Antique Arms & Militaria

A Hugely Impressive & Beautiful, Gothic, Medieval Form Pole Or Tiller Gun, Light Cannon Size Yet Hand Portable.

1.25 inch bore iron 'cannon form' barrel, with a carved hardwood tiller, probably later, bearing a beautifully carved Tudor rose. Probably a 17th century gun, and during it's later working life it has been stored in the 18th to 19th century in the armoury of the Maharajah of Jaipur and bears the Maharajah’s armoury storage marks stamped thereon.

This type of gun is typical of many surviving from the period 1420 to around 1480. It’s a most sturdy and massive forged iron barrel made by a armoury blacksmith, mounted with a wooden pole or tiller. Some version might have had a hook on the bottom of the barrel as does this, which could be used to hook the barrel over the top of a wall or shield, or as a close-quarters weapon.

The the late medieval term used was arquebus or harkbuss meaning a hand fired gun..

This gun can be fired by a single person if it is hooked over a wall, or more easily by two people, a gunner and a calinator due to it’s weight. The earlier weapons all rely on putting a lighted match into the touch-hole by hand. The matchlock gun represented a real advance. It held the lighted match on a pivoted trigger lever (known as a serpentine). This allowed the gunner to look at his target where aiming.

This style of gun was the highest technology of the medieval era, not widespread until after 1450, and continuing until perhaps 1550, when it grew in length and became the familiar musket of the English civil wars in the 1700’s.

Barrel 31.5 inches long, barrel muzzle 2.5 inches across, tiller 18 inches, and overall 50 inches. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables, barrel bore bears old tamper obstruction.  read more

Code: 20331

A Superb 16th Century Italian Glaive Polearm, Used in the 1500's

Also known as a fauchard. 34.5 inch head. glaive is a European polearm weapon, consisting of a single-edged blade on the end of a pole. It is similar to the Japanese naginata, the Chinese guandao, Russian sovnya and Siberian palma

Typically, the blade was from around 45 cm (18 inches) long, on the end of a pole 2 m (6 or 7 feet) long, and the blade was affixed in a socket-shaft configuration similar to an axe head, rather than having a tang like a sword or naginata. Occasionally glaive blades were created with a small hook on the reverse side [such as this one] to better catch riders on horseback. Such blades are called glaive-guisarmes.

According to the 1599 treatise Paradoxes of Defence by the English gentleman George Silver, the glaive is used in the same general manner as the quarterstaff, half pike, bill, halberd, voulge, or partisan. Silver rates this class of polearms above all other individual hand-to-hand combat weapons.
The Maciejowski Bible (Morgan Bible) depicts an example of a two-handed glaive used on horseback. Two images in our gallery are taken from the Morgan Bible (Folio 10 Verso - top). Notice the Warbrand in the forefront slicing into a mounted soldier with his glaive. Another early engraving of a knight with a glaive, and a group of men behing the king all with forms of glaive.
The contemporary term for this weapon may have been faussart, which was used for a variety of single-edged weapons seen as related to the scythe (along with terms such as falchion or falcata derived from falx, the Latin term for "scythe"). 96.75 inches long overall [haft is so long it would need to be expertly but only temporarily halved by our workshop for shipping] This superb glaive was formerly part of the Higgin's Collection and exhibited in the wonderful Higgins Museum Collection in Massachusetts for many decades, and it still bears, for its provenence, its original Higgins Armoury museum collection label.  read more

Code: 22579

A Fabulous Piece Of Napoleonic Wars Maritime History. Hand Written Napoleonic Wars Royal Naval 'Secret Intelligence' Report 1809

A secret intelligence report regarding Capt Beresford's observations of the enemy ship numbers off L'Orient and the Rochefort ships. Hand written and triple folded on laid paper bearing the watermark of the Prince of Wales Feathers, a monogram, MJL, and dated 1806. Paper makers Molineux Johnston and Lee of Lewes Sussex, cut and gilt edges.
This is the very same laid paper, by MJL, that was used in personal correspondence by Percy Bysshe Shelley, whose family home was near Lewes, and is duly recorded in the Bodlean at Oxford. Naturally, for a Naval Intelligence secret report it is unsigned, but one must sumise it would have been composed by an naval intelligence agent, such as the fictional ship's surgeon, Stephen Maturin, a physician, and intelligence agent in the nautical and historical novels by Patrick O'brian.

The Battle of the Basque Roads, also Battle of Aix Roads was a naval battle during the Napoleonic Wars off the Island of Aix. On the night of 11 April 1809 Captain Lord Cochrane led a British fireship attack against a powerful French force anchored in the Basque Roads. In the attack all but two of the French ships were driven ashore. The subsequent engagement lasted three days but failed to destroy the entire French fleet. Capt Beresford was part of the British squdron on HMS Theseus.

Cochrane accused the British commanding officer, Admiral James Gambier, of being reluctant to press the attack. Gambier demanded a court-martial, and was duly exonerated; Cochrane's career in the Royal Navy ended. The French Navy continued to operate against the British from the Basque Roads until the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Written side only 7 x 4.5 inches, opens to 9 x 4.5, fully folded 3 x 4.5 inches.

