Japanese katana. The hilt consists of a grip of two pieces of wood joined longitudinally, covered with white ray-skin by a flat black cotton tape. This is secured to the tang by a short bamboo rod 15mm from the ferrule at the top of the grip. This ferrule is made of bronze copper and has a copper top; decorated with a large embossed wave with a gilt dragon issuing from it. The hilt ornaments (menuki) are in the form of leaves and blossoms of hollyhock and are partly gilt. The pommel (kashira) is of bronze copper (much of the copper showing through) and is decorated on the chape with an embossed and gilt scene of two Chinese sages, one holding a bowl and the other crouching at his feet with hands clapped to his ears. Above them are swirling threads which presumably indicate high winds or a storm. The kashira is pierced each side by a brass collar with knurled edges through which passes the tape binding.

The blade is a slightly curved, single-edge with a ridge running near the gable-sectioned back edge to the medium curved-edge point. The tang is much eaten by rust, is signed on the reverse and has two rivet holes. A copper collar is fitted over the shoulder doubly scratched in lozenge form. The blade has been badly treated. There are no inscriptions on the obverse and the temper line is obscured by scubbing. The reverse is as obverse but the tang bears Japanese characters for Sagami Province. The scabbard is twin pieces of wood, joined longitudinally, secured at the throat by white twine binding, the whole covered with light brown leather, laced at the back of the throat with faded red cord, small leather chape fitted, the whole sewn down the back edge.

This sword was surrendered at Singapore in 1945, presumably, from its mounts, by an army officer. It was given to the boys of HMS Ganges by Captain Eric W. Bush, DSO, DSC, RN, on Victory Day, 1946. Mr B.W. Robison of the Victoria and Albert Museum identified the sword as originating in Sagami Province and gave it its provisional date. He stated that the hollyhock decoration meant that probably an ancestor of the owner was a servant to the Tokugawa Shogunate, one of whose badges that flower was.