WW II Donation Blade

[leo]

Hi, all!

A friend asked me to assist in the identification of a swordsmith and the translation of a document which accompaniies the blade. He would like to pass any information on to the International Maritime Museum in the German city of Hamburg, where this sword is permanently stored.

This sword was donated by the Japanese to Bernhard Rogge for military merits. He gained legendary fame as th commander of the auxiliary cruiser "Atlantis" during WWII. After the war he started a new career with the German Navy until he quit as a rear admiral. he passed away in 1982. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernhard_Rogge

He is a legend with the citizens of Hamburg, too. When in 1962 the big storm-flood occurred(a kind of tsunami caused by extreme winds), he immediately called his troops to build barriers against the flood, wthout waiting for authorization by the parliament, thus probably saving a lot of lives!

 

I include the few pictures available to me. The nakago was, after some effort, removed from its carved ivory hilt, revealing the mei KANEKUNI SAKU! Presently I am waiting for more pictures but at the moment these are all I have. I do not know if it is dated!

 

It is apparently a showa time blade. Can anybody tell me which of the several Kanekunis I have spotted this could be?

The document says something about a "Society for the Promotion of the Imperial Spirit"

Can somebody translate the document completely?

 

Many thanks in advance,

Martin

[leo]

Oh, and on the label it says the document was issued on April, 1942!

[cabowen]

There were two smiths signing Kanekuni during the war. One good, Kato Kanekuni of Tokyo, one from Seki. This would be the Seki smith.

[drbvac]

What is the ivory hilt in the second picture ?

[leo]

Thank you very much, Chris, I`ll pass this on.

Brian, this sword came with nicely carved ivory mounts, which look like the typical better quality tourist koshirae made for export!

Actually has the nakago been stuck within this hilt since the museum received the legacy in the 1980s and was not removed until recently!

 

Hopefully I will receive better pictures of blade and koshirae next week!

[Brian]

Martin,

Usually those "touristy" ivory mounts look busy and well done, until you look closer and see there is no detail and nothing has any real class. In this case, I think the carving is actually very well done, and definitely a step above the tourist stuff.

Can you post a closer pic or 2 of the mounts? I can see some very nice work there. Usually you would look closer at the blade if the work is this good. I am unsure of why a WW2 Seki sword would be in these mounts, is there another option as far as smiths go?

 

Brian

[cabowen]

I'm a bit confused here....The first picture shows a samurai style koshirae, the second picture shows the Kanekuni blade held next to an ivory mount that appears to still have the blade in the tsuka, meaning the Kanekuni signed blade is not from the ivory koshirae....???

 

I think there is little doubt this Kanekuni is the one from Seki. I have blades by Kato Kanekuni of Tokyo and this is definitely not him.....

[kusunokimasahige]

Are the signatures on the document by someone of the Hon-Ami family ?

 

KM

[cabowen]

Are the signatures on the document by someone of the Hon-Ami family ?

 

KM

 

no.

[leo]

Chris, you are right,

the sword in question comes with regular koshirae and the habaki carries something like a kiri-mon!

Maybe more photos can clarify the question of the smith!

 

Brian, the ivory mounted sword has its own blade. The museum is presently working on its inventory of samurai things , so it happened to be on the photo! My mistake! But I looked at it again and it is indeed a good quality carving! I will try to get additional pictures.

 

Happy Easter!

[Nobody]

The paper says something like this.

 

For your loyalty to the great Deutschland and your honorable military exploits, we esteem it a great honor to present one Nihonto in behalf of our organization.

 

The 2602nd year of the Imperial reign (= 1942)

The Great Empire of Japan

Shochoku Seishin Shinko-kai (詔勅精神振興會 – The organization for promoting the spirit of imperial messages (?))

The president: General Hayashi Nariyuki

The chief director: Maijor General Saigo Toyohiko

[cabowen]

Maybe more photos can clarify the question of the smith!

 

 

What question is that??? See above.....

[leo]

Koichi-San, thank you very much for the translation!

 

Chris, I am not very familiar with showa smiths. So there is no reason to doubt your opinion. I understood you were not completely sure about his identity so I wanted to supply some more information.

If I can spare me the trouble, the better!

 

Gentlemen, thank you very much for your opinions and your help. I will let the museum guys know about this!

 

Regards,

[Kiipu]

An article with illustrations of Bernhard Rogge's guntō can be found via the link below.

 

18. Captain Bernhard Rogge's Samurai Sword @ Maritime Museum Hamburg , Germany.

https://monsun-uboats.blogspot.com/

 

[vajo]

The sword is not a showa-to it's a gendaito. Hope to see more pictues of it.