This fine original historical piece of Royal naval history would look absolutely superb suitably mounted and bespoke framed.  read more

Code: 20235

An Exceptional And Rare, Late-Renaissance, Tudor Period 1500's to Early 1600's, Nuremberg, Iron, Strongbox or Ship's Treasure Chest, With its Naive Painted Panels. Used Aboard Galleons To Store The Ship's Bullion or Treasure

This fabulous example treasure chest bears a painted English Tudor Rose of Queen Elizabeth Ist on the front, which may indicate it was used by the privateers to relieved the Spanish of their looted gold from the Mayans and Incas.

One of two beautiful examples we just acquired.
A similar example, also decorated with very similar flowers, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection.
Also known as in some quarters as a Pirate's Treasure Chest, for when the pirates of the King James and Queen Anne period captured ships, their victim's ship's gold and treasure were in chests exactly such as this, and then, they were transferred by block and tackle to the pirate's ship. {see an antique print of Captain Avery loading treasure into his ship's hold in the gallery}. It could have been exactly such chests, containing their stolen booty, including jewels, treasure, gold doubloons etc., as was often buried by the pirates in the deserted Caribbean Islands, such as was beautifully described in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, and as was also well known through frequent tales of pirate lore.

Although made primarily in southern Germany during the 16th and 17th century, especially the Nuremburg region, these boxes were later identified in the Georgian period to be Spanish treasure chests, and were henceforth called Armada chests from the 19th century onwards. Some were indeed for the use of ship's captains at sea, and would have been bolted to the deck of the owner's or captain’s cabin.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century money chests were wrought in sheet iron and reinforced with intersecting strips and fittings made of wrought iron. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a host of cities in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland were renowned for their craftsmanship, especially Augsburg and Nuremberg. The shops were usually old family businesses in which younger generations were trained by their elders. They became extremely skilled blacksmiths, along with equally skilled colleagues in specialities such as sheet metalworking, etching, hammered inlay, steel-plate engraving, painting and rustproofing.

By the dawn of the Renaissance they had already achieved a strong tradition of craftsmanship and a dominant position in Europe. Forging production in certain cities focused mainly on steel and iron armor, as well as equipment for entire armies of foot soldiers, cavalry, officers and horses. Blacksmiths produced all types of small arms for the era, along with accessories, swords, rapiers, lances, helmets, breastplates, and armour.

Armada chests and money boxes were in demand far beyond the borders of the German states and were used to hold taxes, tariffs, and soldiers’ wages, jewelry, coin and bullion of nobles as well as treasure taken by pirates.This chest is in great condition with beautiful and very rare naïve painted panels. Locked and without key.

Picture in the gallery of an 1837 woodcut from The Pirates Own Book by Charles Ellms depicting Henry Every receiving three chests of treasure on board his ship, the Fancy. Also original pictures of medieval iron chest and locksmiths, and examples of the gold bullion coin and treasure as would be contained in the chest, For information only.

As it is locked one might like to speculate, with faint hope, it might still contain its booty of emeralds, rubies, pearls and gold coin, but we must point out, it is somewhat unlikely. However, stretching the Schrödinger's cat formulation and paradox, to its extreme degree, whilst locked, it may at the same time be full of millions in treasure, yet also, be empty, and if one doesn’t attempt to try to open it, to see if it does, or indeed doesn’t contain treasure, one will never know for certain which it might be. Thus, Schrödinger's paradox or quantum superposition remains intact!  read more

Code: 25289

A Beautiful & Fine Quality Early Post Medieval to Early 17th Century Renaissance Wrought Iron Chest or Door Lock, German

From a Norman or Gothic carved wooden chest. Superbly crafted and engraved. We show in the gallery the types of chest to which it could have been fitted in order to make them secure. The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. The motifs were frequently drawn from Gothic architecture, reproducing on a miniature scale complicated tracery patterns and even tiny statuettes. A number of these tiny locks were compound, with some of the mechanisms concealed from view, and required two or even three keys used in sequence to open them. It has been suggested that the greatly expanded use of locks on doors, or coffrets and other types of storage chests was a result of the increasing urbanization of life and the new emphasis on material wealth and private ownership which developed in the late Middle Ages. From the 15th century on, locksmiths gained a privileged status in society. They had advanced technical skills and were master craftsmen in decoration techniques. Their main clients were town burghers, the clergy, nobility who built castles and other large residences, and the Royal Family. Ever since the Viking era (the 9th to the 11th centuries), chests and small boxes have been important personal storage places in all levels of Swedish society – from the common people to the royal families. Locks made storage more secure. The Oseberg ship was discovered and excavated in the early 1900s in Vestfold, Norway. The ship was built in the first half of the 9th century. Many items were found on board – including storage chests. Chests were generally used by the crews of the Viking ships, who sat on them to row, as well as storing things in them.

In 1936, a Viking wooden tool chest was discovered during the plowing of a field at Mästermyr on Gotland. Over two hundred iron objects were found inside and around the chest, which is 90 cm long and 24 cm high. Of particular interest in the present context is the fact that these objects included blacksmith tools as well as two large keys, lock parts, other lock hardware and three small padlocks.

