French Indochina, Annam. An Imperial Order Of The Dragon Of Annam, V Class Knight

(Dai-Nam Long-Tinh Huy-Chương, Ordre du Dragon de l'Annam). Instituted in 1886. In silver with red, navy blue, green and yellow enamels, measuring 52.3 mm (w) x 86 mm (h) inclusive of its crown and dragon suspension, intact enamels, original ribbon, the colours of the ribbon indicating it was awarded by the Emperor after 1900, extremely fine.

Footnote: The Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam was created on March 14, 1886, in the ancient Vietnamese city of Huế, by Emperor Đồng Khánh of the Imperial House of Annam, upon the "recommendation" of the President of France as a jointly awarded French colonial order. The Order was designed as a reward for services to the state, the French colonial government, or the emperor. When French colonial rule over Indochina ended, the Order of the Dragon of Annam was abolished and replaced by the National Order of Vietnam which was later retained and revised by the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The ribbon of the Dragon of Annam was retained for this award, but it was (belatedly) recognized that a colonial order had no place in the new regime as the order was always historically associated with the period of French rule. Even the name of "Annam" in the title of the order was a point of dishonor as the name comes from the old Chinese term for Vietnam, which means "the pacified south". It was awarded in five classes: Grand Cordon, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight.