This large antique Japanese hanging scroll commemorates an important moment in the life of Crown Prince Hirohito, who would later become Emperor Showa of Japan. At the bottom are portraits of Crown Prince Hirohito and Princess Nagako, the future Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun. Beneath their portraits appears the Japanese inscription: Commemorating the Auspicious Occasion of Their Imperial Highnesses This inscription is an important clue to the historical context of the piece. Crown Prince Hirohito married Princess Nagako on January 26, 1924, during Japan’s Taisho era. Hirohito was still a young Crown Prince, approximately three years before he ascended the throne and became the emperor whose reign would encompass World War II and Japan’s postwar transformation. The scroll presents much more than the young couple. Its imagery includes: Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken Meiji Shrine Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace Crown Prince Hirohito and Princess Nagako The Imperial chrysanthemum crest and decorative phoenix motifs At the top appears the phrase , approximately meaning The Glory of the Nation. The composition is particularly interesting from a historical perspective. Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken appear above the Meiji Shrine and Imperial Palace imagery, while the young Crown Prince and his bride appear below. It visually connects the Meiji imperial generation with the next generation of Japan’s Imperial Family. Today, Hirohito is inevitably associated with some of the most consequential events of the 20th century: the rise of militarized Japan, the Pacific War, Japan’s defeat in 1945, and the country’s remarkable postwar transformation. But this scroll captures an earlier moment. The war was still far in the future. Hirohito was not yet Emperor. It comes from a Japan celebrating the marriage of its young Crown Prince and his future Empress. That contrast is what makes this piece especially fascinating. Measuring approximately 150 cm (59 in) long and 51 cm (20 in) wide, it is a substantial display piece as well as an artifact of Japanese imperial and social history. The scroll shows significant age-related wear, including creases, wrinkles, discoloration, fading, stains, and other deterioration. Please examine all photographs carefully. These signs of age are consistent with an object that has survived for approximately a century. Dating Note: Based on the portraits and the inscription commemorating an auspicious occasion involving the Crown Prince and Princess, this piece is believed to relate to their 1924 marriage. However, no clearly visible production date or publisher’s mark has been confirmed, so the exact year of manufacture cannot be guaranteed. More than simply an old Japanese decorative scroll, this is a surviving image of Hirohito before he became Emperor – at the beginning of a life that would become inseparable from modern Japanese history. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
This is an original Japanese military photo album documenting a field exercise of the Imperial Japanese Army’s 7th Division in July 1922. The cover is clearly marked: “7th Division Position Attack and Defense Exercise” “Commemorative Photo Album” “July, Taisho 11″ – 1922 The 7th Division was one of the Imperial Japanese Army’s most important northern formations. Based in Hokkaido, it was responsible for the defense of Japan’s northern frontier and became widely known as the “Hokuchin Unit, ” or Northern Garrison Division. Its history stretched from the Russo-Japanese War, including the battles of Port Arthur and Mukden, through deployments to Manchuria and Siberia, and later into the conflicts of the 1930s and World War II. What makes this album especially interesting is that it does not simply contain posed portraits of soldiers. It records an actual large-scale military exercise. The photographs show troops maneuvering in the field, prepared defensive positions, artillery or explosive activity, and other scenes connected with battlefield training. Most importantly, the album also includes military aircraft, aviation personnel, aircraft in flight, and aerial reconnaissance photography of the exercise area. This is particularly significant because the album dates from 1922, when military aviation was still developing rapidly. The photographs show how the Japanese Army was already beginning to integrate aircraft into ground operations-not only as machines of flight, but as tools for observing terrain, defensive positions, and troop movements from the air. In other words, this album records Japanese soldiers learning how to: defend a position, attack a fortified area, and observe the battlefield from above. That combination makes it much more than a simple souvenir album. The 7th Division would later become deeply connected with some of the most difficult chapters of Japanese military history, including fighting connected with Manchuria, the Nomonhan Incident, Guadalcanal, and the northern Pacific theater. But these photographs were taken roughly twenty years before the Pacific War. The men appearing here had no idea what was still ahead of them. The album shows age, staining, wear, and deterioration to the binding and covers, all consistent with an item that has survived for more than a century. For a collector of Imperial Japanese Army history, early military aviation, Hokkaido military history, or prewar military photography, this is a particularly atmospheric historical document. It is not simply an old album. It is a small time capsule from a Japanese Army training ground in 1922. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
