unknown early 16th century Japanese wakizashi, the hilt of the wakizashi consists of a wooden grip, which is covered with white ray-skin and is secured to the tang near the top by a short bamboo rod. The bamboo rod is bound with a piece of flat black silk tape. The hilt of the wakizashi is decorated with ornaments (menuki) made entirely of gilt. The obverse of the hilt is decorated with a lion passing in front of a clump of peony. Whilst the reverse of the hilt is decorated with another lion seated behind and partly hidden by a clump of peony. The ferrule (fuchi) at the top of the grip is made of shakudo (gold alloy) and has a copper top pierced to admit the tang. It is heavily decorated with embossed gilt and depicts a stream with reeds and other marsh and water plants growing from its banks. From one of two outcrops of rock, both covered with lichens, grows a willow tree bearing fruit; above the tree fly two egrets and on a bridge sits a third egret. The pommel (kashirm/kashire) fits over the end of the grip and is secured by binding tape. It, too, is made of shakudo (gold alloy) and is decorated with a similar scene to that on the ferrule. The guard consists of three parts. The slightly curved steel blade has a flat back and groove. The back and the groove are brightly burnished and this has revealed slight flaws in the metal. A double collar (niju-habaki) is decorated with diagonal scratching and sewn pellets. The wooden scabbard is covered with black lacquer. The tape used to secure the sword to the waistband is made of cord in two colours - mid-brown and fawn. The Imperial Japanese Naval AttachÃ©, Rear-Admiral K. Oguri (active 1914) at Christmas in 1914, presented this wakizashi to Admiral of the Fleet Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron Fisher of Kilverstone (1841-1920) and his wife. The sword has been provisionally identified as having been made in the Bizen Province, Japan in the early part of the 16th century. WPN1141 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Wakizashi (WPN1141) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1194.jpg Bizen Province, Japan wood; ray-skin; bamboo; silk tape; gilt; gold alloy (shakudo); copper; steel; lacquer; cord 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Helmet and neck-curtain from a suit of armour, of lacquered metal and papier-mache, with a gilt horned demon mask, pink silk tassels, and the owner's or maker's name: Japan, early 19th century Face-mask from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century Cuirass from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache, with a gold lacquered crest on skirt: Japan, early 19th century Two shoulder pieces from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century Two arm pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century Two thigh pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century Two leg pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-300-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Suit of armour http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981666.jpg Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Two shoulder pieces from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-301-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Sleeve and gauntlet, kote http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981667.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Two shoulder pieces from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-302-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Sleeve and gauntlet, kote http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981668.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) John Richard Davidson, Barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) John Richard Davidson, barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) 19th century 19th century Court sword, with steel blade, and egg-roe shakudo hilt mounts encrusted with leaves or the badge of Tokugawa Shogunate, given to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese government: Japan, 19th century Court sword scabbard, decorated in gold lacquer with the three asarum leaves or badge of the Tokugawa Shogunate, presented to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese Government: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-288-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / swords and daggers Weapons / swords and daggers Mounted court sword http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981654.jpg Japan Japan 40.00" L John Richard Davidson, Barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) John Richard Davidson, barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) 19th century 19th century Court sword, with steel blade, and egg-roe shakudo hilt mounts encrusted with leaves or the badge of Tokugawa Shogunate, given to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese government: Japan, 19th century Court sword scabbard, decorated in gold lacquer with the three asarum leaves or badge of the Tokugawa Shogunate, presented to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese Government: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-289-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / swords and daggers Weapons / swords and daggers Mounted court sword http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981655.jpg Japan Japan 40.00" L 19th century Early 19th century Face-mask from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-299-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Iron mask and throat protector http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981665.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Face-mask from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-298-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Iron nose protector and moustache http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981664.