May 8-10, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2024
The Daireifuku was used from 1871 into the 1940s, and was inspired by the Japanese integrating Western aesthetic into their culture. The uniform consists of a bicorne in a hatbox, vest, trousers, and tail coat, executed in black wool, and lined in silk. Heavily decorated with ornate paulownia crests in mixed 7-7-7 and a 5-7-5 pattern called a gonanakiri mon, used to indicate that the uniform was for the highest ranked civilians. The sword is a smallsword with heavy gilding pierced on the half shell guard with a central paulownia crest. Blade is frosted with paulownia design and florals, and the quillion ends in a rooster head, evocative of the early court tachi used by the aristocracy. Accompanied by a red-white-and-blue striped tie. CONDITION: Good overall, with some fraying and peeling to edges, more noticeable on interior silk, with gilt wire detached or loose in some areas. Sword very good with some handling marks and rubs to scabbard, blade with the vast majority of the frosted decoration with some bubbling and oxidation. Bicorne very good with some minor feather loss and similar edge rubs as uniform; some staining and edge rubs to box, but complete. An important uniform that presents very well. PROVENANCE: Bonhams, 2017, attributed at that time to Tanaka Nobuyoshi.