The Golden Pavilion
When I visited Japan back in 1976, I picked up this beautiful medal in Kyoto Japan. The medal depicts the Golden Pavilion on the obverse and the reverse is blank except for tiny Japanese characters in a box which read " Kinkaku-Ji", which is the name used by the Japanese for the Golden Pavilion. The Medal is signed by M. Sawano, possibly Mizue Sawano, but I am not sure. Mizue is a Japanese female artist well known for her paintings.
Per Wikipedia:
"Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, literally "Temple of the Golden Pavilion") is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.
It is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites."
The Temple is covered in Gold Leaf and is truly a spectacular sight. If you make your way to Kyoto, you must visit the Golden Pavilion.
My medal is approximately 2.75" in diameter and is a treasured representation of my Mother's Japanese heritage.
Regards,
Malcolm
Comments
World_Coin_Nut
Level 5
Beautiful medal. My wife and I like to pick up items like this for the places that we travel to.
CoinLady
Level 6
That is 1 beautiful medal. So much beauty, artwork, goes into medals.
Kepi
Level 6
This medal is so beautiful! The detail is amazing. Loved the history! Thanks for sharing with us. ; )
Ancient Collector
Level 4
What a lovely souvenir of your visit. I am hoping to get to Japan in 2020. My wife read a travel article on Japan and decided that she just had to go, after years of saying NO !!! I shall certainly look for such a medal if I make the trip. I agree with Mike - Medals can be far more beautiful than coins. I have a number, but my favorites are a George IV Coronation Medal, a huge bronze of Louis Philippe on the return of Napoleons body to France, and a curious little bronze depicting a naval battle in the flooded fields in Holland (you can see the broken dikes and the ships). This last one I have had for over 40 years and still have never figured out what it commemorates.
Longstrider
Level 6
Malcolm, that is one of the most beautiful medals I've seen. She, the artist, did a fantastic job of representing the Temple. Thanks for sharing a piece of japan's and your family history.
"SUN"
Level 6
It is always nice to add numismatic items from your travels.
Mike
Level 7
That is absolutely beautiful. From Japan!!! That's great and the detail and history you know I love is great. A beautiful medal. It gets me mad when the hobby underestimates the value of medals and tokens. Especially one as beautiful as this. But when you saw it you said I have to have it. It said buy me and you gave it a good home. Thanks Mike.
It's Mokie
Level 6
Thanks Mike, I have a modest collection of medals, I am appreciating them more as time goes on. Regards Malcolm PS- I am now thinking I purchased the medal in '94 instead of '76. But the memory is a little muddy as I visited the Golden Temple on both visits.