Guntō with Hamon and Brown Lacquered Sheath, by Spencer Mauch

Modern military swords (guntō) such as this one in the Illinois State Museum, were designed by the Japanese imperial government to enable twentieth-century Japanese soldiers to inherit and embody the legacy of the warriors of their nation’s past. They were symbols of authority and represented an extension of the soldier's military self.  This guntō is about 32 inches long from tip to hilt. The blade is about 21 inches long and connects to the hilt via a gold-colored metal piece which is only about an inch long. There is a piece of metal which protrudes in a circular fashion around the base of this gold piece just before the hilt. This piece acts as a hand guard. Found on one side of the sword, but not the other, is a small pointed, but dull, metal piece which goes through the base of the hand guard. Located just below the hand guard found at the very top of the hilt is a button which is used to release the blade from the sheath. The hilt is covered in a brown weaving pattern of made of shark skin which is designed to provide a better grip. The shark skin has noticeable coloration differences from where the user likely held it over an extended period of time. Beneath the shark skin is a white colored base constructed likely made of ivory. The sheath is about 26 inches long and is mainly covered in a brown lacquer. Little metal flowers can be found throughout this sword’s design, such as on the hilt under the grip and on the sheath. The guntō was used for grappling, close combat, and removing heads of slain opponents as a ceremonial victory.  1954.702.646w