Pre War Japanese Tin and Wood Toy Harmonica- Flag (British) and Flower Design

These Pre-War Japanese novelty toy harmonicas are wood with a decorative tin face. This one is tiny at 3.25 inches (8 cm) long, .75 inches (1.8 cm) wide and .25 inchs deep. The litho on the tin plate shows flags and flowers with a gold tone background. The main flags seen are British and one that I don't recognize (where is Sheldon when you need him?). A small piece of an American flag is also there.

I collected these pre-war Japanese tin and wood toy harmonicas for the colorful and interesting litho. They certainly don't usually work as musical instruments. Sometimes you can get a squeak out of them but of the eleven that I have, only six produce any sound. This one is one of the working ones. Despite the small size you can actually get some notes out of it.

Condition is good. The litho colors are strong but there are spots of age discoloration on the tin surface. Although this toy harmonica is not marked, it is definitely Japanese.