WW2 Japanese Naval Dirk With RARE ' Hara - Kiri ' Tag
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:816788 | Modified Item: No |
| Authenticity: Original | Country: Japan |
| Era: 1940s |
Excellent condition WW2 Japanese Naval dirk with RARE Hara-Kiri tag. Comes complete with original sheath.
Brought back from the war by Australian soldier. Originally it was thought that the tag was a 'Surrender' Tag, however, after further confirmation it was revealed that the tag is in fact of Religious significance.
The tag makes note of the Naval Officer's Name - 'Juro' and 'Yūrei' which to traditional Japanese beliefs is a form of spirit. And when a person die...s, the spirit leaves the body and enters a form of purgatory, where it waits for the proper burial and post-funeral rites to be performed so that it may join his ancestors.
Hara - Kiri is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai, but was also practiced by other Japanese people later on to restore honour for themselves or for their families. A samurai practice, seppuku was used either voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, which was quite common to occur during WW2.
Despite the dark history of this item, it's still an intriguing piece that is a must have for any serious collector!
Brought back from the war by Australian soldier. Originally it was thought that the tag was a 'Surrender' Tag, however, after further confirmation it was revealed that the tag is in fact of Religious significance.
The tag makes note of the Naval Officer's Name - 'Juro' and 'Yūrei' which to traditional Japanese beliefs is a form of spirit. And when a person die...s, the spirit leaves the body and enters a form of purgatory, where it waits for the proper burial and post-funeral rites to be performed so that it may join his ancestors.
Hara - Kiri is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai, but was also practiced by other Japanese people later on to restore honour for themselves or for their families. A samurai practice, seppuku was used either voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, which was quite common to occur during WW2.
Despite the dark history of this item, it's still an intriguing piece that is a must have for any serious collector!