King Louis XVI of France proved to be a man of very few interests and pleasures in the midst of the whirlwind of entertainment that was Versailles. One was the hunt and the other was his amateur blacksmithing.

A small forge was installed above his private library to indulge the King in his pursuit of this particular hobby. Here there were two anvils and every tool that could possibly be needed was available. As it happened, locks were of a particular interest to Louis. The room was filled with all kinds of locks: common locks, hidden locks and elaborately gilded locks. The château's blacksmith by the name of Gamin was employed to teach the King all he knew - probably in all secrecy . When he was not with the King he was in charge of all the locks at Versailles. From him we know that Louis was eager to conceal this hobby from his courtiers and his Queen which resulted in the two coming up with countless stratagems for removing and bringing in the anvils. Sadly, Gamin would eventually betray Louis during the revolution.

The court was not very approving of their King's hobby. It was thought to be a profession for the lower classes - not a a hobby for a King. Even Marie Antoinette had the occasional complain about this hobby but for a far more practical reason: the work left the King's hands blackened and he would often visit her without washing them first much to the damage of her furniture.
Louis XVI seemed to have paid them little mind. Instead, he agreed with Rousseau that every man should know a manual craft. Meanwhile, the pamphleteers had a field day making the King's interest in keys and locks a fitting symbol of his ... marital problems. This would look stunning mounted or framed. Size 22.5 x 20 cm some photos appear to show its colour as greenish, this is a photographic lighting optical illusion it is in fact blackened with age  read more

Code: 23389

An Incredibly Rare French Naval, Sabre D'Officier De Marine Model Prairelle An XII 1804. Officer's Sword, Most Likely Surrendered or Captured At Trafalgar in 1805. Possibly Even From the Redoutable or Bucentaure

Overall in very good condition for age, very tight and sound with no looseness, yet with commensurate wear for its age, considering its use as a hand to hand combat sword in the service of their emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

It has a very finely engraved blade with feint traces of blue and gilt, and usual age and surface wear overall.
Almost all of the senior French naval officers at Trafalgar could have carried a sword just as this, and this sword may even have been likely surrendered at Trafalgar itself. Its official title is; Sabre d'officier du Marine, modele de Prairal an XII of 1804. Scabbard throat mount beautifully decorated with a Mermaid, with two tails and modest skirt, as was the identifying feature on a naval officer's sabre of the prairial model. The reverse side of the scabbard has a design of a pattern of the constellation of the stars.

It was by formal decree, dated the 7th of Prairial of the year XII May 28, 1804, that the French First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte approved the creation of the model of this stunning sabre. This is such a rare sword they are almost impossible to find, even in museums.

This French naval officer's combat sword is a stunningly beautiful sabre, and so very rare, as so many warships of the French Napoleonic navy, and their officer's and crew, were captured or destroyed so precious few survive. The British equivalent is the rare 1805 pattern Royal Naval officer's sword, which Nelson also took to at Trafalgar, but the French surviving equivalent, this sword, is at least 100 times the rarer sword. The last known example, of a surrendered French ship's captain's sword, we sold here over 5 years ago.

Sabre naval officer model of the 1st Prairial Year XII, guard a brass branch chiselled and gilded, bow body adorned with an anchor resting on two flags, half round langets chiselled with a radiant head, fluted ebony grip with carved grooves; flat-backed blade, one hollow pan and lateral throat, traces of blue and gilded in the third; leather scabbard with seam, two gilded brass fittings, the throat is provided with two long side hooks for the wearing of the sword with a belt or the harness, it is decorated with a mermaid with two tails, finely engraved with reeds; dart shaped shell;

Prairial was the ninth month in the French Republican Calendar. This month was named after the French word prairie, which means meadow. It was the name given to several ships.
Prairial was the third month of the spring quarter.
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815).

Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard HMS Victory defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under French Admiral Villeneuve. The battle took place in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, near the town of Los Caños de Meca. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships and the British lost none.

The victory confirmed the naval supremacy Britain had established during the course of the eighteenth century and it was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from the prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy of the day. Conventional practice at the time was for opposing fleets to engage each other in single parallel lines, in order to facilitate signalling and disengagement, and to maximise fields of fire and target areas. Nelson instead arranged his ships into two columns to sail perpendicularly into the enemy fleet's line.


During the battle,Victory locked masts with the French Redoutable, whose crew, including a strong infantry corps (with three captains and four lieutenants), gathered for an attempt to board and seize Victory. A musket bullet fired from the mizzentop of Redoutable struck Nelson in the left shoulder, passed through his spine at the sixth and seventh thoracic vertebrae, and lodged two inches below his right scapula in the muscles of his back. Nelson exclaimed, "They finally succeeded, I am dead." He was carried below decks.

Victory's gunners were called on deck to fight boarders, and she ceased firing. The gunners were forced back below decks by French grenades. As the French were preparing to board Victory, Temeraire, the second ship in the British windward column, approached from the starboard bow of Redoutable and fired on the exposed French crew with a carronade, causing many casualties.

