Some Medal Boxes, ww2?,

[Farkas]

Hello Gents,

 I’m going on my travels tomorrow to collect a British thing 👇 from a fella who I now know has 50 years in collecting (mainly) Japanese swords…

I couldn’t resist a few other things he has

 

he has some cool photos too.

But also I’m worried I’m going to come home with a Katana or two and a week to pay 🙃

 

Anyway The boxes no longer have their inlays and have been repurposed to store things. I liked them but I also bought them to show you Gents and find out what they are 🤷‍♂️ There is always my ‘would be cool if…’ optimism leading me astray 🍻

 

There are also two little Bonsai tools with signed blades i ‘had’ to have…

one below 👇

 

I’ve omitted the detailed pictures of the medal boxes so I can post my own , tomorrow 🤞,  when they’re mine. 

 

cheers

tony 🍻

[Farkas]

Hi Gents,

first apologies because Sod’s law I bet the boxes are upside down 🙃

 

First of all, they are smaller than expected, I’ve left the card in the pics for scale and I’ve included the two that are blank… it’s not your eyes 👀

#1

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3

 

#4

 

 

 

 

#5

 

 

 

 

#6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#7

 

 

#8

 

 

 

 

 

I’m gonna upload this quick before I lose it all again!

 

Penny for your thoughts…

 

tony 🍻

 

 

 

[Farkas]

Hi Gents,

thought I’d add these two blades while I’m here.  Bit of back ground on all of it.

The fella I met was great. He was given a small Japanese sword at 8 years old and is now 72 years old.

I could’ve chatted all day!

Anyway the boxes and the two knives below were in Thailand, an old Japanese fella living there gave them to him, but that’s all he knows of it.

He was with his wife today, so I have no reason to call bullshit on the following…

 

He is now down to 30 Katana, he had reached 350, that’s 350 Katana and…

10 suits of samurai armour.

As he explained how much room his display took up his wife had an understandable look on her face 😊

 

Relatably, his love of swords spread to all things Japanese but also he spent some time (working?) with local ww2 veterans in the Bath, UK area and picked up a few things from them too.  Among them items from a pilot he knew who landed his Sunderland flying boat in the Yangtze River by ‘the warship’ (presumably HMS Amethyst) during the Yangtze River Crisis.

 

Anyway,

here are the two little blades.

 

1. this has a composite handle and brand name 👇

 

 

 

 

2. On this next one, the characters pretty much gone sadly, even to the naked eye but it’s a nicer wooden cased/handled piece. 👇

 

 

 

 

Hope you like Gents.

 

cheers 

tony 🍻

Edited August 6 by Farkas

[No one]

Dear Farkas,

 

 

 

For this one a picture with a badge. Is it the good badge?:

 

 

 

 

The knives are " kiridashi " or woodcarving tool. One is from the "Familiar" company:

 

切り出し小刀 - Wikipedia

 

切出し ナイフ 新品 未使用 Familiar ファミリア 切り出し小刀 片刃 刃物/カ23　0808－日本代購代Bid第一推介「Funbid」

 

 

Woodworking Tool 175mm Small Japanese Kiridashi Kogatana Utility Knife, with Blade Sheath, for Wood Carving & Bamboo Craft - Etsy 日本

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

[TracA]

Hi Tony,

 

To add to No One's translations, the Regular and Special Members boxes are for Patriotic Women's Association badges. See Medals of Asia at https://asiamedals.info/threads/history-and-badges-of-greater-japan-womens-patriotic-association.23765/ and/or right her on GMIC at https://gmic.co.uk/topic/80407-patriotic-women’s-association-badges/.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

 

[Farkas]

11 hours ago, TracA said:

Hi Tony,

 

To add to No One's translations, the Regular and Special Members boxes are for Patriotic Women's Association badges. See Medals of Asia at https://asiamedals.info/threads/history-and-badges-of-greater-japan-womens-patriotic-association.23765/ and/or right her on GMIC at https://gmic.co.uk/topic/80407-patriotic-women’s-association-badges/.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

 

The first question is how am I going to get these to you?? 😊 The Patriotic Women's Association is one of your passions isn’t it, what are the odds…

 

16 hours ago, No one said:

Dear Farkas,

 

 

 

For this one a picture with a badge. Is it the good badge?:

 

 

 

 

The knives are " kiridashi " or woodcarving tool. One is from the "Familiar" company:

 

切り出し小刀 - Wikipedia

 

切出し ナイフ 新品 未使用 Familiar ファミリア 切り出し小刀 片刃 刃物/カ23　0808－日本代購代Bid第一推介「Funbid」

 

 

Woodworking Tool 175mm Small Japanese Kiridashi Kogatana Utility Knife, with Blade Sheath, for Wood Carving & Bamboo Craft - Etsy 日本

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

Thank you ever so much No one, everything explained and great links.

I was starting to wonder if the boxes said ‘Tokyo flower show’ or something similar but no one wanted to tell me 🙃

 

thanks again both

tony 🍻

[No one]

Dear Farkas,

 

The label:

 

 

About Umeyoshi (or Umekichi) SUZUKI: 

 

 

古書　「徽章と徽章業の歴史」 その２　創業者、鈴木梅吉のこと - 徽章はバッジにしてピン (hatenablog.com)

 

Japanese Old Art Medal: 日本帝国徽章商会　 (prewar-sculptors.blogspot.com)

 

『鈴木梅吉による日本帝国徽章商会』by WF｜徽章業発祥の地のクチコミ【フォートラベル】 (4travel.jp)

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

Edited August 8 by No one

[Farkas]

On 08/08/2024 at 09:23, No one said:

Dear Farkas,

 

The label:

 

 

About Umeyoshi (or Umekichi) SUZUKI: 

 

 

古書　「徽章と徽章業の歴史」 その２　創業者、鈴木梅吉のこと - 徽章はバッジにしてピン (hatenablog.com)

 

Japanese Old Art Medal: 日本帝国徽章商会　 (prewar-sculptors.blogspot.com)

 

『鈴木梅吉による日本帝国徽章商会』by WF｜徽章業発祥の地のクチコミ【フォートラベル】 (4travel.jp)

 

Yours sincerely,

No one

Sorry No One, I missed this reply somehow, thanks for the links, I’m going to have a look now…

 

tony 🍻

[Farkas]

Hi No One,

just had a look at those links…

could you possibly explain it to me please. 👍

 

it seems to mean it’s the makers label of Umekichi Suzuki but then this mentions ‘in honour of’ him.

Basically was he a well known maker and my box held a badge made by ‘him’?

Also sorry but what date is the Meiji to Taisho period? I don’t even know that !

 

thanks

tony 🍻

[No one]

Dear Farkas,

 

"Basically was he a well known maker and my box held a badge made by ‘him’?"

 

Yes, not only he was well known, he was The pioneer of this new industry. He started in 1885 (明治18年)

The story goes that Umekichi Suzuki was approached by a person who had gone on a trip to the West about giving a medal to an elementary school graduate. Could he make it? Well, it worked and he developed his new business.

At the time, the "Japan Imperial Emblem Company (日本帝國徽章商会)" was Japan's only factory specializing in medal production.

 

And yes your box held a badge made by Suzuki wich makes it quite valuable for a collector.

 

Meiji era : October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912 (45 years)

Taishō era : July 30, 1912 to December 25 1926 (15 years)

 

The company still existes under another name "Japanese Emblem Company or Nihon kishō (日本徽章商界)":

 

校章 | 日本徽章商会 (nihon-kisho.com)

 

Now, you are as knowledgeable as I am.

 

Have a nice Sunday,

 

Yours sincerely,

No one