This is an antique Japanese naval commemorative metal paperweight featuring Admiral Heihachiro Togo, one of the most famous figures in Imperial Japanese naval history. The front shows a relief portrait of Admiral Togo in full military uniform and decorations. The reverse carries an even more historically significant inscription: The fate of the Empire depends upon this battle. Let every man do his utmost. ” followed by: “Count Heihachiro Togo. ” The original Japanese reads: “?????? This message is closely associated with the opening of the Battle of Tsushima, the decisive naval engagement of the Russo-Japanese War. In May 1905, Russia’s Baltic Fleet-after sailing thousands of miles from Europe-approached Japanese waters for what would become one of the most famous naval battles of the early 20th century. Waiting for it was the Japanese Combined Fleet under Admiral Togo. His flagship was Mikasa. The resulting battle ended in a devastating defeat for the Russian fleet and transformed Togo into an internationally known naval commander. That is what makes the combination on this paperweight so powerful: Admiral Togo. And the famous words associated with the Battle of Tsushima. This is not simply a portrait souvenir. It preserves, in one small object, three symbols of one of the most important moments in modern Japanese naval history. Another important point is that the same type of Togo paperweight appears in the Japanese militaria reference book Imperial Japanese Army & Navy 2, in the section titled Amulets and Paperweights. The present piece itself does not bear a manufacturing date, so its exact production year cannot be confirmed. However, the appearance of the same type in a specialist Japanese militaria reference is an important reference point when evaluating this piece as a period military commemorative item. Togo remained a national naval hero in prewar Japan, and the Battle of Tsushima continued to hold enormous symbolic importance within Japanese naval culture long after 1905. Weapons tell us how battles were fought. Objects like this show us how those battles were remembered. The surface shows age-related wear, oxidation, discoloration, scratches, and other signs of age. Please examine the photographs carefully for the exact condition. For collectors interested in Admiral Togo, Battleship Mikasa, the Battle of Tsushima, the Russo-Japanese War, and Imperial Japanese Navy history, this is a particularly evocative commemorative piece. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
Original metal commemorative plaque for the preservation of the Imperial Japanese battleship. The plaque shows the battleship Mikasa, with the inscription. At the top and. “Preservation Commemoration, October 20, 1926″. Mikasa was the flagship of Admiral Heihachiro Togo during the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, one of the most famous naval battles of the Russo-Japanese War. After being removed from active service under the Washington Naval Treaty, Mikasa faced the possibility of dismantling. This plaque is not simply a battleship souvenir. It represents the moment when Japan chose to preserve Mikasa as history. Today, Mikasa still survives in Yokosuka as one of the world’s most important preserved warships and the only surviving pre-dreadnought battleship. Shows age-related patina, wear, discoloration, and surface oxidation. Please review all photos carefully. Own a Piece of History. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).
This is an original 1923 Imperial Japanese Navy commemorative photo album documenting the training and graduation of a group of newly enlisted sailors. The cover is inscribed: “Graduated May 1, 1923″ “Commemorative Photo Album” “Naval Recruit Division” This is an important detail because it tells us exactly what this album represents. It is not simply a collection of old Japanese Navy photographs. It was created to commemorate a specific group of naval recruits who completed their training on May 1, 1923. In modern terms, it can be understood somewhat like a graduation album-but instead of ordinary school life, it records the process by which young men were transformed into trained sailors of the Imperial Japanese Navy. From Recruit to Sailor Young men entering the Imperial Japanese Navy did not simply enlist and immediately board a battleship or cruiser. This album provides a remarkable visual record of that process. For someone unfamiliar with Japanese naval history, one of the most interesting aspects is the amount of land combat training shown here. The word “Navy” naturally brings battleships, cruisers, and life at sea to mind. However, Japanese sailors could also be required to operate ashore, and their training therefore included weapons and land-based military exercises. This album allows us to see that training rather than merely read about it. Rare Glimpses of Naval Training Several photographs are particularly striking. One sequence shows naval cutters moving across the water, their crews rowing beneath Imperial Japanese naval ensigns. Other photographs show sailors deploying across open terrain during field exercises. Another remarkable image shows sailors standing beside the naval ensign while an explosion occurs in the background. Its original Japanese caption refers to a headquarters area and bridge demolition, providing an unusual glimpse of demolition training. These are not staged modern reproductions. They are photographs preserved as part of the recruits’ own 1923 graduation record. The Names Behind the Photographs Another historically valuable feature is a page titled approximately: Names of Officers and Instructors of the Naval Recruit Divisions. It records the names and positions of division leaders, officers, instructors, and assistants associated with the training organization. This transforms the album from a collection of anonymous military photographs into something much more personal. These were real instructors and recruits