SWORD, Naval Officer, Japanese

Blade; steel single-edged, grooved, slightly curved metal guard= hand guard with Japanese marks, metal backstrap, a fullered blade [western style].
Hilt; wooden, crosshatched or checkered grip in metal frame with handguard,[western style].
Scabbard; plain metal with ring and chape, one ring painted brown [western style].
Chape; metal point of a scabbard.

W1970.642
United Service Institution Collection
Blade
Type: DAITO

Mei: mumei/Mei Yon Zero

Nagasa: 76.5 cm

Nakago: fixed hilt

Hada: muhada

Horimono: bo-hi

Date: c. 1907
This gunto blade was mass produced in the style of a Western cavalry sabre and there is little about it to distinguish it as being Japanese. It was used from the late 19th century up to 1945. The date reads: ‘Meiji year 40’ (1907).
Koshirae
Type: GUNTO

Saya: plain metal, Western style ashi and kojiri

Tsuka: chequered wood in metal frame, with Western style handgrip. Hand-guard dated 1907

Overall length: 93.5 cm
This is a mass-produced military sword little different from the European types that it copies. It was used by the cavalry during the Russo-Japanese war (1904-05), and many were used up to World War II.

Department: 

Collection

History Collection

Collection Item Data