Item number: M432

Year: AD 1897-1911

Material: Silver, Gold, Coral, Enamel

Size: 24.5 x 16.2 x 3.8 mm (M432-1)／20.2 x 17.0 x 3.6 mm (M432-2)

Weight: 2.7 g (M432-1)／2.4 g (M432-2)

Provenance: La Galerie Numismatique 2025

This set comprises the insignia of the Order of Double Dragon, instituted and conferred by the Qing government, and consisting of the Star of the order (corresponding to the European breast star) and the order (corresponding to a European sash badge). A miniature version was intended for wear with formal civilian dress, such as white tie.

The outermost rays of the Star of the order are of silver, arranged in alternating long and short lengths to form a radiating eight-pointed star. The central decorative field is of gold; at the juncture between the rays and the upper cover bearing the principal design runs a continuous M-shaped border, the recesses filled with blue enamel. The miniature omits this M-shaped ornament. Within the blue enamel border is a pair of dragons arranged in a circular formation, both heads facing upward, flanking a sun represented by a small round red coral bead in the attitude of “grasping the pearl”, all enclosed within a dodecagonal blue-enamelled frame symbolising the dragon’s pearl. The miniature omits this dodecagonal frame. Between the dragons’ tails appears a pattern of waves and mountains, reduced in the miniature to a few engraved lines. The inner circlet bears inscriptions originally in Manchu, “ᠵᠠᡳ ᠵᡝᡵᡤᡳ ᡳᠯᠠᠴᡳ” (“Second Class, Third Grade”), together with the Chinese inscription “御賜雙龍寶星” (“Imperially Bestowed Double Dragon Precious Star”). The miniature reduces these to symbols resembling Manchu letters but without discernible meaning. Surrounding the central large coral bead is a ring of petal-shaped elements, the bead itself carved with the character “壽” (“longevity”). In the miniature these petals are omitted, leaving only blue enamel with a polished uncarved coral. In contrast with other stars of the same class, the dragons of the Second Class, Third Grade are silver dragons with engraved scales, whereas the other two grades bear smooth, unscaled dragons. The miniature’s dragons are even more abstract, with the left dragon’s body broken off, revealing a mortise underneath. The reverse is smooth and undecorated.

The order takes the form of a five-petalled lotus. The spaces between the petals are filled with five five-petalled blue-enamelled blossoms, representing the lotus in profile. The outer ring of the upper cover bears the motif of two dragons contesting a pearl—specifically, a pair of “Wu-scaled” dragons with heads raised, flanking a polished coral bead; in the miniature this bead is simplified to a flat roundel of red enamel. At the centre lies a larger carved coral bead, left uncarved and polished in the miniature.

This order belongs to the second issue of the Order of Double Dragon, promulgated in the 23rd year of Guangxu (AD 1897), revising the earlier issue of the 7th year of Guangxu (AD 1881). A memorial submitted on 13 March in the 23rd year of Guangxu (AD 1897) identified two principal defects in the earlier design: first, the “form” did not accord with that of a true “precious star”, having appeared variously in rectangular, floral, sunflower, or circular shapes; secondly, the insignia was excessively heavy and inconvenient to wear. The two versions differ little in class or institutional structure, the revisions being confined chiefly to alterations of form.

The emergence of Qing orders occurred after the First Opium War, when increasing numbers of Europeans entered China and traditional diplomatic and administrative practices proved inadequate to new circumstances. Even with the establishment of the Zongli Yamen to manage foreign affairs, differences in custom and protocol frequently gave rise to friction. Because many foreigners were employed in Qing military, educational, and economic enterprises, traditional Chinese forms of reward—such as hat finials or imperial commendations—proved unsatisfactory to them. To align with Western practice, the Qing government devised the system of orders.

In the 34th year of Guangxu (AD 1908), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs memorialised and obtained approval for extending the award of the Order of Double Dragon beyond foreigners to include Qing diplomatic officials and envoys sent abroad. The Ministry observed that in Western countries orders were primarily established to reward nationals, whereas the Qing system functioned in the opposite manner. At formal diplomatic occasions, foreign representatives customarily appeared in court dress adorned with their national orders, whereas Qing diplomats were often unable to display orders of their own state and could only wear those received from foreign governments, necessitating reform.

Because the issue period of this star falls at the end of the nineteenth century, a time of increasing diplomatic activity, the second issue of AD 1897 was produced, awarded, and preserved in considerable quantity, making it the most commonly encountered version of the Order of Double Dragon among modern collectors.

