A very rare find with incontestable provenance, a Japanese Imperial Army helmet with its original green cloth cover, measuring 9.5 x 11 x 7 in., scavenged from its owner's body from the blown-out Iwo Jima command bunker. The rear interior of the dome bears a white-painted Japanese character, and the helmet still houses a badly-torn liner, bearing a black manufacturer's stamp to the reverse side with some Japanese kanji embroidered to the leather in green thread. One hoop connecting the liner to the dome has been replaced, which does not detract. The original green cloth cover shows an added canvas strip stitched near the rim, bearing a bullion star stitched to the front. One small tear has been repaired in the field, and the left side of the helmet bears some embroidered Japanese characters, very likely the owner's name. Most shockingly, the top of the cover bears large blotches of brownish-red staining, and a Kastle-Meyer presumptive blood test indicated positive for the presence of hemoglobin, indicating a heavy amount of blood. This helmet was given to our consigner, a 50+ year collector, by USMC Corporal Douglas Leahy, the captor of this piece, who attested during the transfer: 'This Japanese combat helmet was liberated from the island of lwo Jima by Corporal Douglas Leahy, U.S.M.C., from a Japanese major who had no further use for it. Helmet was found with its former owner inside the command bunker after it was neutralized by demolitions.' Sold with our consigner's letter of provenance.