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) Yoshimitsu 1840-1855 Japanese wakizashi, the hilt of the wakizashi consists of two pieces of wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered with white ray-skin and is secured to the tang near the top by a short bamboo rod. The bamboo rod is bound with a piece of twisted bright blue silk. The hilt of the wakizashi is decorated with ornaments (menuki) made entirely of gilt. The ornaments (menuki) are made in a tripartite form, each part bearing an embossed gilt representation of a paulownia blossom spray on a bronzed ground. The pommel (kashirm/kashire, but strictly speaking, kabuto-gane) is a made in the form of an outline of a crested double ogee with a pierced space each side. The pommel (kashirm/kashire) is made of bronze copper with gilt wire decoration embossed on its stippled surface and round the edge of the pierced space. At the top, on a horizontal band is a disc, pierced to admit the silk binding, which is knotted above it. The ferrule (fuchi) is also made of bronze copper with gilt wire and has a copper top to admit the tang. The steel blade is slightly curved; it is heavy with a single edge with an offset ridge running nearly the whole length. The back of the blade is ridged all the way to the long curved-edge point. The temper-line is (probably) of the irregular 'box' formation and ends at the point in the large-cicule way. The tang is of the pheasant's thigh configuration, and is engraved on the reverse with the signature in Japanese of 'YOSHIMITSU'. The obverse of the blade is not engraved. The shoulder of the blade is encased by a copper collar (babaki); 28mm, which is plain, save for the back edges, which are scratched. There is a single rivet hole in the tang. The scabbard is missing. Yoshimitsu of Tosa Province, Japan, a pupil of Sa Yukihide, probably made this sword's blade some time between 1840 and 1855. WPN1329 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Wakizashi (WPN1329) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/13/E1378.jpg Tosa Province, Japan wood; ray-skin; bamboo; silk; gilt; bronze; bronze copper; gilt wire; copper; steel Ishihara Naotane 1940-1945 Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), which belonged to a Japanese Army Officer, the tachi consists of a two-handed hilt. The tachi has a white shark-skin grip, and is bound with silk cord. The grip is further decorated with two ornamental studs, which are not opposite each other. The tachi has a lacquered brass pommel with a ring. The steel blade is curved and has a ridged-back. The black wooden scabbard has two brass bands, one steel band and a chape. The tachi is extensively decorated with cherry blossom, which is regarded by the Japanese as auspicious. Ishihara Naotane of Seki made the tachi between 1940 and 1945. The tachi was surrendered to British Forces in 1945. This tachi was presented to the Museum by Lord Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia. WPN1119 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1119) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1176.jpg Seki, Japan shark-skin; silk cord; lacquered brass; steel; wood; brass unknown 1942 Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), which belonged to Vice-Admiral Ruitaro Fujita (active 1945). The hilt of the tachi consists of two pieces of wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered with ray-skin which has been stained black, and is bound with a piece of mid-brown woven cotton tape, twisted about itself and knotted immediately above the pommel (kabuto-gane). The grip was originally secured to the tang 32mm below the ferrule (fuchi) by a short bamboo rod, which is now missing. The gilt brass ferrule (fuchi) has a brass top and bears a running design of embossed single cherry blossoms and leaves executed on a stippled ground. The gilt brass pommel (kabuto-gane) is stippled overall, and decorated with sprays of cherry blossoms executed in gilt copper relief. The gilt copper relief is of crested double ogee outline and is pierced to show the ray-skin beneath. A band passes round the handle bearing, on each side, at the mid point, a circular plaque decorated with a single cherry flower. Through the centre of the cherry flower is a copper sleeve instead of a metal loop (saru-te) for the sword knot to pass. The sword knot is made from a woven mid brown cord with two brown tassels and a brown cord Turk's head runner secured inside the hilt. On each side of the grip are the hilt pair (tsuka-ai) made in the form of the cherry flower repeated three times. The guard consists of seven parts and each part is stamped with the number '22', as is the end of the grip and the inside of the scabbard throat - presumably as an aid to assembling the tachi. The slightly curved steel blade, has a ridge running nearly the whole length of the blade curving in conformity with the cutting edge to a medium curved edge point. The obverse of the flat-backed tang is engraved with an anchor motif. The anchor motif indicates that the blade of the tachi was made in the Naval Arsenal of Tenshozan in the 17th Year of the Showa Era (1942). A copper collar (habaki) is also fitted to the tachi. The black wooden scabbard is covered with ray-skin and has two gilt copper lockets and chape. <a href="/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=WPN1185" title= "Tachi - ">WPN1185</a> and WPN1184 were both surrendered to Rear-Admiral Sir Cecil Halliday Jespson Harcourt (1892-1959) at Hong Kong on the 16th September 1945. WPN1185 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1185) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1160.jpg The Naval Arsenal of Tenshozan, Japan wood; ray-skin; cotton tape; gilt brass; brass; gilt copper; copper; cord; steel unknown 1925-1950 Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), the hilt of the tachi consists of two pieces of magnolia wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered on each side by a fillet of white ray-skin, and is bound with two flat pieces of gold-coloured cotton tape twisted about each other. The plain brass ferrule (fuchi) is secured to the end of the handle by two brass pins. A brass button passes through the reverse side of the ferrule (fuchi) to operate a spring, which retains the tachi in its scabbard. The hilt ornaments are brass. The brass pommel (kabuto-gane) is decorated with a double ogee outline and