This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/10/2024
The lid of the presentation box reads "Presentation" and "Chief of Staff" on the exterior, while the interior states that the sword is a tachi by Ieyoshi in efu-no-tachi mounts, and elaborates that it is a 500 year old sword, and is in formal mounts, and appears to say that it was given in celebration of something, unclear. Prince Kan'in was a career officer who was the Chief of Staff for the Imperial Japanese Army between 1931 and 1940. He was adopted by Emperor Komei as a potential heir, as Kotohito was from one of the viable branches of the family that could succeed in case of a death. He attended The Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1877, and studied in France as a military attache in 1882. He graduated from Army Staff college in 1894, with a specialization in cavalry, commanding 1st Cavalry Regiment between 1897 and 1899. He was a veteran of both the First Sino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese War, and became Lieutenant General in 1905; he was a full general and member of the Supreme War Council in 1912. He was the youngest Field Marshal in the IJA at age 54, and was very active until his retirement in 1940, although he maintained his position on the Supreme War Council and as a senior advisor to the Emperor. He died May 21st, 1945. His opposite, Frank Parker, was a career US Army officer, who graduated form the US Military Academy in 1894, and proceeded to serve in the Spanish-American War and in Puerto Rico, before returning to teach at the Academy until 1903. He served as a military attache to a number of foreign nations, mostly South American, and was promoted to a brigadier generalship in 1917, when the US entered what would become World War I. After the war, he taught at a number of institutions, including Ecole Superieure de Guerre, the Command and Staff School, and the Army War College. Until his retirement in 1936, he continued to be active, with numerous other promotions and posts, including Assistant Chief of Staff, head of the Phillippine Department, and commander of the Eighth Corps Area and Third Army. This sword was presented to Frank Parker by Prince Kan'in, and is recorded in a piece from the McKissick Museum that shows Major General Parker with this sword on a tachi kake, and the reverse is written "Major General Frank Parker with 350-year-old sword presented him [sic] by Prince Kanin, chief of staff of the Japanese army and uncle of the present emperor" with an October 11th, 1936 date and what appear to be other accession control numbers. Considering how the presentation appears to be in celebration of something, and the date, perhaps a retirement gift from his Japanese counterpart? Both men spent considerable time in Europe and may have crossed paths numerous times. The sword is a 67.1 nagasa of classic shinogi zukuri form with the steel grain of itame construction, with a compact gunome midare temper line, with more activity on the right side of the cutting edge, including areas of saka-choji, and more calm notare sections on left left, mixed with nie, and sunagashi. Suriage nakago with two mekugi-ana, katte sagari yasurime, and signed katanamai "Ieyoshi". Accompanied by an NTHK Kantei-sho and Shinsa sheet dated 1997, to a mid Muromachi smith, Echizen Ieyoshi; Fujishiro rates Ieyoshi as a chu-jo-saku smith with a wazamono cutting rank, and records that he was a member of the Chiyozuru school, and may have been the same person as Kashu Ieyoshi, and that his style resembled Fujishima Tomoshige. Efu no tachi mounts of classic configuration with high grade sa-me, golden baskets, and menuki in the form of buttons, with paulownia flowers on a nanako ground. Nashiji lacquer saya with tachi mounts, done in brass and purple cord, with leather tachi no-o. Accompanied by a binder of research and translations of the various pieces; standouts include NTHK papers, original photo of Frank Parker with this sword on a tachi make in his office, extensive photos and biographical information on Parker and Kotohito, and correspondence with the McKissick Museum, which housed the sword until 1997 when it was deaccessioned at auction. CONDITION: Blade with clear features throughout, interrupted by a few spots of patchy mossing including some shintetsu, with features visible throughout but soft in some areas. Some handling marks, but no serious openings such as fukure. Mounts are very good with some handling marks and age related distress and darkening, but solid and whole. Box with some handling marks and missing some small pieces, but writing is clearly legible throughout. Imperial presentation swords are very rare, especially ones where we can identify both the recipient and the giver, between two respected military members.
Paperwork
Binder of Paperwork, Presentation Box