The two versions of the Order of the Double Dragon have no significant differences in terms of class and system. The following table shows the correspondence between the levels of the Order of the Double Dragon and the recipients of the awards according to the regulations of the Order in the 7th year of Guangxu (AD 1881):

物件編號: M432

年代: 公元 1897-1911 年

材質: 銀、金、珊瑚、珐瑯

尺寸: 24.5 x 16.2 x 3.8 mm (M432-1)／20.2 x 17.0 x 3.6 mm (M432-2)

重量: 2.7 g (M432-1)／2.4 g (M432-2)

來源: 錢幣藝廊 2025

這是雙龍寶星勳章套組，由清政府頒行，分為大寶星(對應歐洲胸前星章)和副寶星(對應歐洲綬帶勳章)。迷你版用以著非軍服正裝(例如燕尾服)時配戴。

大寶星最外圍的星芒為銀質，以長短不一形式排列，呈現放射狀的八芒星。中間的圖案區為金質，星芒與承載主圖的上蓋部分，其交接處以連續的M型環繞，空隙填以藍色琺瑯，迷你版則省略M型紋飾。藍色琺瑯內側為雙龍環繞，龍首皆朝上，龍首間有顆太陽以圓形小顆紅色珊瑚裝飾，作搶珠之態，並用十二邊型的藍色琺瑯包圍，寓意龍珠，迷你版則省略十二邊型的藍色琺瑯；龍尾之間則有著海水與山形的圖樣，迷你版則省略為數道刻痕。其內側雙環間鐫刻銘文，原為滿文「ᠵᠠᡳ ᠵᡝᡵᡤᡳ ᡳᠯᠠᠴᡳ」（二品第三）和與漢文「御賜雙龍寶星」，迷你版省略為看似滿文字母但意義不明的符號。最後以花瓣的形式環繞中間的大顆圓形的紅色珊瑚，圓形上雕刻著「壽」字的圖樣，迷你版則省去花瓣，僅存藍色琺瑯，紅色珊瑚為光面。相較於其他同等寶星，貳等第三的雙龍為起鱗的銀龍，其他兩等為光滑的龍，龍紋表面上並未鑿點出龍鱗的細節，迷你版之龍更為抽象，左側龍身斷裂掉落，露出底下用以嵌合的孔洞。背面則光平無紋。

副寶星呈五瓣蓮花瓣形。花瓣間隙填充五朵五瓣藍色琺瑯彩花，應為蓮花之側面。承載主圖的上蓋部分，外圈呈雙龍搶珠圖，為兩隻吳鱗龍之龍首朝上，龍首間為一光面紅珊瑚。迷你版之紅珊瑚簡省為一並未突起之紅琺瑯實心圓。正中央為一較大的刻花紅珊瑚，迷你版則為光面。

此寶星為光緒23年（公元1897年）發行的第二版雙龍寶星，改版了光緒7年（公元1881年）發行雙龍寶星。從光緒23年（公元1897年）3月13日的奏摺裡，可見當時寶星的兩個主要問題：第一為「版型」並為具備真正「寶星」的形式，因有長方形、菱花形、葵花行與圓形；第二則為佩戴不便，因為過於沈重。兩個版本的雙龍寶星在等級、制度基本上沒有太大的差異，只有寶星的樣式進行修改變動。

清朝勳章的誕生，是在第一次鴉片戰爭後，歐洲人開始湧入清朝，傳統的對外政策已無法符合當時的需求。即便設立專門處理對外事務的「總理各國事務衙門」，仍因為習俗禮儀等落差，造成各種摩擦與碰撞。在面對大量聘用於清朝的軍工、教育、經濟等行業的外國人，傳統對中國人的「頂戴花鈴」或者「傳旨嘉獎」等方式，無法讓外國人滿足。因此為了與西方制度接軌，於是創造了清朝勳章寶星制度。

在光緒34年（公元1908年）4月經外務部奏准「雙龍寶星」今後的頒發不再僅限外國人，同時也頒發給清朝外務官員以及出洋各史。外務部認為西方各國設立的勳章，主要目的是頒發給本國人，然而清朝卻完全相反。在涉及外交正式場合時，外國人往往會穿著禮服，並佩戴自己獲得的所有勳章，然而清朝的外交官員，常無法配戴本國的勳章，只能配戴外國的勳章，因有此改革。

由於此寶星發行年間為19世紀末，清朝外交活動相較於過去又更加的頻繁。因此光緒23年（公元1897年）發行的第二版雙龍寶星，不論是在製作、頒發和存世的數量非常的多，也是現代收藏中最常見雙龍寶星的版本。

兩個版本的雙龍寶星在等級、制度基本上沒有太大的差異，下表為光緒7年（公元1881年）寶星章程等級對應頒發對象：