is pierced on each face to show the ray-skin below. The steel blade is slightly curved, single-edged, with a ridge running near the back to within 38mm of the medium curved-edge point. The blade is round-backed and is fitted with a brass collar (habaki) at the shoulder. Neither the obverse nor the reverse of the blade is engraved and there are no temper lines. The wooden scabbard is covered with black leather and has a brass throat, with lockets with rings, an ornamental ring and chape. Small brass pins secure all of the brass parts of the tachi except for the ring. The lockets are roughly pear-shaped and pierced each side by a triangular hole. The tachi is probably factory-produced, as the workmanship is poor and far inferior to the other tachi's in the National Maritime Museum's collection. The hilt is glued to the tang so it has not been possible to remove it without the possibility of causing damage to the tachi and for this reason it has not been possible to study the hilt and the tang as fully as is usual. The Imperial Japanese Navy favoured blue and black scabbards so this tachi may be that of a Petty Officer. The tachi was surrendered in September 1945 at Singapore and given to HMS 'Ganges' by Captain E.V. Bush (active 1946) on Victory Day 1946. WPN1358 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1358) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/14/E1426.jpg Japan magnolia wood; ray-skin; cotton tape; brass; steel; wood; leather Noshu Kanetoshi 1943 Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), which belonged to a Japanese Army Officer. The hilt of the tachi consists of two pieces of magnolia wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered with white ray-skin, and is bound with a piece of brown silk tape. The pommel (kabuto-gane) is decorated with a double ogee outline with a crest in the middle of the pommel (kabuto-gane) which consists of a cherry flower through the centre of which passes a sleeve for a metal loop (saru-te), which is decorated with cherry blossom and leaves. The metal mounts are made of brass and have been coloured brown and have traces of gilt. The steel blade is slightly curved, single-edged with a gable-sectioned back. The blade is engraved with the words 'Mino Province (Kanetoshi)' and 'Noshu Kanetoshi Saku, Showa 18'. The arsenal number '4438' is painted in black on the tang. The white metal scabbard has been painted with olive green paint. Running from throat to tip on the scabbard is a narrow metal band, attached to which is a suspension locket consisting of two parallel circlets merged into one at the point of suspension by a flower head from which stems the loop for the ring, a decorative circlet with a pendant leaf (shiba-biki) and chape (ishi-dzuki) made in the same form and size as the pommel (kabuto-gane). The tachi along with WPN1398 was surrendered to Lord Louis Alexander Mountbatten (1854-1921), Supreme Allied Commander, South-East Asia and belonged at one time to 'HMS Sussex'. WPN1397 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1397) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/14/E1470.jpg Mino Province, Japan magnolia wood; ray-skin; silk tape; brass; gilt; steel; paint; white metal unknown Japanese katana. The hilt consists of a grip of two pieces of wood joined longitudinally, covered with white ray-skin by a flat black cotton tape. This is secured to the tang by a short bamboo rod 15mm from the ferrule at the top of the grip. This ferrule is made of bronze copper and has a copper top; decorated with a large embossed wave with a gilt dragon issuing from it. The hilt ornaments (menuki) are in the form of leaves and blossoms of hollyhock and are partly gilt. The pommel (kashira) is of bronze copper (much of the copper showing through) and is decorated on the chape with an embossed and gilt scene of two Chinese sages, one holding a bowl and the other crouching at his feet with hands clapped to his ears. Above them are swirling threads which presumably indicate high winds or a storm. The kashira is pierced each side by a brass collar with knurled edges through which passes the tape binding. The blade is a slightly curved, single-edge with a ridge running near the gable-sectioned back edge to the medium curved-edge point. The tang is much eaten by rust, is signed on the reverse and has two rivet holes. A copper collar is fitted over the shoulder doubly scratched in lozenge form. The blade has been badly treated. There are no inscriptions on the obverse and the temper line is obscured by scubbing. The reverse is as obverse but the tang bears Japanese characters for Sagami Province. The scabbard is twin pieces of wood, joined longitudinally, secured at the throat by white twine binding, the whole covered with light brown leather, laced at the back of the throat with faded red cord, small leather chape fitted, the whole sewn down the back edge. This sword was surrendered at Singapore in 1945, presumably, from its mounts, by an army officer. It was given to the boys of HMS Ganges by Captain Eric W. Bush, DSO, DSC, RN, on Victory Day, 1946. Mr B.W. Robison of the Victoria and Albert Museum identified the sword as originating in Sagami Province and gave it its provisional date. He stated that the hollyhock decoration meant that probably an ancestor of the owner was a servant to the Tokugawa Shogunate, one of whose badges that flower was. WPN1362 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Katana (WPN1362) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/14/E1422.jpg Sagami Province, Japan wood; bamboo; metal-gilt; steel; leather; ray-skin; textile; bronzed copper 19th century Early 19th century Two arm pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-303-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Armoured apron, haidate http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981669.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Two thigh pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-304-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Armoured legging, suneate http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981670.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit)