Japanese Flag Help Requested

[Kurt Barickman]

Thanks

I appreciate all the positive comments and the help. Anything else you can tell me about the flag?

Kurt Barickman

[HunterSS]

Absolutely awesome flags, I haven't been fortunate to run across one yet.
Thanks for the pics! What would one expect to pay from a dealer for a similar example?

[MikeB]

Japanese Flag Help Requested...

I think I can help with the flag pricing, at least a little. Nice artwork flags including those with the images of tigers, cranes, Samurai themes, cherry blossoms, swords, etc. used to bring in the $250.00-$300.00 range on ebay a number of years ago. For many they were the creme de la creme of signed flags. Bidding and final price depended upon the quality and size of the picture and amount of characters on the flag. The more ideograms, the better. Smaller art examples brought less money. Of course, hammered price goes up if you have a person who simply wants the piece and does not care about the eventual price. In recent years the final values realized had dipped below the $200.00 range but have begun heading back up again.
A week or two ago and nice tiger artwork flag (large, full colored tiger,) sold on ebay for well over $500.00 Prices of significant flags (flags with legitimate histories, artwork, unusual examples such as "Chikara" flags, even "been there" looking examples) have begun to rise. A dealer at a show might be persuaded to sell a flag for less than what you see on ebay. Ebay is a little bit of a crap shoot when you are looking for a good price as a seller. On the other hand, a dealer can put a price on a flag and then sit on it until he gets what he wants if he so chooses. Most dealers are in business to make money so they are usually more concerned about cash flow and will deal on the price. Hope this helps. Mike

[HunterSS]

Thanks Mike.

[Kurt Barickman]

Price thanks

Thanks one and all for the kanji translation and the significance behind the cat. Anybody else want to take a stab at value, significance??/

Kurt Barickman

[MikeB]

Hi Kurt-
There are a number of different reasons behind why the tiger was put on flags. Conrad eluded to the tiger being able to return from distant places. In Japanese culture, it was hoped that the qualities of the tiger (particularly tenacity and ferocity,) would be emulated by the soldier. The picture on the flag was a material reminder to the serviceman to remember his duty in this way. In addition, it was believed that the tiger could travel great distances and yet would always find his way home safely. The distance was expressed in units (1000 "ri).) A "ri" is an old measurement of approximately 2.44 miles. In addition, there was a Japanese God of War who used the tiger as his messenger. Depending on who was on the receiving end of the message, it could be a good thing or a bad one! Those looking for the one answer or the one piece of history that explains the meaning behind these items of good luck or protection will be surprised to find out that they rose out of, or were the culmination of many different stories, legends, beliefs, and practices that date back to the early Ainu and others. This is not to say that everyone who received a signed flag or stitch belt was aware of all of the history and lore that went into their development. For those interested in more details, you can find the story in my book (which is due out soon, if the kids would only let me finish it!)
As for value on the two example flags, the one with no characters is worth less than the one with the characters. The one with writing is not profuse, however. I would value the one with tiger only in the $150.00 to around $200.00 range +/- The other one might approach $225.00-$275.00 +/-. Remember that in all things like this, it depends on who was interested in them on any given day. Nothing should ever be carved in stone, kind of like the value on Japanese NLF helmets, helmet nets and the like. Hope this gave you some more information. Mike