At 13:55, the French Captain Lucas of Redoutable, with 99 fit men out of 643 and severely wounded himself, surrendered. The French Bucentaure was isolated by Victory and Temeraire, and then engaged by HMS Neptune, HMS Leviathan, and Conqueror; similarly, Santísima Trinidad was isolated and overwhelmed, surrendering after three hours.
Nelson was shot by a French musketeer As Nelson lay dying, he ordered the fleet to anchor, as a storm was predicted. However, when the storm blew up, many of the severely damaged ships sank or ran aground on the shoals. A few of them were recaptured, some by the French and Spanish prisoners overcoming the small prize crews, others by ships sallying from Cádiz. Surgeon William Beatty heard Nelson murmur, "Thank God I have done my duty"; when he returned, Nelson's voice had faded, and his pulse was very weak. He looked up as Beatty took his pulse, then closed his eyes. Nelson's chaplain, Alexander Scott, who remained by Nelson as he died, recorded his last words as "God and my country." It has been suggested by Nelson historian Craig Cabell that Nelson was actually reciting his own prayer as he fell into his death coma, as the words 'God' and 'my country' are closely linked therein. Nelson died at half-past four, three hours after being hit, before the battle ended. Villeneuve was captured, along with his ship Bucentaure. He later attended Nelson's funeral while a captive on parole in Britain. Admiral Federico Gravina, the senior Spanish flag officer, escaped with the remnant of the fleet. He died five months later from wounds sustained during the battle. The battle resulted in 10 French ships captured,
one ship destroyed,
3,373 dead,
1,155 wounded,
over 4,000 men captured
Spain:
11 ships captured,
1,022 dead,
1,386 wounded,
3 to 4,000 captured
Total: about 15,000

It would be wonderful to know for certain that this sword was surrendered by such as a senior officer of the Redoutable or Bucentaure , and although it is certainly possible it may have been, in fact we can't say it wasn't, but in reality it is a speculation that may never be satisfied.

The sword is 36.5 inches long overall in its scabbard. The carved ebony grip has one slight split on one side, but still as tight as a drum, the leather scabbard has had a contemporary field service leather repair near the chape.  read more

Code: 25277

Was This Once The 2500 Year Old Sword of an Ancient Chinese King of Yueh One Of the Nine Kings of Yueh . It Is So Similar To The Sword of Goujian, King of Yueh, As to Be Remarkable

This fabulous treasure is so similar to another, that is now determined to have been made for one of the nine Kings of Yue, Goujian, discovered in a waterlogged tomb in the 1960's. Ours is likely a combat fighting sword {as opposed for ceremonial dress, due to it's width of the blade at the ricasso}.

Now known as 'The Sword of Goujian'. The sword in the museum in China, has superbly chiselled or cast patterning at the forte of the blade that still contains some blue crystals and tortoise. Our sword has near identical stunning patterning {made by chiselling or casting} but our sword also has chiselling on the two grip rings and the pommel, that undoubtedly once contained the same crystals and turquoise inlays, but are no longer present.

With help from Wu's enemy Chu, Yue won after several decades of conflict. The famous Yue King Goujian destroyed and annexed Wu in 473 BC. During the reign of Wuqiang (無彊), six generations after Goujian, Yue was partitioned by Chu and Qi in 306 BC.
During its existence, Yue was famous for the quality of its metalworking, particularly its swords. Examples include the extremely well-preserved Swords of Goujian and Zhougou.

The King's Sword of Goujian still has, remarkably, all its original pure gold decor to the blade, ours has some remaining as well, but much less so.

The king's sword is also still amazingly sharp, just as is ours. The exquisitely forged blade was made primarily of copper, but the edges likely have a higher tin content, making them harder and able to keep a sharper edge.

The Sword of Goujian still has its bird-worm script in gold engraved upon the blade face, and that script has been translated and thus after extensive research, has determined its ownership by the king, Goujian, ours may have indeed had such script, some of which is visible, possibly naming another such king, but no longer.

The Goujian King's sword, currently in Hubei Museum, has a total length of 22 inches, with a 3.3-inch hilt. The exquisitely forged blade was made primarily of copper, but the edges have a higher tin content, making them harder and able to keep a sharper edge. Both sides of the blade are decorated with a repeating rhombi pattern, their dark lines standing out from the sword’s overall golden hue. The guard, meanwhile, is inlaid with blue crystals and turquoise.

On one side of the blade are eight characters engraved in what is known as bird-worm seal script. Six of these ancient characters have been deciphered. The script reads: “King of Yue” and “made this sword for his personal use.” The other two characters could not be identified, but analysts believe that they state the name of the aforementioned King of Yueh.

These intriguing details provoked much debate as to the owner of the sword. Nine kings had ruled Yue during the period attributed to the sword, making identifying one as the true owner no easy task. But after studying both the sword and the tomb for many months, archaeologists, historians and Chinese linguists came to a consensus: The sword belonged to Goujian, who ruled the Kingdom of Yueh from 496 to 465 BC.

The earliest swords in China date back to the Bronze Age, around 1600 BC. This was a critical period in the development of ancient Chinese civilization. It was during this time that metalworking techniques were first developed and applied to the creation of weapons, swords included.

