A rare and striking pre-war Japanese athletic belt buckle celebrating the sport of boxing (pugilism). The front face features a dramatic, high-relief stamped scene of two bare-chested boxers in stance and striking in the ring, set above stylized serif typography reading "BOXING" with an exaggerated initial "B". Finished in an antique bronze/brass patina with beaded rim detail and scrolled corner flourishes.
Western-style boxing gained significant popularity in Japanese universities and athletic clubs during the late Taisho and early Showa interwar era, making English-lettered equipment buckles from this timeframe highly collectible and hard to find.
The reverse features authentic uniform hardware with a hinged wire loop and stationary catch bar designed for an unpunched canvas or webbed dress belt.
DIMENSIONS:
Width: Approx. 2.64 inches (67 mm)
Height: Approx. 1.49 inches (38 mm)
Belt Clearance: Fits up to ~1.25" to 1.35" web belts