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Combat Helmets
Combat helmets were a favorite design motif. Most of them were non-specific;
that is, they were meant not as an accurate depiction of a certain helmet but
rather as a general symbol of the military.
Most helmets you will see are Army steel helmets with the Army star in the front.
Less often a Navy helmet will appear and these have either an anchor or a cherry
blossom in place of a star.
In Japanese Military Sake Cups Fuller identifies the four types of helmets, and
since he obviously knows more about them than I do, I'll quote from his book:
'There seems to have been four patterns of steel helmet:
c 1917 pat.- Conical with a narrow visor in the front
c 1928 pat. - Bowl with a pronounced brim somewhat similar to the British pattern
but not as flat
c 1931 pat. - Domed with a sloping brim of equal width all around
c 1938 pat. -Slightly more conical than the c 1931 pattern and a less pronounced
but more sloping brim.
The last two patterns are hard to separate on cups but at least establish a post
1931 date.' (page 32)
The colors of the helmets vary, too. I have seen gold, brown, silver, and green
helmets on cups. I suspect that these were stylistic variations.
that is, they were meant not as an accurate depiction of a certain helmet but
rather as a general symbol of the military.
Most helmets you will see are Army steel helmets with the Army star in the front.
Less often a Navy helmet will appear and these have either an anchor or a cherry
blossom in place of a star.
In Japanese Military Sake Cups Fuller identifies the four types of helmets, and
since he obviously knows more about them than I do, I'll quote from his book:
'There seems to have been four patterns of steel helmet:
c 1917 pat.- Conical with a narrow visor in the front
c 1928 pat. - Bowl with a pronounced brim somewhat similar to the British pattern
but not as flat
c 1931 pat. - Domed with a sloping brim of equal width all around
c 1938 pat. -Slightly more conical than the c 1931 pattern and a less pronounced
but more sloping brim.
The last two patterns are hard to separate on cups but at least establish a post
1931 date.' (page 32)
The colors of the helmets vary, too. I have seen gold, brown, silver, and green
helmets on cups. I suspect that these were stylistic variations.
| Inscribed 'China Incident, Victorious Return Commemorative'. |
| Inscribed 'China Incident Commemorative'. |
| Inscribed 'Incident Commemorative'. I guess they forgot to stamp in which incident this refers to. |
| Inscribed 'Victorious Return Commemorative, The Glory of the Country'. |
| The inscription reads, 'Manchurian Incident, Victorious Return Commemorative'. |
| Inscribed '16th Infantry, Discharge Commemorative'. No star on this helmet. |
| The helmet here is colored green, though I am not sure if that means anything. Inscribed 'Short Service, Discharge Commemorative'. |
| Rare pewter cup with polished helmets, each with a painted gold star. Embossed kanji on the reverse read 'Victorious Return Commemorative, Showa 7 [1932] March'. |
| No star. |
| Green star. |
| Uncommon silver-colored helmet. |
Embossed and painted cherry
blossoms and combat helmet.
This helmet has a blossom
where the Army star should be.
blossoms and combat helmet.
This helmet has a blossom
where the Army star should be.
| Rare Pacific War era bottle. Inscribed 'Great East Asia War.' The kanji on the helmet means 'Loyalty.' |