Type 19 Kyu-guntō Ricasso Inscription

[Conway S]

Greetings, 

 

I picked up a Type 19 kyu-guntō with an inscription on the ricasso. It does not resemble inscriptions on academy swords I have seen. I made an attempt at it but could not make out the second and third characters (top - bottom). 禾XX士連局. I am, however, only confident I guessed the first and fourth characters correctly. Any help with the translation would be appreciated. Thank you. 

 

Conway

[ROKUJURO]

Is this meant as a joke? It does not look Japanese to me - item and script .

[Kiipu]

Asian for sure, with a stylized form, maybe Chinese?  I can make out about half of it such as 禾建.  In a situation like this, you bring in someone who can read thousands of characters just by glancing at them.

@BANGBANGSAN

 

How about a picture of the hilt top and side?

[BANGBANGSAN]

It's not real Kanji or Hanzi

禾X尺共（Half)建國

[Conway S]

 

Thanks for the replies. As you can see from the pictures, the sword is decorated with the fifteen-stamen plum blossom. I have not found another example of this particular backstrap yet. The sword is of Japanese-made parade sword quality as opposed to the more crude Manchukuo or Chinese swords usually encountered. There are no crossed flags either. I am interested if you @Kiipu @BANGBANGSAN think this is Manchukuo or a different colonial sword. Thanks.

 

Conway

 

[Conway S]

[Bruce Pennington]

I wonder if it was a G.I. attempt, like something to do on the ship riding home?  Looks like it's half finished, a job interrupted.  

 

I'm away from home and don't have my books, but this looks like one of the earliest versions of the 19, before they went to the double sakura.  OR something of a police version.  Plimpton's book might have this one.  But it will be days before I get back home.

[Kiipu]

I think the command sword is more likely Chinese than Manchurian.

 

Coat the Chinese characters with a light oil so as to darken the rust, and try taking another picture from a different angle.

[Conway S]

[Conway S]

[Kiipu]

Sorry Conway, I am drawing a blank and so did another native Japanese speaker I asked.

 

Maybe ask Jan Culbertson about the sword and markings?

Mon in unusual locations

[Bruce Pennington]

OK, I'm back home and sitting down with my Dawson book.  The 15 stamen plum blossom was the emblem on occupied Manchukuoan swords.  I don't see this exact pattern in his examples, but I have no doubt it was Manchukuo.

[Conway S]

@Bruce Pennington

 

I took the advice of @Kiipu and referenced Jan Culbertson's books on Chinese swords and did not find any matches. Many of the Nationalist-era swords have plum blossoms, but they are of a different quality. There are no late-Qing swords with plum blossoms in his books either. Maybe the picture doesn't show enough detail, but the "dimpling" on the top of the handle is different than Japanese parade swords. It's dimpled "out" instead of "in" - if that makes sense. If I knew Mr. Culbertson was still active in the sword community I would try to reach out to him. 

 

Conway