, 1920. It bears the signature of President Xu Shichang below the red seal. Note the images of the First Class Striped Tiger breast star and accompanying rosette

(Spink and Son).

Vol. 66, No. 1 (January-February 2015) 21

Xu Shichang, awarded to Admiral Sir Alexander Duff, Commander-in-Chief of the China Station. Admiral Duff also served in the Battle of Jutland on H.M.S. Superb. The document reads:

The Great President of the Great Republic of China hereby gifts to Admiral the Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Fleet of Great Britain, the Order of the Striped Tiger First Class, as a mark of friendship, given on the 16th May, in the 9th Year [1920] of the Great Republic of China.

Figure 14 illustrates a certificate for a Fifth Class award.

Figure 14: Certificate for a Fifth Class award dated 12th Year of the Republic, i.e. 1923.

(Dix Noonan Webb).

License documents were presented in simple cardboard cylinders (Figure 15). This departed from the Japanese practice of documents being presented in elegant boxes of paulownia wood or black lacquer cases.

Manufacturers

Of all the republican orders, the Striped Tiger is associated with the widest variety of manufacturers.20 Lao Tian Li and Yong Zheng are the most frequently encountered. Others include Fu Li, Wan Bao and Mei Li Gongchang, the Central Mint and Japanese manufacturers. Specimens typically bear a manufacturer’s stamp on the reverse (Figure 16) although some are unmarked:

Figure 15: Chinese license certificates were presented in simple cardboard cylinders such as these for

various awards. (Dix Noonan Webb).

a b c

d e

f g

Figure 16: (a) Lao Tian Li (Lao Tian Li Zhi) (“Old Heaven Advantage Manufacture”); (b) Yongzeng (Yong Zeng Zi Zao (“Forever Bestow Self Make”); (c) Fu Li (Fu Li Zhi Zao) (“Wealth Advantage Manufacture Make”); (d) Wan Bao (Wan Bao Xin Zhi) (“Ten Thousand Precious New Manufacture”); (e) Mei Li Gong Chang ("Fine Arts

Factory"); (f-i) digital marks: 7XII, 7XII, 9I, X6.

h i

22 JOMSA

Specimens exhibit some variation in manufacturing styles. Lao Tian Li tigers feature fine cloisonné enamel work as might be expected of a workshop believed to have employed former Imperial cloisonné master craftsmen. The white stripes on the tiger’s tail and body, as well as the tips of the ears, eyebrows, whiskers and claws are rendered in silver cloisons and the overall appearance is elegant and realistic. Yong Zheng tigers can appear more “kittenish” with the coats enamelled in an almost lemon yellow with solid black stripes.

Unmarked specimens have been observed in presentation cases inscribed with the name of the Central Mint in Chinese characters Yin Zhu Ju Zhi, 印鑄局製 (Seal of the Bureau of Coins Manufacture).21 This suggests the Central Mint also produced Striped Tiger insignia.

Some of the early insignia (with accompanying red and yellow sash) were produced in Japan. Japanese insignia are typically of very high quality and unmarked. The presentation cases have a more “mirror like” finish and superior lacquering typical of Japanese awards. Case inscriptions are finer and more sharply defined and the characters appear stylistically more Kanji (Japanese writing) than Hanzi (Chinese writing). Until 1929, when the Japan Mint at Osaka assumed sole responsibility for manufacturing Japanese awards, most decorations were produced by three private workshops: Hirata Haruyuki, Namikawa Sousuke and Ohki Souho. Japanese Striped Tigers were most likely produced by these private workshops. 22

In addition to a maker’s’ stamp, many specimens bear a mark that combines both Arabic and Roman numerals, e.g. 7XII, 9I, X6 and 8XI. These marks appear unique to the Striped Tiger and are not associated with other warlord orders. Their meaning remains a mystery. The same manufacturer has been observed with different marks and the same mark has been observed with different manufacturers. This would rule out the possibility that digital marks are batch or signature marks and it remains to be proven whether the marks denote a date or even an event. Interestingly, warlord armies used a similar numbering style on the collar tabs of uniforms to denote a soldier’s battalion (Roman numeral) and regiment (Arabic number).

General Comments

The Striped Tiger was the junior military order and unlike the extraordinarily rare White Eagle was distributed fairly regularly to Chinese and foreign military officers. At the end of the First World War, many British officers

for instance received the Striped Tiger, particularly those serving in the Chinese Labor Corps.23

Like other awards of the Early Republic however, surviving specimens are scarce. Given China’s turbulent history, the survivability of silver medals (which could be used as currency) was low. The highest and lowest classes are rare with the middle classes the most often encountered. The Ninth Class is especially rare. While many military and civilian officials would have received the award as a matter of course, a private would have to accomplish something truly extraordinary to receive an award.

Despite its founding as a military decoration, the Striped Tiger was also awarded to civilians including Chinese diplomats, Chinese Customs Service officials, members of the Shanghai Police, postal commissioners, and even missionaries. The regulations prescribed quite specific criteria for “military merits and contributions” such capturing enemy weapons or soldiers, capturing bandit leaders, etc., so it is unclear what criteria were used when awarding the Striped Tiger to civilians such as missionaries.

The badges of the different classes are sometimes confused given the First, Fourth and Seventh Class have three stars; the Second, Fifth and Eight Class have two stars; and so on. Where specimens have tarnished over time, it may be difficult to discern the gilding of the inner rays. Size remains the most reliable means of distinguishing the different classes although some variation might be expected from different manufacturers. Table 1 at the end of this article indicates the characteristics of each of the nine classed of the Order of the Striped Tiger.

Chinese-made reproduction breast stars are readily available on the Internet and are also occasionally offered by dealers and auction houses. These typically have crudely depicted tigers; the colours are painted rather than enamelled; and the reverses have a uniform, scrubbed appearance that is either silvery or a dull grey. This is immediately apparent when compared to the genuine article. With the prices now being commanded for original Striped Tigers, the quality of “reproductions” will only improve.

Some better known recipients of the award were Duan Qirui (Figure 17); Feng Guozhang (Figure 18); Zhang Zuolin (Figure 19); Zhang Shaozeng (Figure 20); and Chen Shaokuan (Figure 21).