Item number: M402

Year: AD 1897-1910

Material: Silver and Enamel

Size: 105.4 x 44.8 x 4.6 mm

Weight: 39.0 g

Provenance: Spink 2024

This is the “Order of The Taegeuk,” established on April 17, AD 1897, under the Imperial Decree No. 13 of the Korean Empire. The Order of The Taegeuk ranked fourth among the honours in the Korean Empire’s award system and was awarded to civil servants. The Order of the Taegeuk comprised eight levels, and this order is the fifth level. It is worn as a chest ribbon on the left side of the chest.

The order has a radiant, sunburst-like design, with identical motifs on both the obverse and reverse side. It features white enamel rays with gold borders, and at the centre is a circular disc bearing the Taegeuk emblem in red and blue, reflecting the colours of the Korean Empire’s national emblem. At the top of the order is the national flower of the Korean Empire, the Li flower, with three leaves beneath it as decoration.

The reverse side of the leaves is embossed with the characters “勳功五等” (Fifth Class of Merit) in gold, indicating the order’s level. The top of the Li flower is connected to the ribbon by a circular ring, and the ribbon is coloured with a red background and blue stripes, referencing the colours of the Taegeuk in the national emblem.

Based on the design of the medal and the font used on the reverse, it can be inferred that this medal was likely designed and manufactured by Japan, which was gradually asserting control over the situation on the Korean Peninsula at that time.

In AD 1897, King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty ended his refuge in the Russian embassy and proclaimed the establishment of the “Korean Empire,” changing the era name to “Gwangmu” and declaring himself emperor. This move aimed to seek an independent path between the two neighbouring powers of Japan and Russia. During the Gwangmu era, the Korean Empire promoted Westernisation reforms; however, it ultimately succumbed to Japanese annexation in AD 1910, becoming a colony.

物件編號: M402

年代: 公元 1897-1910 年

材質: 銀, 琺瑯

尺寸: 105.4 x 44.8 x 4.6 mm

重量: 39.0 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2024

這是公元1897年4月17日，根據大韓帝國〈敕令第13號〉頒布的「太極勳章」，太極勳章在大韓帝國的勳章排名為第四等，頒發對象為文職人員。太極勳章共有八個等級，這枚勳章屬於第五等，以胸綬的形式配戴於左胸處。

勳章外觀為輻射的光芒狀，正反兩面的圖騰皆相同，即鑲著金邊的白色琺瑯光芒，中央的圓碟為大韓帝國國徽配色的紅藍太極圖騰。勳章頂端是大韓帝國的國花李花，李花的下方以三片葉子作為裝飾，葉子背面則以燙金的漢字篆書標示勳章等級為「勳功五等」。李花的頂端以圓環銜接綬帶，綬帶配色為紅底藍條亦是參考國徽太極的配色。

從勳章形制和背面的字體作推斷，這枚勳章應該是當時逐漸掌控朝鮮半島局勢的日本負責設計和製造。

公元1897年，李氏王朝的君王高宗結束在俄國使館避居後，將國名更改為「大韓帝國」，改年號為「光武」和自立為皇帝，以意圖在日本和俄國兩個強鄰之間尋求自主路線。大韓帝國在光武年間推動韓國的西化改革，然而最終仍不敵在公元1910年遭到日本的併吞成為殖民地。