"Memorial sword" in Gunto Koshirae

[Itomagoi]

Hello,

I have this beautiful sword which was made around 1988 by Masatsugu (政丞), real name is Fujino Yoshisaburo (藤野芳三郎). He is one of the fifth students of the famous swordsmiths Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa (酒井一貫斎繁政).

It is a "Memorial sword" and has the following Mei (thanks and greetings to SteveM):

 

知知夫住藤野政丞作
応桜井三郎造之

為旧近衛連隊陸軍中佐
桜井冨治十三回忌供養造之
明治十九年一月二十三日仙台生八十九才武州川越没

 

The sword is by Fujino Masatsugu from Chichibu city in Saitama Prefecture. 

It was made at the request of Sakurai Saburō, on the ocassion of the 13th anniversary of the passing of his relative Sakurai Tomiharu, who was at one time a Lieutenant in the Japanese Imperial Army. Tomiharu was born in Sendai city on January 23rd, Meiji 19 (1886), and died at the age of 89 (1975) in Kawagoe city.

 

On the Gunto Kabutogane and Habaki is a Sakura Mon. So this fits great with the Sakurai Family.

I see such a sword for the first time. Have any of you ever seen a modern sword put into a Gunto Koshirae as a memorial sword?

 

Thank you for your opinion.

Peter

 

[Itomagoi]

Source: Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths: From 1868 to the Present by Leo Kapp, Hiroko Kapp, Yoshindo Yoshihara; page 203

[gun addict]

中佐 is a lieutenant colonel, not an LT

[Bruce Pennington]

That's a new one on me.  But I can see why they would have mounted that way to honor the relative's service.  Wonder why someone would go to all that trouble to make something honorific for the family and then it winds up on the open market?

[Itomagoi]

Thank you, Timotheus. 

I do not know, Bruce. Unfortunately, no one has taken care of the sword, because it is rusty.

[Bruce Pennington]

I have heard of owners dying and the family is totally not interested in their WWII ancestors, so the sword gets sold at auction.

[BANGBANGSAN]

7 hours ago, Itomagoi said:

Hello,

I have this beautiful sword which was made around 1988 by Masatsugu (政丞), real name is Fujino Yoshisaburo (藤野芳三郎). He is one of the fifth students of the famous swordsmiths Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa (酒井一貫斎繁政).

It is a "Memorial sword" and has the following Mei (thanks and greetings to SteveM):

 

知知夫住藤野政丞作
応桜井三郎造之

為旧近衛連隊陸軍中佐
桜井冨治十三回忌供養造之
明治十九年一月二十三日仙台生八十九才武州川越没

 

The sword is by Fujino Masatsugu from Chichibu city in Saitama Prefecture. 

It was made at the request of Sakurai Saburō, on the ocassion of the 13th anniversary of the passing of his relative Sakurai Tomiharu, who was at one time a Lieutenant in the Japanese Imperial Army. Tomiharu was born in Sendai city on January 23rd, Meiji 19 (1886), and died at the age of 89 (1975) in Kawagoe city.

 

On the Gunto Kabutogane and Habaki is a Sakura Mon. So this fits great with the Sakurai Family.

I see such a sword for the first time. Have any of you ever seen a modern sword put into a Gunto Koshirae as a memorial sword?

 

Thank you for your opinion.

Peter

 

 

Peter

Do you have photos of both sides of tang?

[PNSSHOGUN]

That is most unusual, perhaps the Koshirae is the Lt. Colonel's original Type 98?

[Volker62]

Hi Peter

 

congrats!

 

thanks for sharing, very interesting!

 

like John,  I would guess the Koshirae maybe is the original ?

 

look at this Tanto

 

its balde hold's the soul of a dead officer, used as a mobile shrine, in Memoial

[Itomagoi]

Hey Trystan,

here pic's of Nakago.

The Typ98 Koshirae is not a repro. All fittings with the number 29 and Kabutogane has a Sakura Mon.

Yes, it is very likely that it is the original Lt. Colonel's koshirae.

 

Ingenious Volker, that is very special!

 

I have been trying to get in contact (email-address) with Fujino Masatsugu Sensei, but no success. -.-

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Peter, will you have this polished? It is a very special and precious piece in many ways, shame to see it in such sad condition.

[Itomagoi]

I would like to have it polished at some point, but at the moment I can't.

[Itomagoi]

I found the hopefully correct address of Fujino (Yoshisaburo) Masatsugu but no email. So I wrote a polite letter last September, introduced myself and put a photo of me in the envelope and hoped to get in touch with the smith.

But unfortunately until today I have not received an answer.

 

Maybe someone of the members from Japan can help me with this? :-)

 

To this address I send the letter:

Fujino Consistency Mitsumasa
Japanese Sword Forge
藤野一貫斉光正日本刀鍛錬場

854 Kamikagemori, Chichibu,
Saitama 369-1872, Japan
〒369-1872
秩父市上影森854

TEL：0494-22-1497