Item number: M514

Year: AD 1935

Material: Bronze

Size: 80.3 x 50.5 x 5 mm

Weight: 83 g

Provenance: Jiu Wan Gu 2026

This is a commemorative medal issued for the Industrial Pavilion at the Taiwan Exposition in Celebration of the Fortieth Anniversary of Governance.

The medal possesses an oval outline. In the centre of the obverse is a fish hooked on a line; judging by the slightly hooked upper and lower jaws, the sparse spots along the lateral line, and the robust, truncated caudal fin, it appears to be the Formosan landlocked salmon, an endemic species of Taiwan. The field features a fine, scale-like relief, which may be an attempt to emulate the small cycloid scales characteristic of Salmonidae, or perhaps an intention to render the image of water ripples. The edge of the medal is bounded by a rim. On the reverse, the Chinese characters “Taiwan Exposition” are arranged vertically in Ming typeface down the centre, flanked on the right by “In Commemoration of the Fortieth Anniversary of Governance”, and on the left by “First Venue, Industrial Pavilion / October 10th, Showa 10”.

The “Taiwan Exposition in Celebration of the Fortieth Anniversary of Governance” (commonly abbreviated as the Taiwan Exposition), held in AD 1935 (Showa 10), was the most grandly scaled exhibition event in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. Its historical context originated from the tradition of world’s fairs prevalent after the Western Industrial Revolution and the “Industrial Exhibition” tradition promoted after Japan’s Meiji Restoration. The Office of the Governor-General aimed, through “purposive” displays, to boast both domestically and internationally of the achievements in industrial promotion, transport, culture, and public infrastructure accomplished during forty years of Japanese rule in Taiwan, whilst simultaneously promoting the “Base for Southward Expansion” policy and fostering Taiwanese tourism. Throughout the preparation and execution stages, the organisational framework was divided into the official “Taiwan Exposition”, the joint official-civilian “Taiwan Exposition Association”, and the strongly civic “South Pavilion Dadaocheng Support Association” formed by local gentry in Dadaocheng. The venues adopted a “centralised urban multi-venue system”, encompassing the “First Venue” situated at the Taipei City Public Hall and South Three-Lane Road, the “Second Venue” located at New Park, the “Grass Mountain Branch Pavilion” in Yangmingshan, and the “Dadaocheng Branch Venue” established near Taiping Public School in response to petitions from the Dadaocheng business community. Among these, the Industrial Pavilion located at the First Venue was a large-scale directly managed pavilion covering an area of 3,115 square metres. Designed by Maeda Toshio, a technician from the Building and Repairs Section, its structure utilised temporary building materials such as timber and bagasse board. The exterior was clad in national-defence-coloured facing tiles and featured an attached 25.75-metre-high wooden tower, serving to showcase the governance achievements in Taiwan’s core industries—including agriculture, fisheries, industry, and commerce—concentrated within a Modernist architectural style. The Exposition prompted a large-scale, island-wide mobilisation, encompassing advertising campaigns, aerial leaflet drops, comprehensive overhauls of island-wide railway timetables, the replacement and renewal of buses, and rigorous sanitary and epidemic prevention measures. Attracting over 2.77 million visits, the consequences and impact of this grand event not only successfully demonstrated colonial modernity to international and Chinese inspection delegations (such as Chen Yi, Chairman of Fujian Province), but also stimulated the tourism industry and created a brand-new urban map of nightlife, entertainment, and consumption.

物件編號: M514

年代: 公元 1935 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 80.3 x 50.5 x 5 mm

重量: 83 g

來源: 舊頑古 2026

這是一枚始政40年周年臺灣博覽會產業館所發行的紀念章。

章體輪廓呈橢圓形。正面中央為一隻被繩釣起的魚，從略帶鉤形的上下頜、側線上稀疏的點，和粗壯的截形尾鰭來看，應該是台灣特有種櫻花鉤吻鮭。底章是細密的鱗狀浮雕，可能是想模仿鮭科特徵之一的小型圓鱗（Cycloid scales），也可能是想呈現水面波紋的意象。章緣有邊環。

背面中央豎列明體漢字「台灣博覽會」，右側為「始政四十周年記念」；左側為「第一會場產業館 / 昭和十年十月十日」。

公元1935年（昭和10年）舉辦的「始政四十周年記念臺灣博覽會」（簡稱臺灣博覽會）是日治時期臺灣規模最盛大的展覽活動。其歷史脈絡起源於西方工業革命後盛行的世界博覽會與日本明治維新後推行的「勸業博覽會」傳統，總督府旨在透過「有目的」的展示，向島內外誇耀日本統治臺灣四十年的各項殖產興業、交通、文化與公共建設成果，同時宣揚「南進基地」政策及推廣臺灣觀光。在籌備與舉辦過程中，組織分為官方的「臺灣博覽會」、官民合組的「臺灣博覽會協贊會」以及由大稻埕地方仕紳組成、具強烈民間性的「南方館大稻埕助成會」。會場採取「集中市區分場制」，包含設於台北市公會堂及南三線路的「第一會場」、位於新公園的「第二會場」、陽明山「草山分館」，以及因應大稻埕商界陳情而設於太平公學校附近的「大稻埕分場」；其中位於第一會場的產業館為佔地達3,115平方公尺的大型直營館，由營繕課技手前田俊夫設計，結構採用木造與甘蔗板等臨時性建材，外觀貼附國防色面磚並附設25.75公尺高的木造高塔，以現代主義風格集中展示了臺灣農產、水產及工商等核心產業的統治成果。博覽會促成了大規模的全島動員，包含廣告宣傳、航空撒單、全島鐵路時刻大改點、公車汰舊換新與嚴密的衛生防疫。這場盛會吸引了超過277萬人次參觀，其後果與影響不僅成功向國際與中國考察團（如福建省主席陳儀）展現了殖民現代性，更刺激了觀光產業，創造了全新的都市夜間娛樂與消費地圖。