Antique Japanese Russo-Japanese War Yalu River Crossing Brass Sake Cup 1904 For Sale

This is a gold-colored metal commemorative sake cup made to remember the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905.

The reverse is engraved with:

“Commemorating the Russo-Japanese War of Meiji 37 and 38”

Meiji 37 and 38 correspond to 1904 and 1905, the two years in which the Russo-Japanese War was fought.

Inside the cup is a detailed raised scene showing Japanese soldiers crossing a rough river by boat. The men carry military equipment and advance beneath a Japanese military flag while facing enemy fire.

The English inscription at the bottom reads:

“CROSSING OF JAPANESE ARMY AT THE YALU IN FACE OF ENEMY. 1904.”

The scene represents the Battle of the Yalu River, one of the first major land battles of the Russo-Japanese War.

The Yalu River forms part of the border between the Korean Peninsula and northeastern China. In the spring of 1904, Japanese forces crossed the river, fought Russian troops, and continued their advance into Manchuria.

The Japanese victory at the Yalu was widely presented at the time as the first major land success of the war. The crossing appeared in newspapers, prints, postcards, and commemorative objects throughout Japan.

Unlike many simple victory cups decorated only with written inscriptions, this example presents the battle as a complete visual story. The soldiers, boat, waves, rocky shore, military flag, and distant combat are all shown in relief.

The original English caption is especially interesting. It allowed the historical scene to be understood even by people who could not read Japanese and may suggest that the cup was intended to communicate Japan’s wartime achievement to an international audience.

Judging from its color, weight, surface, and age-related oxidation, the cup appears to be made of brass or another copper alloy with a gold-colored finish. It is not solid gold.

The underside also carries a registered trademark and maker’s symbol, although the manufacturer has not been identified.

The cup shows age-related scratches, rubbing, darkening, oxidation, verdigris, staining, and loss to the gold-colored surface. These signs of wear reflect more than a century of age. Please examine the photographs carefully for the condition.

This is not simply an antique drinking vessel. It preserves the way the Battle of the Yalu and Japan’s early victory in the Russo-Japanese War were remembered and presented during the Meiji era.

Own a Piece of History.

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Delivery Time:

approximate 7-21days(To USA)

With Tracking Number & NO Insurance

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