Antique Japanese Military Northern Qing Dispatch Infantry Army Sake Cup
This is an antique Japanese military sake cup, decorated with a beautiful crane carrying a flag with a chrysanthemum on the back, and a star to the top right. The words are "68th Infantry Regiment" "Northern Qing Dispatch Discharge". The words "Commemoration" are in the box on the bottom left. The soldier's name Fujii is on the back. This is pretty interesting - the 68th wasn't created until 1908, and the Qing fell in 1911. I suspect this may be the same as another cup I sold recently for "North Qing" as well when troops were dispatched to China perhaps temporarily as a security measure for Japanese living in China at the time of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911/12.
Condition: A short hairline at 2 o'clock, it's not visible in the photos here as it's only visible under certain angles of light.
Size: 3.5" across