Japan: A Diplomatic Sword in Imperial Mounts Meiji Period 19th century circa 1875 An very rare Japanese Imperial diplomat"s sword. The blade is ornately decorated with scrolling vines with chrysanthemums & with a paulownia near the hilt. There are small areas of surface corrosion. The handle & guard are gold gilt & highly decorated on the surface with chrysanthemum crests of Nashimoto no Miya Imperial House & paulownia crests. The hand guard terminating in a phoenix head. The scabbard is black-lacquer & mounted with gilt hardware carved with chrysanthemums & vines against a nanako fine ground. This type of sword was carried by higher ranking Chokunin officials appointed by the Emperor himself.