The earliest known examples of hand-forged bronze swords date back to the Shang Dynasty, and they were primarily used for ceremonial and symbolic purposes, rarely seeing real combat. The very first variations were quite simple, featuring a straight blade, some of which were single-edged and others were double-edged, as well as no guard or handle.

It wasn’t until the rise of the Zhou Dynasty that swords started becoming a lot more intricate. The blades of these swords were typically quite heavy and were often decorated with intricate patterns and designs to symbolize the prestige of the owner. Swordsmiths also began implementing a guard to their designs, as a means of protection for the wielder’s hand.

Goujian (句踐) (reigned 496–465 BC) was the king of the Kingdom of Yue (越國, present-day northern Zhejiang) near the end of the Spring and Autumn period (春秋). He was the son of Marquis Yunchang.

Goujian's reign coincided with arguably the last major conflict of the Spring and Autumn period, the struggle between Wu and Yue, wherein he eventually led his state to victory, annexing the rival. As such, King Goujian is sometimes considered the last of the Five Hegemons.

The war between Wu and Yue comprised several separate phases. It began when a Yue princess, who was married to one of the princes of the neighboring state of Wu, left her husband and fled back to the State of Yue. This became the spark for the war to come. Also, as Yunchang developed Yue's strength, he came into conflict with King Helü of Wu, causing a feud between the two states.

Upon the death of Yunchang and the accession of Goujian, Helü seized the opportunity and launched an attack on Yue. At the Battle of Zuili (槜李之战), however, Yue defeated Wu, and King Helü was mortally wounded. Before his death, he instructed his son, the later King Fuchai of Wu, "Never forget Yue!" Yue would be defeated three years later by a resurgent Wu, and Goujian captured, to serve as Fuchai's servant for three years before he was eventually allowed to return to his native state.

Upon resuming his rule, King Goujian quickly appointed skilled politicians as advisors, such as Wen Zhong and Fan Li, to help build up the kingdom. During this time, his ministers also worked to weaken the State of Wu internally through bribes and diplomatic intrigue.

Whilst ruling his kingdom, Goujian never relished kingly riches, but instead ate food suited for peasants, as well as forcing himself to taste bile, in order to remember his humiliations while serving under the State of Wu. The second half of a Chinese idiom, wòxīn-chángdǎn (臥薪嚐膽, "sleeping on sticks and tasting gall"), refers to Goujian's perseverance.

After ten years of economic and political reforms, the last phase of the war began, by which time the State of Yue had come a long way from its previous defeat; as described in the Shiji, Ten years of reforms; the state is rich, the warriors well-rewarded. The soldiers charge in the face of arrows like thirsty men heading for drink... (修之十年，國富，厚賂戰士，士赴矢石，如渴得飲).

Taking advantage of Fuchai's expedition to his north to defeat Qi, Goujian led his army and successfully attacked the Wu capital, killing the Wu crown prince, You. In the 24th year of his reign (473 BC), Goujian led another expedition against Wu, laying siege to the capital for three years before it fell. When a surrender from Fuchai was refused, Fuchai committed suicide and Wu was annexed by Yue. After his victory, Goujian ruthlessly killed Fuchai's scholars, even those who helped him (including Bo Pi), not allowing himself to make the same mistake Fuchai had made by sparing the lives of his enemies. However, Goujian would not stop there; he would later force Wen Zhong to commit suicide; Fan Li, knowing that Goujian was a man who can share woe but not wealth together, left Goujian after the defeat of Wu.

King Goujian's army is known for a common misconception: scaring its enemies before battle with a front line formed by criminals sentenced to death who committed suicide by decapitating themselves. However, in the passage, "越王句踐使死士挑戰，三行，至吳陳，呼而自剄。", the literal translation of "死士" is "soldiers (who are) willing to die", not "criminals sentenced to death". "自剄" means to "commit suicide by cutting one's throat," which was a common way to end one's own life in Ancient China

In the gallery, photograph 2 shows our sword in the middle, to its left is the sword of Gujian, and to its right, a sword in the Metropolitan Museum. all incredibly similar, but in different stages of preservation. Photo 3 in the gallery is our sword's hilt on the left, and the Sword of Goujian on its right. the similarity is amazing. Photo 4 in the gallery is a close up of our blade sections that shows the original surface of gold, with what appears to be what remains of archaic script characters, possibly, one could speculate, it was the name of the king for whom it made and thus belonged. Photo 8 shows our sword's hilt and another, very similar, now in a Paris museum, the Musee Guimet. The Paris sword hilt still has its turquoise and enamel inlay still present and in place.