belonging to a specific Japanese naval training unit more than a century ago. Before World War II The date is also important. These sailors graduated on May 1, 1923-18 years before Japan entered the Pacific War in 1941. Therefore, this is not primarily a World War II combat album. Its real theme is: How a young Japanese recruit became a Navy sailor. Following the photographs allows us to see the discipline, weapons training, seamanship, physical exercises, comradeship, and daily institutional life that formed part of that transformation. In this sense, the album is almost a time capsule of Imperial Japanese Navy recruit life in 1923. The Imperial Japanese Navy was considerably smaller than the Imperial Japanese Army, and enormous quantities of naval material were subsequently lost through wartime destruction and the collapse of the Japanese Empire. An intact photographic record combining a precise graduation date, identifiable training organization, personnel names, and such a broad range of training scenes therefore offers considerable historical interest. The album shows age-related wear, staining, discoloration, deterioration, and damage to the binding and pages. Please examine the photographs carefully for condition. More than a century ago, these young men entered naval training, learned to march, shoot, row, operate in the field, and finally graduated together on May 1, 1923. This is not the story of a warship. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
For sale is an antique WWI era US Army tank copper cigarette holder snuff box, which served as a unique and luxurious accessory for an officer’s desk during the war period. This original piece from the United States is a rare find for collectors interested in militaria and historical artifacts from the early 20th century. The intricate design and craftsmanship of the piece add to its appeal as a special and unique addition to any collection. Authentic aged patina across the copper surfaces. The interior lining shows light, natural wear consistent with age, proving its historic character. Both forward barrels are intact. Treads and lid hinge are solid. Size: 5″ L x 3″ H x 3 W. The item comes from a smoke-free, pet-free, kid-free, climate-controlled environment. Please do your research on this item before purchasing. See pictures for more details on condition. Please see my other items for sale. Thank you and good luck. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any reason If you feel that you cannot leave a positive comment with all 5 stars. Antique WWI era US Army tank hammered copper cigarette holder snuff box. Originally designed as an officer’s desk accessory for holding cigarettes, matches, or snuff tobacco. It served as a unique and luxurious accessory for an officer’s desk during the war period. It is a fantastic conversation piece and a rare collectible for history buffs. Stunning Materials: Crafted with a gorgeous, textured hammered copper finish along the sides and bottom, perfectly complemented by dark green/black metal accent panels. Details: Features iconic molded track shapes along the flanks and twin protruding gun barrels at the bow to mimic early armored combat vehicles. Functional Mechanical Lid: The sloped armor roof acts as a sturdy hinged lid that flips open smoothly to reveal a spacious, deep-set metal interior compartment. Condition: Very Good Antique Condition. Structure: Solid construction with no structural warping. The hinge is fully intact and moves smoothly. Cosmetics: Displays a beautiful, authentic aged patina across the copper surfaces. The interior shows light, natural wear consistent with age, proving its historic character. Item Type: Novelty Desk Box / Cigarette Holder / Keepsake Container. Theme: World War I (WWI) Military Tank / Trench Art Style. Estimated Era: Early-to-mid 20th Century.
Antique Carl Eickhorn Early Military Officer Sword Soligen.
This photo has some edge wear. It is a little wavy. (Please see photos for more details). Additional photos available upon request. Please specify details you would like to see more clearly. Most items not sent internationally.
A refined example of early 20th-century optical craftsmanship, these antique Galilean opera glasses were produced by Carl Zeiss Jena between 1924 and 1934, representing a period when German engineering set the global standard for precision optics. Compact and elegantly designed, these field glasses reflect the classic Galilean optical system-valued for its simplicity, clarity, and portability. Originally intended for theatergoing and light field use, they embody both function and sophistication from a bygone era. Crafted in Germany by the renowned Carl Zeiss Jena, this piece carries both historical and collector significance, offering a tangible connection to interwar European design and innovation. Antique Carl Zeiss Jena opera glasses. Made in Germany (Jena). Compact, lightweight field glasses. Optics: (update-clear / minor haze / spotting). Focus: (confirm smooth operation). Exterior shows age-appropriate wear. Case present with vintage patina. Early Zeiss production period (interwar era). Galilean system typical of theater/opera use. Strong crossover appeal: optics + decorative display. Increasingly sought after by collectors of scientific instruments. Theater or opera enthusiasts. Library or study décor. These opera glasses are more than a viewing instrument-they are a preserved piece of early 20th-century craftsmanship, reflecting a time when even the smallest objects were built with precision and purpose. Please review the photos carefully as they are part of the description. Price is reflective of condition, age, and market availability. Extra care will be taken to ensure safety during transit.
ANTIQUE ORDER OF THE STAR OF ROMANIA MEDAL MADE FROM ENAMEL & SILVER, in Excellent Condition.