Kyugunto from Meiji

[dklenum]

I have newly bought these 2 swords.The swords are unknown to Jim Dawson according to his book. I enclose some info

I have found. Both have mei on the tang.

1. TSUDA-ECHIZEN-NO KAMI-SUKEHIRO,   KANBUN-9-NEN-8-GATSU-MI,  1677 AUGUST

2. BISHU-OSAFUNE-JU-SUKESADA, JOKYO  1684-1688

 

I hope some of you guys can help with more info, thanks

a lot.  dklenum

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by dklenum

[PNSSHOGUN]

3 minutes ago, dklenum said:

 

I hope some of you gays can help with more info, thanks

a lot.  dklenum

 

 

  assume this is a typo!

 

These could be very early versions of the Naval Kyu Gunto, perhaps even private made examples.

[Gilles]

I had one like the one at the top in my former collection of Japanese military swords. What you have here, according to me is a very early type of a military kyu-gunto from Meiji era. It is a rather scarce sword and not easy to find in complete condition (leather of the scabbard is rather fragile).  I surmise that it was an official type and not a version made by a Han. I did not find any links with the navy and I am more inclined to think that it is an army type. I also think that It's duration as an army model was very short and that it was very rapidly replaced with the army and navy kyu-gunto that we know. Richard Fuller, in one of its books, described that this type of unindentified swords was made for civilian officials which can also be the case.