China, Republic. An Order of the Striped Tiger, VII Class

(Tiáowén hǔ xūnzhāng). Instituted in 1912. Three-piece construction, illustrating a striped tiger in yellow, brown, light blue and green enamels on the centrepiece, mounted to an eight-pointed star, each star point with six emanating rays, with a cluster of three stars affixed to the star point at 12 o'clock designating the award as a VII Class Knight, all of which is mounted to an eight-pointed star base, with each of the star points in red, blue, yellow, black and white enamels, two stamps, indicating it was made at China Badge Factory in Canton, and was produced in July 1923, measuring 52.1 mm (w) x 57.1 mm (h - inclusive of its laterally-pierced ball suspension), weighs 38.28 grams, enamel chips to the obverse medallion, dark patina of the silver, accompanied by a replacement ribbon for the VII, VIII and IX classes, a scarce decoration in very fine condition.