Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 16th April 2014, 04:38 AM

Hi Medar, and welcome to our forum!
While the participants on the other forum seem reasonably knowledgeable, I very much disagree with some of the rather blunt responses rather than looking into plausible scenarios for this absolutely fascinating hybrid.

It is important to note that the VOC (Dutch East India Co.) in addition to their presence throughout Indonesia and other Asian locations, had a long standing presence in degree in Japan. While quite limited, they maintained factories at various locations, it seems usually in islands off the mainland. During this time the chief factors of the VOC were required to pay periodic visits to Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, as well as pay tribute. The VOC was allowed to remain in these restricted Japanese locations even during the closure of Japan to the West.

This VOC blade appears to be correctly inscribed with the company logo and the year date 1756. In about the mid 18th century it seems the company consistently had blades marked in this manner, and the 'A' is has been mentioned for Amsterdam, the primary city of the seven key chambers of the VOC in the Netherlands. These blades seem to have typically been produced in Solingen for the Dutch.

The mounts of this katana seem well done, not in true nihonto fashion, but extremely nicely represented. In the time that the Dutch occupied these Japanese locations, in this case post 1756 through the 1796 year the VOC ended, we know that diplomatic interaction existed between these powers in this arrangement. It is quite common in these circumstances to see various forms of hybridization with weapons, whether as diplomatic gifts or with individuals combining styles and fashions in a sense of novelty or exotica. This sort of hybridization was common in India during the British Raj, with Indian hilts carrying British blades and vice versa.

An individual of the VOC may have had his blade mounted in a representation of an authentic Japanese katana in one of the other factory locations in the Indonesian archipelago and worn it in his time when returning there. In some sort of diplomatic gesture or interaction he may well have presented it to a Japanese individual, and that person may well have kept it through generations.

Japanese officers of course are known to have carried their heirloom swords to campaigns in WWII, and while quite unusual, this anomaly may well have been carried accordingly.

We know that in Sri Lanka, many 'kastane' swords were mounted with VOC blades, and these blades occur in other similar circumstances throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, however..this is absolutely the first instance of a Japanese type katana with one I have ever seen . Fantastic!

Though it is doubtful that this unusual sword can be traced with any specific detail, however it seems quite possible that the scenario I suggest might account for its circumstances and an extremely rare and unique case as recounted by your grandfather.

As an alternate though more modern instance, it does seem possible (as Battara has suggested), that a Japanese officer might have had a katana fashioned in the Indonesian archipelago using a locally acquired VOC blade and by a local craftsman. This during the Japanese occupation there 1941-42. The only thing that might disagree here is the VOC inscription on the scabbard, which there would be no reason to duplicate.
In either case, it would explain this most unusual anomaly, and support your grandfathers wonderful legacy.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us

All the very best,
Jim

Attached illustration of OC compound at Hirado Island off west coast of Kyushu in 1669.

16th April 2014, 04:38 AM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,753	Hi Medar, and welcome to our forum! While the participants on the other forum seem reasonably knowledgeable, I very much disagree with some of the rather blunt responses rather than looking into plausible scenarios for this absolutely fascinating hybrid. It is important to note that the VOC (Dutch East India Co.) in addition to their presence throughout Indonesia and other Asian locations, had a long standing presence in degree in Japan. While quite limited, they maintained factories at various locations, it seems usually in islands off the mainland. During this time the chief factors of the VOC were required to pay periodic visits to Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, as well as pay tribute. The VOC was allowed to remain in these restricted Japanese locations even during the closure of Japan to the West. This VOC blade appears to be correctly inscribed with the company logo and the year date 1756. In about the mid 18th century it seems the company consistently had blades marked in this manner, and the 'A' is has been mentioned for Amsterdam, the primary city of the seven key chambers of the VOC in the Netherlands. These blades seem to have typically been produced in Solingen for the Dutch. The mounts of this katana seem well done, not in true nihonto fashion, but extremely nicely represented. In the time that the Dutch occupied these Japanese locations, in this case post 1756 through the 1796 year the VOC ended, we know that diplomatic interaction existed between these powers in this arrangement. It is quite common in these circumstances to see various forms of hybridization with weapons, whether as diplomatic gifts or with individuals combining styles and fashions in a sense of novelty or exotica. This sort of hybridization was common in India during the British Raj, with Indian hilts carrying British blades and vice versa. An individual of the VOC may have had his blade mounted in a representation of an authentic Japanese katana in one of the other factory locations in the Indonesian archipelago and worn it in his time when returning there. In some sort of diplomatic gesture or interaction he may well have presented it to a Japanese individual, and that person may well have kept it through generations. Japanese officers of course are known to have carried their heirloom swords to campaigns in WWII, and while quite unusual, this anomaly may well have been carried accordingly. We know that in Sri Lanka, many 'kastane' swords were mounted with VOC blades, and these blades occur in other similar circumstances throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, however..this is absolutely the first instance of a Japanese type katana with one I have ever seen . Fantastic! Though it is doubtful that this unusual sword can be traced with any specific detail, however it seems quite possible that the scenario I suggest might account for its circumstances and an extremely rare and unique case as recounted by your grandfather. As an alternate though more modern instance, it does seem possible (as Battara has suggested), that a Japanese officer might have had a katana fashioned in the Indonesian archipelago using a locally acquired VOC blade and by a local craftsman. This during the Japanese occupation there 1941-42. The only thing that might disagree here is the VOC inscription on the scabbard, which there would be no reason to duplicate. In either case, it would explain this most unusual anomaly, and support your grandfathers wonderful legacy. Thank you so much for sharing this with us All the very best, Jim Attached illustration of OC compound at Hirado Island off west coast of Kyushu in 1669. Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 16th April 2014 at 05:31 AM.