Posted 12 years ago
Keikilani
(1 item)
Summary:
After my great grandfather came to the US (California and Nevada) in the early 1800's, he settled in Lovelock, Nevada. In the early 1900's he went back to China and returned to Nevada. He gave a 24K gold Chinese pin to my grandfather, who then gave it to my father in the early 1950’s.
This pin shows the 1st flag of China pre-revolution, during the KMT or Kuomintang era and post Qing Dynasty. This flag became Taiwan's flag in1945. The other flag is specific to Sun Yat-sen and KMT.
It is heavy, soft/pure 24K gold. There is a large opal in the center of the two flags and a large piece of jade on one of the flags.
It’s 2.5 inches wide from the outer edge of one flag to the outer edge of the other flag and 1.75 inches high from tip to tip of the flags. It is just shy of an ounce and VERY SOFT 24K Chinese gold, about as pure as it gets.
Details of what I do know:
THIS IS A RARE 24K SOLID GOLD - Qing Dynasty & 1st National Movement of China, Historically Significant Flags of China (Qing/KMT)
Gold, Jade & Opal Pin w/Seal
This special piece was given to my great-grandfather from my great-great-grandfather when he returned to China to “die there”. My great-grandfather returned to the China to visit his father one last time and came back in the early 1920’s to Nevada. He gave my grandfather ("Frank Yee" born around 1892 and married to "Lillian Tom") this very historical 24K gold Chinese pin or brooch, who then gave it to my mother and father in the early 1950’s. I inherited it from them after their passing in 1986 and 1988.
“This piece is Chuk Kam (Cantonese) or ??, as stamped on the back, which means pure gold, literally "full gold", as detailed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carat_%28purity%29#Chinese_Gold_Standards”
This pin shows the first flag of the National Movement or Kuomintang of China, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party (or KMT) and one of the dominant parties of the early Republic of China that planned and succeeded in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty (sometimes called the “Ching Dynasty”). The Kuomintang traces its ideological and organizational roots to the work of Sun Yat-sen, a proponent of Chinese nationalism, which was based on the Three Principles of the People.
The pin is heavy, a little over 1 troy ounce of 24kt, soft and very pure Chinese gold, with two flags, jade and opal. It dates pre-1912, indicated by the flag on the right represents the Qing Dynasty. The flag on the left is the first flag of the Chinese Nationalist Party and eventually became Taiwan's flag in 1945.
The symbolism of the pin goes from right to left, from the Qing Dynasty flag to the Chinese Nationalist Party's flag, which was Sun Yat-sen's way of showing respect to the Qing Dynasty, even though he was opposed to it and part of the overthrow.
There is a large beautifully colored opal in the center of the two flags and a piece of very old and richly colored jade centered on the Qing Dynasty flags. The pin is 2.5 inches wide from the outer edge of one flag to the outer edge of the other flag and 1.75 inches high from tip to tip of the flags. The stamp on the back, in Chinese, states "pure gold" and you can have any jeweler or historians that can translate Chinese verify that for you.
I DO KNOW THAT THIS IS A PIECE OF CHINA'S HISTORY!
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Search the internet for Sun Yat-sen, Kuomintang, List of Chinese Flags, Flags of China, History of Flags in China or Flags of the Republic of China for historical details.
I look forward to anyone shedding some more light on this piece...
Thank you!!!
Very cool!
Beautiful piece.