Gunto
JB-1011 Gunto
Higo Dōtanuki Munehiro Shin Gunto
A family-heirloom Shin Guntō with a saya-label attribution to the Higo Dōtanuki line — the Kumamoto school of robust, battle-functional blades favoured by Katō Kiyomasa.
JB-1010
£900
Meiji-era Japanese cavalry sabre (kyū-guntō, serial 66729) — clean, complete pattern with original scabbard and fittings.
- Period
- Meiji (late 1800s)
- Mounting
- Kyū-guntō cavalry pattern — single-handed sabre for use from horseback, issued to NCOs.
- Condition
- Complete with original scabbard and fittings; serial 66729 on the nakago.
The kyū-guntō (“old military sword”) pattern was Japan’s first attempt at a Western-style officer’s sword after the Meiji Restoration — the abandonment of traditional koshirae in favour of European cavalry sabres reflected the broader modernisation of the new Imperial Army. Cavalry NCOs received their blades unsharpened from the arsenal and were expected to put a working edge on them in the style suited to their own use.
This example (serial 66729) is complete: blade, scabbard, and original fittings all present. A clean piece for collectors of late-19th-century Japanese militaria and a strong illustration of the transitional period between the samurai sword and the Shōwa-era guntō patterns that would follow.
Age-verified delivery · UK / EU / international · Insured to declared value.
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