From a large collection of antiquities, swords daggers that recently arrived, many pieces sold for the part benefit of the Westminster Abbey fund, and the Metropolitan Museum fund

This is from part two of a stunning collection of original archaic bronze age Zhou dynasty weaponry . Many are near identical to other similar examples held in the Metropolitan in New York, the British royal collection, and such as the Hunan Provincial Museum, Hunan, China.
From the Tony Dove F.S.A. Collection, formed circa 1970's, one of England’s most revered and respected collectors, especially early silver, & he was a past honorary President of London’s Silver Spoon Society, and learned joint contributor to many scientific appraisals on ancient Chinese swords

Sword total length 20 1/4 inches long, 4 inch hilt

Ref; SOME OBSERVATIONS ON EARLY CHINESE BRONZE SWORDS
By
Anthony Dove, and Alan Williams {The Wallace Collection} 65 publications  read more

Code: 24846

Rare, Napoleonic Wars Sabre of an Officer of The Grande Armee Carabiniers De Cheval Ist Empire, a Garde de Bataille

Traditional brass fully engraved shell guard pattern also for use by an officer of cuirassiers, but, with two very small holes within the shell, for the addition of a carabiniers grenade, but the grenade could be then removed {as was this one} if the officer transferred to the cuirassiers. Sword manufactured circa 1805

Double fuller blade and steel combat scabbard with two belted rings. Small wear hole at the base of the inner scabbard above the chape.

The 1st and 2nd Carabiniers-à-Cheval were created in 1788, as regiments of heavy cavalry. They participated with distinction to the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Their uniform was described by the Etat militaire de l'an X (1802): "National blue costume and scarlet lapels, blue collar, bearskin hat, yellow bandolier and belt, with white plait on the edges. Horse equipage: saddle à la française, blue cover with white plait on the edges, a grenade in the corners, the ornaments of the bridle stamped with a grenade." Before 1810, the Carabiniers-à-Cheval did not wear a cuirass.

The decree of 24 December 1809 altered the uniform of the carabiniers: to, a white costume, double steel cuirass (breastplate and backplate) covered with brass sheathing (copper for officers), helmet with a peak and which covered the back of the neck, with a golden-yellow copper crest decorated with a chenille made of scarlet bristle. Their armament for other ranks included a carbine, a sabre (straight-bladed before c. 1811, then "a la Montmorency" – with a very slight curve) and a pair of pistols.

All of Napoleon's Heavy Cavalry Regiments fought at Waterloo, there were no reserve regiments. Some of the battles this would have been used at were; 1805: Wertingen, Ulm, Hollabrunn, Raussnitz, and Austerlitz.
1806: Jena and the Capture of Lubeck.
1807: Hoff and Eylau.
1809: Eckmuhl, Ratisbonne, Essling, Wagram, Hollabrunn, and Znaim.
1812: Borodino and Moscow, Ostrowno, and Winkowo 1813: Reichenbach and Dresden, Leipzig and Hanau
1814: La Rothiere, Rosnay, Champaubert, Vauchamps, Athies, La Fere-Champenoise and Paris
1815: Quatre-Bras and Waterloo

This would have seen service in the Elite Carabiniers of Napoleon's great heavy cavalry regiments of the Grande Armee such as in 1807 at Friedland. And in the French invasion of Russia ( Campagne de Russie) that began on 24 June 1812 when Napoleon's Grande Armee crossed the Neman River in an attempt to engage and defeat the Russian army. Napoleon hoped to compel Tsar Alexander I of Russia to cease trading with British merchants through proxies in an effort to pressure the United Kingdom to sue for peace. The official political aim of the campaign was to liberate Poland from the threat of Russia. Napoleon named the campaign the Second Polish War to curry favour with the Poles and provide a political pretence for his actions. The Grande Armee was a very large force, numbering nearly half a million men from several different nations. Through a series of long marches Napoleon pushed the army rapidly through Western Russia in an attempt to bring the Russian army to battle, winning a number of minor engagements and a major battle at Smolensk in August. Napoleon hoped the battle would mean an end of the march into Russia, but the Russian army slipped away from the engagement and continued to retreat into Russia, while leaving Smolensk to burn. Plans Napoleon had made to quarter at Smolensk were abandoned, and he pressed his army on after the Russians. The battles continued, but once the winter set in Napoleon's army was facing insurmountable odds that left it effectively shattered beyond repair. Napoleon fled, it is said, dressed as a woman, and the army left to it's sad and miserable fate. Only around 27,000 were able to return after a mere six months of the Russian campaign. The campaign was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. The reputation of Napoleon was severely shaken, and French hegemony in Europe was dramatically weakened.
The Grande Armee, made up of French and allied invasion forces, was reduced to a fraction of its initial strength. These events triggered a major shift in European politics. France's ally Prussia, soon followed by Austria, broke their alliance with France and switched camps. This triggered the War of the Sixth Coalition. The Heavy Cavalry Regiments used the largest men in France, recruited to serve in the greatest and noblest cavalry France has ever had. They fought with distinction at their last great conflict at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and most of the swords in England very likely came from that field of conflict, after the battle, as trophies of war.
Every warrior that has ever entered service for his country sought trophies. The Mycenae from a fallen Trojan, the Roman from a fallen Gaul, the GI from a fallen Japanese, the tradition stretches back thousands of years, and will continue as long as man serves his country in battle. In the 1st century AD the Roman Poet Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis Juvenal
wrote; "Man thirsts more for glory than virtue. The armour of an enemy, his broken helmet, the flag ripped from a conquered trireme, are treasures valued beyond all human riches. It is to obtain these tokens of glory that Generals, be they Roman, Greek or barbarian, brave a thousand perils
and endure a thousand exertions". A truly magnificent Napoleonic sword in superb condition for it's age.
The brass basket guard on this sword is first class, the grip is totally original leather and a great colour  read more

