£600 - £800
A JAPANESE SHOWA-ERA SHIN GUNTO SWORD, WITH BRITISH ATTRIBUTION
The machine-made blade mounted with brass habaki and seppa, the gilt bronze tsuba with floral castings below ray skin-covered tsuka adorned with cast metal menuki, wrapped with traditional ito cloth and capped with plain bronze kashira suspending Company/Warrant Officer's brown and blue tassel, the whole housed in a brown leather-covered wooden scabbard.
Included with the lot is a selection of items pertaining to the military career of 14875306 Sergeant Ian Foster de Banzie of the General Service Corps and later Intelligence Corps, the sword's owner. The record comprises a large quantity of photographs (many annotated) taken while posted in Malaya in the years immediately post-WW2, Intelligence Corps cloth shoulder titles and brown plastic cap badge; embroidered Malaya Command and 2nd Infantry Division cloth patches, silk maps showing on one side Sheet J: French Indo China (Central) and Siam (Thailand - East) and verso Sheet K: French Indo China (South) and Siam (Thailand - Part of), Living in the Jungle pamphlet, Army in India Identity Card, 2nd Division Malaya 1946-47 Note of Thanks, Confidential typewritten document titled Special Report on PENGERANG -- Kg. PUNGGAI,, various paper Malay maps, copies of The Straits Times reporting on raids organised by Sgt. de Banzie, a small Malay knife etc.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Room and Absentee Bids:
28.80% inc VAT*
Online and Autobids:
31.8% inc VAT*
