WWI Era Japanese Imperial Army Cap

This inkwell was made to resemble a Japanese Imperial Army service cap from the World War I era.

The inkwell is constructed from pot metal and finished in a matte olive-drab green.  The form accurately mimics a military peaked cap, featuring a round, flat crown, a distinct band around the base of the crown, and a projecting visor or peak at the front. At the front center of the cap’s band, a small, circular, sculpted element serves as the cap insignia, detailed with radiating lines that suggest a stylized floral or star-like emblem, consistent with the Imperial Japanese Army’s emblems. The top of the hat serves as a hinged lid. When opened, it reveals a glass inkwell insert.

The distinctive shape of the cap, particularly its slightly flattened top, prominent band, and relatively short, stiff brim, strongly aligns with the Type 38 service cap (M38) worn by non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of the Imperial Japanese Army during the late Meiji and Taishō periods, which spans the World War I era (1914-1918).