Need Help Identifying This Emblem - Colonial?

[PegasusArms]

 Hi all, came across this sword...for decades, I thought I had seen pretty much all Japanese colonial swords for decades, but I have never seen an emblem like this one has. The emblem or mon is surely not from the Formosa/Taiwan, Chosen/Korea, or Nanyo/South Sea Japanese colonial government. Anyone can help identifying this emblem? This must be pretty rare? Help a man learn something new? Much appreciate! 

[Bugyotsuji]

Cherry blossoms.

[drb 1643]

This is a rare Tsingtao sonin level colonial sword!

Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

Tom nailed it!  I learned something today, too!

Dawson pages:

 

[Dave R]

 Does a damn good German style beer, no one wanted to close down the German founded brewery and it still runs today. Sometimes governments get it right!

[lonely panet]

The saya is mis matched. 

[Jon MB]

On 6/16/2021 at 5:57 AM, lonely panet said:

The saya is mis matched. 

Respectfully, I had a Nan'yo example and people said the same thing. Not sure I agree.

 

[lonely panet]

so you had 1 example, and that allows you to form a informative opinion. question

 

if a type 32  ko saya fits a otsu but the numbers arnt matching is that correct??? its happened about 10,000 times but its not correct.  get my notion 

[Jon MB]

50 minutes ago, lonely panet said:

so you had 1 example, and that allows you to form a informative opinion. question

 

if a type 32  ko saya fits a otsu but the numbers arnt matching is that correct??? its happened about 10,000 times but its not correct.  get my notion 

Charmingly put, minus the punctuation. So let's hear your assumptions regarding the mismatch.

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Is it the floral pattern at the top of the saya, instead of a plain surface?

[Jon MB]

It seems that if the 'heart' design on the fittings is not an exact match to Dawson's illustrations on these swords, some feel it must be incorrect. My own feeling is that like Gunto, there were minor variations in decorative features over time, (based on seeing a few examples in person). 

 

[Jon MB]

1 hour ago, lonely panet said:

so you had 1 example, and that allows you to form a informative opinion. question

 

if a type 32  ko saya fits a otsu but the numbers arnt matching is that correct??? its happened about 10,000 times but its not correct.  get my notion 

Colonial officials' swords were probably not stored and refurbished in arsenals like other ranks' cavalry sabres, so swopping scabbards seems less likely.

[Kiipu]

For a change of pace, lets look at the 1917 Tsingtao uniform regulations.

青島守備軍民政部職員服制ヲ定ム

青島 = Chintao = Tsingtao = Qingdao.

 

[Jon MB]

Reference to the regulations will of course be interesting, but not conclusive, if regulations were not seriously enforced and manufacturers / retailers offered variations. As was the case with Kyu and Shin Gunto.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

The kyu-gunto had great many variations.  Either Fuller or Dawson (or both) mentioned this.

[drb 1643]

Thanks Thomas for posting the regulations diagrams. The sonin level swords show a different scabbard fitting pattern i.e. Not a boars eye cutout. The sword pictured also has the correct sonin level colonial knot although it's damaged. In my humble opinion I believe the scabbard is correct.

Tom