Ιαπωνία - Εξαιρετικό Αρχειακό Αποθετήριο — 41 Ιαπωνικά Αντίκες Ταχυδρομικά Αντικείμενα, συμπεριλαμβανομένου - Καρτ-ποστάλ (41) - 1900-1945

--- Διαβάστε το πριν αγοράσετε ---

Τρόπος αποστολής: Ο λογαριασμός θα συσκευαστεί προσεκτικά και θα σταλεί από DHL ή FedEx ή EMS ανάλογα με την περίπτωση. Παραλαμβάνεται συνήθως σε περίπου 3 εβδομάδες. Οι δασμοί εισαγωγής, οι φόροι και οι επιβαρύνσεις δεν περιλαμβάνονται στην τιμή του αντικειμένου ή στα έξοδα αποστολής. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.

---

Important Notice Regarding Customs & Import Taxes (Effective July 1, 2026)
From July 1, 2026, all parcels shipped from outside the EU to EU countries valued at €150 or under are subject to new customs regulations.
What this means for you:
A flat customs duty of €3 per item will be applied
VAT will be calculated on the total of (item price + €3 duty)
Your carrier may charge an additional handling fee (approx. €15)

Example: For an item valued at €120:
Customs duty: €3 / VAT (21%): €25.83 / Handling fee: ~€15
Estimated additional cost: approx. €43

These charges are the responsibility of the buyer and are collected upon delivery.
Please factor this into your bid before purchasing.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me before bidding. Thank you for your understanding.

---

## Item Description

A rare and diverse collection of 41 original Japanese postal items spanning the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods (approx. 1895–1940) — an extraordinary mixed archive representing over four decades of Japanese history through its postal culture. This is not a uniform collection but a carefully curated group of distinct and individually significant pieces, making it an exceptional find for collectors of Japanese ephemera, militaria, postal history, and social documents.

The collection includes the following categories of items:

Military postcards (Gunji Yubin):
Multiple postcards bearing the official "Gunji Yubin" (military mail) red stamp, used by Imperial Japanese Army soldiers to communicate with their families. Several carry censorship seals (kenetsu-in) indicating wartime correspondence, including one card bearing the stamp of the Central China Expeditionary Force (Chushina Hakengun). These military mail items are among the most historically significant pieces in the collection.

Photographic postcards of military subjects:
A striking group of large-format real-photo postcards depicting Imperial Japanese Army officers on horseback, military inspections, and troop formations. Several bear a special commemorative red pictorial cancellation featuring Osaka Castle — likely issued for a military event or manoeuvre. The 1.5-sen Taisho-era blue imperial stamps are clearly legible.

Russo-Japanese War illustrated postcard:
A colour-illustrated postcard depicting a cavalry charge captioned "The Capture of Hill — Lion Aching" (a Russo-Japanese War battle scene), with dense handwritten correspondence covering the image. This is a rare surviving piece of Meiji-era war propaganda ephemera.

International postcards:
Two exceptional internationally-mailed postcards sent to Japan from abroad:
- A card postmarked San Francisco, CA, USA (Dec. 31, 7:30 PM), bearing a United States 2-cent Washington stamp, addressed to "Mr. T. Yano, Tokushima, Japan" — with Japanese brushwork inscription on the reverse.
- A card postmarked Italy (15–16 Jan. 1920, Ferrovia), bearing an Italian 10-centesimi stamp (Poste Italiane), addressed to "Mr. K. Nagase, Kyoto, Japan" — with "32. Roma — Galleria Capitolina — San Sebastiano (Guido Reni)" printed on the image side, indicating a fine art postcard from Rome's Capitoline Gallery.

Picture postcards (various themes):
A selection of decorative picture postcards including:
- A beautifully printed bijinga (portrait of a beauty) postcard depicting a geisha in kimono, captioned "かかやま美人郎" with artist seal
- A Western-style colour postcard with children and farm animals ("Best wishes to you")
- A European pastoral scene (ploughing with horses)
- A classical art reproduction postcard (appears to be a figure study)
- A shrine commemorative card with official stamp

Documents and correspondence:
- A Shimonoseki Savings Branch (Shimonoseki Chokin Shikyoku) postal savings passbook cover with military illustration and holder's details — a remarkable wartime savings document
- An insurance premium receipt booklet (Hokenryo Ryoshuchou) with decorative red printed cover
- Multiple handwritten letter envelopes with cancelled stamps, addressed to recipients in Kyoto, Tokushima, Kochi, and Ehime prefectures

Stamp varieties visible across the collection:
Taisho 1-sen and 1.5-sen blue imperial stamps; Showa 2-sen and 3-sen red stamps featuring Field Marshal Yamagata Aritomo; Taisho commemorative 1.5-sen green chrysanthemum stamp; US 2-cent Washington stamp; Italian 10-centesimi stamp.

This collection offers an unparalleled cross-section of Japanese postal history — from the Russo-Japanese War through the Pacific War era — combining military documents, international correspondence, fine art postcards, and everyday family letters into a single cohesive archive. Each piece is an original artefact with genuine postmarks, stamps, and handwritten content.

---

## Size

Each item: standard postcard format approx. 9 cm x 14 cm; some items slightly larger (large-format photo postcards approx. 9 x 14 cm to 10 x 15 cm); documents variable

---

## Weight

Total weight (all 41 items): 206 g
Total shipping weight (incl. packaging): approx. 500 g

---

## Condition

Items show age-appropriate patina consistent with 80–130 years of storage. Yellowing, light foxing, and surface soiling are present on most pieces. Several items show edge wear or small tears. The military mail censorship seals, postage stamps, postmarks, and handwritten text remain clearly legible throughout. The photo postcards retain strong photographic contrast. No deliberate damage observed. Condition is good to very good for material of this age.

---

## Artist Profile

Unknown — Multiple Authors and Publishers (Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods, approx. 1895–1940)
This collection represents the work of numerous publishers, photographers, and individual correspondents from across Japan and overseas. Identifiable publishers include Richard Behrendt (San Francisco), and the bijinga postcard bears an artist seal reading "かかやま" (Kakayama).

---

## Catawiki Submission Fields

Title of Artwork: Rare Mixed Archive — 41 Japanese Postal Items, Meiji to Showa, Military Mail, International Cards & More
Artist: Unknown — Multiple Authors, Meiji / Taisho / Early Showa periods (approx. 1895–1940)
Year / Period: Meiji to early Showa, approx. 1895–1940
Country of origin: Japan (with international items from USA and Italy)
Material: Cardstock, photographic paper, washi, ink, postage stamps
Technique: Photography, lithographic printing, handwritten brushwork and ink pen
Style: Japanese postal history / militaria / ephemera / social documents
Dimensions: Mostly approx. 9 x 14 cm per item; some items larger; total collection approx. 20 x 15 x 3 cm
Weight: 206 g (all items); approx. 500 g incl. packaging
Condition: Good antique condition — age-appropriate yellowing and foxing, all stamps and text legible

---

## My message

Thank you so much for taking a look at my items. I run a recycle shop in Japan and joined Catawiki because I want to share wonderful items filled with Japanese craftsmanship and history with the world. If you have any questions about the item, please feel free to message me at any time. With gratitude to everyone — ARIGATO.

--- Please read before purchasing ---

Shipping method: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.