Item number: M536

Year: AD 1934-2026

Material: Bronze

Size: 35.5 x 35.5 x 2.4 mm

Weight: 20.05 g

Provenance: Xiang Yun Antique 2026

This is a commemorative medal of Marshal-Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The obverse features a half-length portrait of Tōgō Heihachirō, which appears to be adapted from an official photograph taken between AD 1926 and AD 1934. He is depicted in full admiral’s naval dress uniform, wearing a flag officer’s full-dress peaked cap, with the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum and the British Order of Merit around his neck, and the sash of the Order of the Golden Kite draped from his left shoulder to his right hip; the remaining medals cannot be identified. Inscribed along the upper rim is “Admiral of the Fleet Marquis Tōgō, Grand Cordon”. The rim features a raised border. The reverse appears to depict a monument in bas-relief, featuring a ship’s anchor with an entwined chain, flanked horizontally by the characters for “commemoration”, with radiant rays emanating from both sides.

Tōgō Heihachirō was born in AD 1848. His father was a retainer of the Kagoshima Domain in the Satsuma Domain, and Tōgō served in the Boshin War. Following the Meiji Restoration, he travelled to the United Kingdom in Meiji 4 (AD 1871) to study at the Royal Navy. Upon his return to Japan, he was appointed sub-lieutenant. During the First Sino-Japanese War, he served with distinction as captain of the warship Naniwa. Thereafter, he held positions including President of the Naval War College, Commander-in-Chief of the Standing Fleet, and Commander-in-Chief of the Maizuru Naval District, before being appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet in Meiji 36 (AD 1903), prior to the Russo-Japanese War. During the Russo-Japanese War, he personally directed major operations and annihilated the Russian Baltic Fleet at the Battle of Tsushima (the Battle of the Sea of Japan). In Taishō 2 (AD 1913), he was promoted to Marshal-Admiral. From Taishō 3 onwards, he served for seven years as President of the Tōgū Gogakumonsho (Crown Prince’s Studies Institute). As an elder statesman of the Navy, his influence remained formidable even into the Shōwa period. In Taishō 15 (AD 1926), he was awarded the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan’s highest honour. In Shōwa 9 (AD 1934), Tōgō Heihachirō became bedridden due to illness; he was elevated to the rank of marquis on 29 May of that year, and passed away the following day.

物件編號: M536

年代: 公元 1934-2026 年

材質: Bronze

尺寸: 35.5 x 35.5 x 2.4 mm

重量: 20.05 g

來源: 祥雲珍寶閣 2026

這是一枚日本海軍元帥東鄉平八郎的紀念章。

正面為東鄉平八郎半身像，應取自公元1926至1934年間正裝照。其身著海軍大將正裝，頭戴將佐正帽，頸佩大勳位菊花章頸飾與英國功績勳章，左肩至右脅佩掛大綬金鵄勳章，其餘獎章則無法辨識。沿章緣上方環列「大勳位侯爵東鄉元帥」。章緣有邊環。背面似為立碑，其上浮雕船錨，錨鍊纏繞於錨上，船錨兩側橫列「記念」，兩側有放射狀的光芒。

東鄉平八郎，公元1848年生。其父為薩摩藩鹿兒島藩士，曾參加戊辰戰爭。明治維新後，於明治四年（公元1871年）赴英國海軍留學。返國後擔任海軍中尉。甲午戰爭期間，擔任「浪速」號艦長，表現活躍。此後歷任海軍大學校校長、常備艦隊司令長官、舞鶴鎮守府司令長官等職，並於日俄戰爭前的明治三十六年（公元1903年）出任聯合艦隊司令長官。日俄戰爭期間，他親自指揮主要作戰，並於日本海海戰（對馬海峽海戰）中全殲俄國波羅的海艦隊。大正二年（公元1913 年）晉升元帥。自大正三年起，擔任東宮御學問所總裁長達七年。作為海軍長老，即便到了昭和時期，其影響力依然舉足輕重。大正十五年（公元1926年），獲頒大勳位菊花章頸飾，為日本最高榮譽。昭和九年（公元1934年），東鄉平八郎因病臥床不起，該年5月29日，受封為侯爵，隔日病逝。