Lot 1081

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Description:

NAGASAKI-RECOVERED NAVAL OFFICER'S SWORD
Fine WWII relic made unique by its location and recovery. Japanese navy tachi blade and leather field scabbard (saya) purchased in Nagasaki by Major C. Ralph Fletcher of the U.S. Army Air Corps shortly after its bombing. Fletcher, a former architect serving as an intelligence officer during the war, was selected and assigned to lead a U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey team in Nagasaki. While in Nagasaki, he procured this item from a local merchant. The blade measures 27 1/4 inches (from the tsuba), and has a strong hamon with an unbroken Nioi- guchi, but shows evidence of burns, slight foxing, and other marring; the blade's groove is a katana-bi, and tapers off at the tang in the kaki-nagashi style. The Nagako (tang) has been filed in the Takonoha style, with a mei consisting of 6 loosely-etched kanji, and a Seki arsenal stamp, making it a Showato (but with no Arabic numbers stamped on blade). Both the tsuba and tsuka (hilt) have brass inlay designs of the Imperial Navy's cherry blossom design. The tsuka is wrapped in olive-colored cloth, and has a brown tassel with no colored embroidery, making it a naval officer's tassel. The saya is most likely Type-98 informal, but its leather wrapping and leather strap united with the seppa (the strap is broken with missing button) indicates that this was a battle sword. This is a blade which has seen war; as such, its quality has been affected, but its place in history is almost certainly one of a kind.

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May 14, 2009 10:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 + $1,000