Imperial Japanese Navy Kaiguntō Tsuba Set

This is the tsuba ensemble from a wartime Imperial Japanese Navy kaiguntō (naval officer’s sword). Five pieces are included: the central tsuba, two large rayed seppa with the distinctive sunburst pattern characteristic of IJN naval mounts, and two smaller bronze spacers.

The central tsuba is the standard kaiguntō form: oval, gilt brass rim around a darker field, with the keyhole-shaped nakago-ana and a small square hitsu-ana that would have accommodated a kogai or kozuka. The surface shows honest wartime patina rather than recent cleaning.

The two large rayed seppa are textbook IJN naval-mount fittings, their sunburst pattern stamped into brass and finished in the green-brown patina typical of age plus original surface treatment. These were not used on Imperial Army shin-guntō mounts; a set of these in honest condition is unmistakably naval.

The two smaller spacers complete the ensemble. One shows an L-shaped cutout, suggesting it sat as a positional piece in the original stack rather than as a habaki bridge.

This set is suitable for restoring or rehousing an authentic naval officer’s blade, or as a study group in its own right. No blade or other koshirae components are included.