United States; China, Republic. A Second War and Post War (until 1949) Liaisons Officer's Visor Cap

Item #W7644

Price:

$1,100
The exterior is fabricated from a khaki cotton, featuring the classic high peak, with a 45 mm wide band embroidered in multiple rows of khaki cotton and giving a ribbed-look around its circumference. There is a 49.8 mm (w) x 58 mm (h) cap badge with a three-piece construction, in bronze gilt with red, white, blue, yellow and back enamels affixed via a screwback on the underside. The cap badge features the Republic of China sun insignia in the center, above an open-ended wreath composed of two branches of laurel leaves, backed by crossed flags on flagpoles, the flag of the United States at the left and the Five Races Under One Union flag of the Republic of China. The Five Races Under One Union flag had been used by the Beiyang government of the War Lords Era (1912-1928), then resurrected by the Provisional Government of the Republic of China (1937-1940) and the Reformed Government of the Republic of China (1938-1940) [both of which were Chinese puppet states of the Empire of Japan that existed during the Second Sino-Japanese War], the flag maintained in usage after the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945 and until 1949. The five stripes on the flag represent five distinct peoples: red (Manchurians or Han), yellow (Han or Manchurians), blue (Mongolians), white (Tibetans) and black (Muslims). The stiff visor is finished in a pecan brown vulcan fibre on the upper, the front edge of the visor trimmed in a strip of cinnamon brown simulated leather. There is a strap in leather with a smooth pecan brown finish and a semi-smooth underside, that has dual adjustable sliders that match the strap, running across the front between the brass buttons on either side, each of the buttons bearing the Republic of China sun insignia, the underside of the visor in a pine green synthetic fibre. There are two beige-finished metal eyelets placed on the protruding portion of the cap on both sides for ventilation. Inside, the underlying stiff framework on the sidewalls consists of white buckram covered with an off-white rayon, with a 7 1/8 size label stitched in place at the rear. It incorporates a 40 mm wide leather sweatband with a smooth pecan brown upper and raw underside, the ends of which were initially stitched together at the rear. The cap measures 260 mm in width x 270 mm in depth x 100 mm in height, is free of mothing, the cap badge with intact enamels, the exterior with light soiling on the khaki cotton, exhibiting crazing along with a large gouge on the pecan brown vulcan fibre upper on the visor, the strip of brown simulated cinnamon brown leather on the front edge of the visor with edge wear, scuffing on the pine green synthetic fibre on the underside of the visor, the inside with sweat soiling and peeling present on the off-white rayon covering, some of which exposes the white buckram sidewall and is attributed to use by the original owner, the stitching securing the two ends of the sweatband having come away and has been lost to time. As worn.