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Translation for alleged WW2 Officer Sword


SomeAussie

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Hi,

I got this sword from someone who claimed to have killed a Japanese Officer back in WW2 and brought it back to Australia with him. I asked a friend about the writing on these and he could only identify some of it which was on the small blade, he said it says something along the lines of Kunishige Bichu which did bring up some swords and some history. I believe it was a swordsmithing family from the 1700's that got passed down through generations but the sites translated very poorly to English. I don't believe the handguard belongs to this sword but it came with it anyway and the scabbard doesn't look like something from WW2. If anyone could help me out here it would be much appreciated.

Cheers!

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Appears to be Nio Kiyotsuna 二王清綱. The original Nio Kiyotsuna were from the Kamakura era (this is not it)

 

From what I could find the latest smith who signed this way may have been one from Suo in the Kanbun era. But he also signed "Suo Kuni Nio Saburo Kiyotsuna Ason" - 周防二王三郎清綱朝臣

 

 

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It's a civilian sword rather than a WWII Gunto. 

The tsuka is civilian or samurai, the tsuba (both) are civilian and the blade predates WWII by about 300 years or more. 

It's been cut down but the signature remains. This is called Suriage. 

I cannot see the menuki or the fuchi kashira in great detail but they could by Hamano school or in the style of from a distance . 

One tsuba is tetsu (Iron) in a sukashi style the other, with writing on, is soft metal possibly copper alloy. 

The kozuka theme is of a shrimp or Ebi in Japanese and can be used as part of a New year's theme. 

Translation will be provided by others more adept. 

It's a nice find and maybe its story is WWII, but these were as far as I know not worn by military as they do not conform to the accepted gunto style code. Even ancestral blades had to be mounted in a particular showa gunto mount. 

I'm winging this bit though as not entirely sure. 

 

 

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The tsuba carries part of a saying from a Chinese historical figure, Jiang Ziya

 

天有時,地有財,能與人共之者、仁也;仁之所在,天下歸之。免人之死、解人之難、救人之患、濟人之急者,德也;德之所在,天下歸之

 

Heaven has its four seasons and the Earth, its resources. Being capable of sharing these with populace is truly benevolent. Whoever has true benevolence, all under Heaven will pledge allegiance to him. Sparing the people from death, eliminating hardships, relieving misfortunes, saving people from dangers, these are virtues. Whoever has true virtues, all under Heaven will pledge allegiance to him

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiang_Ziya

 

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Hi and welcome to NMB.

 

Please add your name to your posts.  You can do it in your profile and it will be automatic.

 

Just to add, your friend was right, the small blade or kogatana is signed Bitchu Mizuta ju Kunishige.  It's a well respectd line of Shinto smiths, ie working after 1603 and before about 1800.

As a rider, the signatures on kogatana are often honorific rather than genuine so don't place too much emphasis on this one.  

 

There were later Nio Kiyotsuna smiths, one about 1500 who might be this one.  Nice thing, just need to get the hilt rebound properly and it will look even better.

 

Oh, and this has nothing to do with a WWII sword, it may have been brought back from Japan around then but it is a civilian wakizashi and has not been modified, as some were, to use in the war.

 

Enjoy!

 

All the best.

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