Type: Gunto Koshirae (mounts only)
Period: Early Shōwa (circa 1930s–1940s)
Blade: Wooden tsunagi
This is a set of early Shōwa-era military mounts (guntō koshirae) exhibiting a richly decorated cherry blossom (sakura) motif throughout. The tsuka is wrapped in dark olive-brown silk ito in hineri-maki style over samegawa rayskin panels, the wrap tight but showing mild age wear near the mekugi-ana. The menuki, visible under the folds, are gilt brass chrysanthemums in relief, evoking the Imperial symbol of renewal and transience. The fuchi and kashira are copper-alloy with gilt finish, embossed with cherry blossoms and foliage in fine linework over a textured ground. The kashira cap retains its central mounting rivet (kabutogane) with ring aperture, typical of officer-grade shin-guntō mounts, framed by delicate gilded borders.
The tsuba is a gilt-brass example with mokko-gata outline and raised edge, decorated with sakura and scrolling vines in medium relief. Its matching gilt seppa, habaki, and spacer fittings all retain their original patina and coherent tone. The habaki is cast brass. The fuchi displays matching motifs of sakura blossoms bordered by linear edging—consistent with early-war fittings. The saya is missing.
This koshirae represents the transitional aesthetic of early Shōwa guntō fittings, bridging traditional craftsmanship and mechanized production.
