Holster for Japanese type 14 Nambu pistol

This is a nearly mint condition example of a mid war Japanese leather holster for the Type 14 Nambu pistol. According to Japanese pistol researcher and author James Brown, there are 11 distinct variants of the Type 14 holster. The holsters were manufactured of top grain cowhide until about 1943,. Some of the major early variants were the Type IA, which was adopted in 1932, and introduced the spare striker pouch that would be found on all of the subsequent holster variants. Other major changes involved changing the shape and composition of the strap hangers on the back holster and the change from a solid leather closure strap to an elastic closure strap (introduced on the Type V holster). Of the 11 recognized variants, only three were made in rubberized canvas. The Type VIII utilized a canvas body with a leather clamshell closure flap. The Type IX was made entirely of rubberized canvas (except for the leather “hinge” that joined the holster body to the clamshell flap) and even the small spare striker pouch (forward of the ammunition pouch) was made of rubberized canvas material. The final variant, the Type X had a slightly narrower clamshell flap and the spare striker pouch was again made of leather, not canvas.