Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
September 2021 Hong Kong Auction 27 Sep - 1 Oct 2021
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
CHINA. China - Germany - Great Britain - Japan - Russia. Siege of Peking Bronze Award Medal, 1900. PCGS SPECIMEN-64.
BHM-3672; Eimer-1842. Diameter: 57mm. By J. Tayler Foot in London. Presented to Capt. John Twiggs Myers, USMC. Obverse: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD! --from Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt, roughly translating as "God hath numbered the days of thy kingdom and hath brought it to an end; thou hath been weighed, and thou art lacking; Alas! The glory hath departed!" [itself a reference to the book of Daniel], female allegories of Germany, wearing mural crown, and Great Britain, wearing Phrygian cap, standing facing one another and clasping hands along with allegory of Japan in background, wearing kimono; at their feet, they tread upon a coiled dragon emblematic of the Qing Empire and the Boxers; Reverse: JUNII XX - AUGUSTI XIV / A D MDCCCC, frontal view of the Qianmen (Zhengyangmen) Gate, under siege and engulfed in a plume of smoke slightly zoomorphized as a snarling dragon; cannon in foreground. VERY RARE and extremely historically important, this exceptional vibrant and glossy near-Gem medal features intense luster and an enchanting overall look. A relic from the height of the Boxer Rebellion. Includes original box of issue with the recipient's name embossed in gilt foil, along with the title "PEKING SIEGE / 1900." Compare to a similar example which realized a total of $16,800 [!] in our April 2021 Hong Kong auction (lot # 52590).
BHM-3672; Eimer-1842. Diameter: 57mm. By J. Tayler Foot in London. Presented to Capt. John Twiggs Myers, USMC. Obverse: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD! --from Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt, roughly translating as "God hath numbered the days of thy kingdom and hath brought it to an end; thou hath been weighed, and thou art lacking; Alas! The glory hath departed!" [itself a reference to the book of Daniel], female allegories of Germany, wearing mural crown, and Great Britain, wearing Phrygian cap, standing facing one another and clasping hands along with allegory of Japan in background, wearing kimono; at their feet, they tread upon a coiled dragon emblematic of the Qing Empire and the Boxers; Reverse: JUNII XX - AUGUSTI XIV / A D MDCCCC, frontal view of the Qianmen (Zhengyangmen) Gate, under siege and engulfed in a plume of smoke slightly zoomorphized as a snarling dragon; cannon in foreground. VERY RARE and extremely historically important, this exceptional vibrant and glossy near-Gem medal features intense luster and an enchanting overall look. A relic from the height of the Boxer Rebellion. Includes original box of issue with the recipient's name embossed in gilt foil, along with the title "PEKING SIEGE / 1900." Compare to a similar example which realized a total of $16,800 [!] in our April 2021 Hong Kong auction (lot # 52590).
Struck at the request of Arthur D. Brent, an employee of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, these medals were given to others present during the siege that ensued at the International Legations in Peking (Beijing) during the summer of 1900. A group of Europeans, Japanese, and Christian Chinese took refuge within the Legation Quarter as the forces of the Boxers and Qing Empire laid siege for 55 days--the siege ultimately broken by a joint international effort that marched from the coast.
The obverse legend is a reference to an inscription illuminated in the paining by Rembrandt entitled Balshazzar's Feast. On the wall, the Hebrew phrase that is transliterated on the medal became an English expression used for foreshadowing impending doom. The phrase "the writing is on the wall" retains the general meaning of the concept, the idea that one's fate has been sealed. In the context of the medal, the glory and good times enjoyed by Europeans within the legation had seemingly come to an ominous end at the hands of the Chinese beyond their walls.
Estimate: $5000 - $10000