Code: 25275

NOW SOLD! Napoleonic Wars French Sabre De Grenadier À Cheval De La Garde Imperiale of the Grande Armee 1811. The Elite Senior " Vieille Garde, {Old Guard}”, Heavy Cavalry Regiment

Superb Ist Empire French Napoleonic Imperial Guard sword. With hilt manufactured by Versailles, and stamped thereon, a single knucklebow with two branches and a grenade within a circle set between the two branches. Early type 1 straight blade {as can be seen on the early cuirassier and dragoons sword} engraved on the back strap. Painting in the gallery of a French Grenadier a Cheval de la Garde Imp. with his type 1 straight bladed sword .
Blade engraved Manufacture Imple De Klingenthal October 1811, and stamped at the forte AP for Atelier Precision/Paris, combined with stick and fasces. Scarce variant brass scabbard with two long ovoid window panels of leather, and a pair of hanging rings {un-banded}.

The Mounted Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard (French: Grenadiers à Cheval de La Garde Impériale) was a heavy cavalry regiment in the Consular, then Imperial Guard during the French Consulate and First French Empire respectively. They were the senior Old Guard cavalry regiment of the Imperial Guard and from 1806 were brigaded together with the Dragoons of the Imperial Guard.

A part of the Republican Consular Guard, the Grenadiers became the senior "Old Guard" heavy cavalry regiment when the Imperial Guard was founded, in 1804. Their maximum official complement was just over 1100 officers and troopers, commanded by a general of division or a seasoned general of brigade, with some of the most famous cavalrymen of the time as commander.

Rarely committed to battle during the Napoleonic Wars, they were usually kept in reserve, alongside the Emperor, during the most significant battles. When sent into action, such as during the battles of Marengo, Austerlitz, Eylau, Hanau or Waterloo, as well as during a number of actions of 1814, results were usually impressive. The regiment was disbanded in 1815, after Napoleon's downfall and the second restoration of the Bourbons.

In 1812 the battles this sword would have likely seen service, but mostly as Napoleon's personal protection reserve, would be around 30 in number including
Borodino, Moscow,
Ostrowno,
and
Winkowo

In 1813: Reichenbach and
Dresden,
Leipzig and
Hanau

In1814: La Rothiere,
Rosnay,
Champaubert,
Vauchamps,
Athies,
La Fere-Champenoise and
Paris

Then in 1815: During the war of 100 Days, upon Napoleon's return from exile in Elba,
The Battles of Quatre-Bras and
Waterloo.

To put into context, where this sword would have been used, by a Grande Armee Cheval of the Imperial Guard, in just a single days battle, at the Battle of Borodino in 1812, the fighting involved around 250,000 troops and left at least 68,000 killed and wounded, making Borodino the deadliest single-day-battle of the Napoleonic Wars and one of the bloodiest single-day battles in the military history of France before WW1.

The casualties of the battle were staggering: according to French General Staff Inspector P. Denniee, the Grande Armée lost approximately 28,000 soldiers: 6,562 (including 269 officers) were reported as dead, 21,450 as wounded. But according to French historian Aristid Martinien, at least 460 French officers (known by name) were killed in battle. In total, the Grande Armée lost 1,928 officers dead and wounded, including 49 generals. The list of slain included French Generals of Division Auguste-Jean-Gabriel de Caulaincourt, Louis-Pierre Montbrun, Jean Victor Tharreau and Generals of Brigade Claude Antoine Compère, François Auguste Damas, Léonard Jean Aubry Huard de Saint-Aubin, Jean Pierre Lanabère, Charles Stanislas Marion, Louis Auguste Marchand Plauzonne and Jean Louis Romeuf.

Suffering a wound on the Borodino battlefield was effectively a death sentence, as French forces did not possess enough food for the healthy, much less the sick; consequently, equal numbers of wounded soldiers starved to death, died of their injuries, or perished through neglect. The casualties were for a single day of battle, while the Russian figures are for the 5th and the 7th, combined. Using the same accounting method for both armies brings the actual French Army casualty count to 34,000–35,000.

Both the French and Russians suffered terrible casualties during the fighting, losing over a third of their armies. Some 52,000 Russian troops were reported as dead, wounded or missing, including 1,000 prisoners; some 8,000 men were separated from their units and returned over the next few days, bringing the total Russian losses to 44,000. Twenty-two Russian generals were killed or wounded, including Prince Bagration, who died of his wounds on 24 September. Historian Gwynne Dyer compared the carnage at Borodino to "a fully-loaded 747 crashing, with no survivors, every 5 minutes for eight hours". Taken as a one-day battle in the scope of the Napoleonic conflict, this was the bloodiest battle of this series of conflicts with combined casualties between 72,000 and 73,000. The next nearest battle would be Waterloo, at about 55,000 for the day  read more

Code: 25274

Rare, Archaic Chinese Warrior Prince's Bronze Jian Sword, Overlaid With Gold, Auspicious Metal, Around 2,400 to 2,600 Years Old, From the Zhou Dynasty to the Chin Dynasty, Including the Period of Sun-Tzu'. Likely of The Kingdom of Yue

