A SET OF 6 LATIN AMERICAN AND SPANISH ORDERS AWARDED TO AMBASSADOR HU SHI XI
comprising:

a) Orden del Quetzal (Order of the Quetzal), Knight Badge. Guatemala. Gilt silver five cleft-armed star; the centered circular medallion with the arms of Guatemala within a white enamel ring inscribed in gilt lettering GUATEMALA AL MERITO, the obverse with a centered circular sky-blue medallion inscribed in gilt Roman numerals MCMXXXVI within a white enamel ring inscribed in gilt lettering GUATEMALA AL MERITO, with diamond-shaped eyelet, ring and ribbon suspension, in original stamped box; height excluding ring suspension: 44 mm.
b) Order of Merit. Ecuador. Gilt bronze star with red and green enamels, with a centered circular medallion with mountains and rising sun inscribed REPUBLICA DEL ECUADOR AL MERITO, with pierced borders, with wreath and ribbon suspension and oval eyelet, the obverse plain; height excluding suspensions: 57 mm.
c) La Orden al MŽrito por Servicios Distinguidos (Order of Merit for Distinguished Service). Peru. Gilt bronze with radiating ball-tipped stylized feathers, the centered circular medallion with red and white enamel bearing a central gilt panel in relief showing a rising sun over the Andes mountains, the Pacific Ocean in the foreground, a palm branch to the lower left, a laurel branch to the lower right, a deep red enamel ribbon above inscribed in gilt lettering AL MERITO POR SERVICIOS DISTINGUIDOS and below REPUBLICA PERUANA, with fleur-de-lys and scroll suspensions, CASA NACIONAL DE MONEDA. LIMA-PERU mint mark on obverse; height excluding suspensions: 60 mm.
d) Orden de Juan Pablo Duarte (Order of Juan Pablo Duarte), Knight. Dominican Republic. Gilt silver cross patee with white and blue enamel with ball-tipped finials, five rays between each arm; the centered circular white medallion with gilt raised portrait of Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez circumscribed in gilt lettering JUAN PABLO DUARTE HONOR Y MERITO, the obverse with centered circular white medallion with raised arms of the Dominican Republic, with wreath and blue-and-white ribbon suspensions; height excluding suspensions: 55 mm.
e) Al Merito Civil (Order of Civil Merit), Commander by Number, Breast Star. Spain. Gilt silver star with eight arms, with blue and white enamels, the cross topped by a crown, centered with a raised medallion circumscribed with AL MERITO CIVIL, with ornate vertical pinback flanked by dual prongs on obverse; height: 70 mm.
f) Orden Nacional Jose Matias Delgado (National Order of Jose Matias Delgado), Commander Cross. El Salvador. Gilt silver star with blue and white-enamelled cross patee centered with raised profile of Jose Matias Delgrado, obverse with centered circular medallion circumscribed with HONOR A LOS PROCERES DE LA INDEPENDENCIA SALVADORENA, with vertical pinback; height: 70 mm.

LOT NOTES
This lot comes from the collection of the prominent historical figure Ambassador Hu Shi Xi, dignitary from the Republic of China, and himself descending from an influential family of diplomats. His father, Hu Weide, was the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Qing Dynasty, and briefly served as the Premier of the Republic of China after Duan Qirui was ousted from Beijing in 1926. He was instrumental in bringing democracy to the Qing Dysnasty and was a member of the Chinese delegation at both the Treaty of Versailles as well as the Hague Peace Conference.

Hu Shi Xi was a Chinese dignitary, the Chief Ambassador of the Republic of China in Canada, as well as an executive chief of embassies in many Spanish-speaking countries: Spain, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, and others. In addition to his diplomatic skills, Hu Shi Xi was gifted artist, exhibiting his artworks at public exhibitions and diplomatic soirees to great acclaim. During his time posted in Europe and South America, he counted amongst his friends and visitors many other well known artists, such as Zhang Daqian.

PROVENANCE
Collection of the Ambassador for the Republic of China, Mr. Hu Shi Xi
thence by descent in the family