Item number: M552

Year: AD 1875-1945

Material: Copper Alloy

Size: 91.2 x 47.8 x 6.7 mm

Weight: 23.95 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Japan, 2026

This specimen is a “Sharp Sword” (Riken / Lijian) medal of unconfirmed provenance, though it was most likely privately manufactured in Japan.

The overall design of the planchet resembles the Order of the Rising Sun; at its centre is a convex, domed boss incised with the characters “利剣” (Sharp Sword). In this particular example, the lower-left component of the character jian (剣) is rendered with two “人” (person) elements, whereas in other extant specimens, it is occasionally inscribed with only a single “人”. Radiating from the central boss are multi-tiered star rays, each fluted with a wide central channel: six of principal length, twelve of intermediate length, and six short rays. This diverges slightly from the Order of the Rising Sun, whose longest rays comprise eight points and lack central grooving. Extending from the top of the planchet is an integral pierced metal suspension lug, linked to two successive brass rings; the uppermost ring threads through a breast ribbon characterised by a pale blue ground flanked by narrower white stripes. The reverse design mirrors the obverse, save for the absence of an inscription. The reverse of the ribbon is fitted with a brass wire fastening hook, a mounting structure most characteristic of Japan and its affiliated regimes, though occasionally utilised during the early Republican era.

Although certain auction descriptions attribute this “Sharp Sword” medal to the Qing dynasty, the piece bears no stylistic affinity to Qing-era merit awards (gongpai) nor does it conform to the established morphology of imperial star orders (baoxing). Conversely, the planchet geometry, suspension apparatus, ribbon-mounting mechanism, and orthographic conventions all find direct precedents in Japanese insignia, supporting the premise of private Japanese manufacture. While the phrase “利劍” (riken) is not standard colloquial parlance in Japanese, it was occasionally invoked in contexts evoking national martial valour and honour, or as an allegorical reference to Buddhist wisdom.

物件編號: M552

年代: 公元 1875-1945 年

材質: 銅合金

尺寸: 91.2 x 47.8 x 6.7 mm

重量: 23.95 g

來源: 日本私人收藏 2026

這是一枚利劍章，出處不明，但很可能為日本民間自製。

章體設計類似旭日章，中央為圓凸的球體，其上陰刻「利剣」，但左下角「人」部件為兩個，在其他存世標本中，「人」部也可能寫為一個。球體放射出星芒，每道星芒中間均有寬槽，最長的有六道，中等長度的有十二道，最短的有六道。與旭日章稍有差異，旭日章之星芒最長的有八道，且中央無溝槽。章體上方延伸出金屬薄片，薄片穿孔，其上接連懸掛兩個黃銅環，最上段的環穿過綬帶，為襟綬形式，綬帶以淺藍色為底，兩側有較細的白色色帶。背面設計與正面同，唯沒有銘文。綬帶背面有固定用的銅絲，該設計最常出現於日本及相關政權，民國早期也偶爾會使用。

來源稱利劍章源於清代，但該章既與功牌相去甚遠，亦不符合歷代寶星形制。相反的，章體、懸掛、綬帶固定方式、漢字書寫方式，均於日本有前例可循，故推測為日本民間自製。｢利劍｣一詞，於日本並非為日常用語，但在描寫國家軍隊榮譽，或象徵佛法智慧時，偶爾會用到該詞。