World War II Medal - Animal or Mythical Creature With Knife in Mouth

Hello All,

I came across this interesting medal that was described as being from the World War II era, possibly Chinese. I have done a good amount of research but cannot seem to find anything similar. I am unable to read the letters and am therefore not sure if this is in fact a Chinese medal. The patina is certainly old and it may pre-date the WWII era.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

• Country of Origin?
• Motif Significance (creature with a knife in it's mouth)
• Translation of letters

Thank you for your time!

John Roland

 

Hi and welcome!

I doubt it's WWII medal and I guess it's Korean Empire medal pre Japanese occupation because of the Yin-Yang symbol.

Wait for more responses and enjoy your stay on the forum!

 

It doesn't look miitary to me either

 

The Yin Yang symbol does appear on the Korean flag, but it is Chinese in origin. The written characters are few, so take the following with a grain of salt. Many Korean characters tend to be made with circles or ovals. There are none on the item in question. Japanese characters tend to have more open space, whereas Chinese tend to appear more compact. Again, given the small number of characters, it would be better to have someone who can actually read the characters to give you a definitive answer.

 

look for your answer in Chinise Mliitary forums:

http://www.zzwave.com/plaboard/

http://defence.pk/forums/chinese-defence-forum.54/

https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/

http://english.chinamil.com.cn/

 

here is the answer:

http://defence.pk/threads/help-id-this-mmedal.456721/#post-8826915

 

Great work Tirdad!

 

So it's a talisman. These were caried by anyone; therefore also worn by soldiers just like any military from any country., It could be a picture, a religious object , the bullet that didn't kill him etc... anything that brings him luck.

During WW1 the French had talismans sewn in their sleeve. These were called "Poilu Madonnas". They are sometimes found in old uniforms or with metal detectors.. Thye are only 1.5cm and weigh 5 gr tal went with a small box.

 

Thank you all. Your information is very much appreciated!

 

Ive been dying to put forward the memory of seeing these attached to swords by ribbons...

 

True, they'd be in wallets, pockets, around the neck, anywhere where superstition would put it. The Germans would have card "13" from their famout Skat game as a talisman. This is why you mostly find games going from 1 to 12 only with the 13 almost always missing





https://www.visual-history.de/2015/10/19/august-1916-alles-zusammengeschossen/