Medal of Honor
Unknown Artist
late 19th century
Medium
Yellow ribbon
Dimensions
2 7/8 × 1 7/8 in. (7.3 × 4.8 cm)
Classification
Medals
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edward D. Adams and Jacob H. Schiff, 1906
Accession Number
06.447
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Medal of Honor* late 19th-century Japan, crafted during the Meiji period (8–1912), the nation's rapid modernization and military reforms. Presented on a striking yellow ribbon—measuring just 2 7/8 × 1 7/8 inches (7.3 × 4.8 cm)—this small yet potent artifact was likely awarded for acts of, reflecting Japan's shift from isolation to imperial power. The tag associating it with "cannons" hints at its connection to artillery achievements or wartime service, a nod to the era's embrace of Western military technology amid conflicts like the Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895). In the Meiji ...