Bidspirit auction | Inscribed WWII Japanese Saipan Silk

Inscribed WWII Japanese Saipan Silk Flag (1941) - The research we did says this artifact is a signed Japanese deployment flag (Yosegaki Hinomaru), constructed from a single panel of fine, lightweight natural silk displaying characteristic organic thread thickness variations, horizontal slubbing, and a hand-painted deep crimson sun disc. The upper margin is inscribed horizontally from right to left with a large, four-character brush slogan reading Buun Chokyu, translating to ”May your military fortunes be long-lasting.” The right quadrant contains a vertical dedicatory inscription addressing the individual recipient as Mr. Teizo Kashiwa, positioned directly above a faint, circular orange-tinted military or harbor administrative stamp. Adjacent to the name is a rare, specific civilian colonial address block: South Garapan Town, 2nd District, Saipan Island (Saipan-to Minami Garapan-cho Ni-chome). Directly beneath this address are three horizontal signatures from an Okinawan immigrant family diaspora group sharing a localized surname: Okuma Masaaki, Okuma Yoshiko, and Okuma Fumiko. The lower left quadrant displays three vertical lines of cursive civilian well-wisher signatures written in fluid script identifying Okumura Kikuo, Wada Tomokichi, and Goto, the latter concluded with a traditional handwritten signature monogram or kao. The textile is structurally stable but exhibits widespread handling discoloration, light tea-staining, organic fiber yellowing, and minor thread fraying along the raw, unhemmed borders consistent with operational field recovery and long-term storage. Measures approx. 14 1/2 x 9 inches CONDITION: Widespread yellowing and mottled brown and gray discoloration, scattered staining and spotting, pronounced creasing, minor edge fraying and loose threads, and several gray abrasions or spots within the red sun disc.