This is a very rare set of antique Japanese military sake cups, decorated in the center with an anchor and the word "Award" in the center. The words on the back are "Showa 4th Year (1929) First Fleet Swimming Competition Victor". The mark in the middle of the back is "Satsuma Hoshiyama-do", the name of the maker.

This is I think the first swimming competition cup I've encountered, and being both dated to a particular year and to a specific fleet - the 1st,which also served as the headquarters of the Combined Fleet. If you win the swimming competition for this, you were a pretty good swimmer!

The ships in the 1st fleet in 1929 included the following:

Battleships: Yamashiro, Mutsu, Hyuga

Carriers: Akagi, Hosho

Cruisers: Natori, Yura, Nagara

Also 19 destroyers and six submarines attached, with Jingei the submarine tender.

Condition: Excellent - small blemishes on the surface. As pewter is a fairly soft metal the cups are no longer perfectly round

Size: 3", 3.5", 4"