Chinese Bronze 'Two Ring' Jian sword, a bronze alloy construction, with traces of pure gold, the Chinese ‘Auspicious Metal’, overlay, and now with up to 2400 years of natural aged patination and surface encrustations, made and used in the era of China's Seven Kingdoms period, likely with royal connections in the Kingdom of Yue, up to the latter part of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (475 BC). It is incredibly rare to find a sword from this period of ancient history with gold decor. It's surface is covered in superb patination and age encrustations, with various areas showing traces of layered pure gold. Of course, naturally, in its day, it would have been visibly fully covered in gold and look quite magnificent. It would have undoubtedly have been made for an ancient Chinese warrior Prince or general, absolutely a man of the highest possible status within the King’s army. 535mms long, weight 800gms

We show in the gallery photographs of another sword very similar, from the same era and reign, a non ringed hilt type, that was once also covered in gold, but now encrusted with age, like ours, that sold in 2013 for $183,750.
However, that gold sword was detailed and inlaid with surviving archaic script, somewhat like our other engraved two ring sword, that has revealed, through diligent effort, a potential translation, and the name of its owner. In a fashion, our two similar swords, but combined, would have the merged result of that single gold sword. Yet at less than a small percentage of the cost of the Christie’s sword

The Zhou script engraved on that other gold sword may state the following : Gongwu wang Guang ? yi ji jin zi zuo yong jian ('King Guang of the State of Gongwu forged this sword with auspicous metal for his usage')

From a large collection of antiquities, swords daggers, and rings, that recently arrived, many pieces sold for the part benefit of the Westminster Abbey fund, and the Metropolitan Museum fund. Formerly the property of a highly regarded renown British expert and collector, who has collaborated with museum experts, such as the Wallace Collection, on the origins, forms, styles and metallurgical investigations on ancient Chinese Bronze Age antiquities, and early British silver.

Swords of this type are called “two-ring” swords because of the prominent rings located on the hilt. this is the very type of sword used by the highest ranking officer warriors or princes alongside the world renowned General Sun Tzu, in the Kingdom of Wu, {although this sword is more likely from the Kingdom of Yueh} who is thought by many to be the finest general, philosopher and military tactician who ever lived. His 2500 year old book on the methods of warfare, tactics and psychology are still taught and highly revered in practically every officer training college throughout the world.
We show a painting in the gallery of a chariot charge by a Zhou dynasty warrior armed with this very form of sword.
The Chinese term for this form of weapon is “Jian” which refers to a double-edged sword. This style of Jian is generally attributed to either the Wu or the Yue state. The sword has straight graduated edges reducing to a pointed tip, which may indicate an earlier period Jian.

The blade is heavy with a midrib and tapered edges with seal script engraving on both sides of the bottom section of the blade near the hilt. See the photo in the gallery that shows a close up of the section of blade with the seal script.

A very impressive original ancient Chinese sword with a long, straight blade with a raised, linear ridge down its centre. It has a shallow, short guard. The thin handle would have had leather or some other organic material such as leather or hemp cord, wrapped around it to form a grip. At the top is a broad, round pommel.

A very similar sword had a detailed metallurgical analysis carried out at the Wallace Collection was measured by Graham McArthur in the Conservation Department of the Wallace Collection at a number of points near the edge using a Branson Krautkramer electronic surface hardness tester giving results ranging from 158 to 289 VPH with an average of 247 VPH, and thus thought to be from 500 BC. That particular sword, had a number of features in common with one in the Catalogue of the Warner Jennings Collection in the Chinese National Palace Museum, Peking, that is considered to have royal associations with a king of Yueh.

The Seven Kingdom or Warring States period in Chinese history was one of instability and conflict between many smaller Kingdom-states. The period officially ended when China was unified under the first Emperor of China, Qin pronounced Chin Shi Huang Di in 221 BC. It is from him that China gained its name.

The Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) was among the most culturally significant of the early Chinese dynasties and the longest lasting of any in China's history, divided into two periods: Western Zhou (1046-771 BCE) and Eastern Zhou (771-256 BCE). It followed the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE), and preceded the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE, pronounced “chin”) which gave China its name.

In the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period, (770-476 BC) chivalry in battle was still observed and all seven states used the same tactics resulting in a series of stalemates since, whenever one engaged with another in battle, neither could gain an advantage. In time, this repetition of seemingly endless, and completely futile, warfare became simply the way of life for the people of China during the era now referred to as the Warring States Period. The famous work The Art of War by Sun-Tzu (l. c. 500 BCE) was written during this time, recording precepts and tactics one could use to gain advantage over an opponent, win the war, and establish peace.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. His works focus much more on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies and alternatives to war itself, the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit, and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to more powerful foes. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing The name Sun Tzu by which he is more popularly known is an honorific which means "Master Sun".

Sun Tzu's historicity is uncertain. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian and other traditional Chinese historians placed him as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the extant text of The Art of War in the later Warring States period based on its style of composition and its descriptions of warfare. Traditional accounts state that the general's descendant Sun Bin wrote a treatise on military tactics, also titled The Art of War. Since Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as Sun Tzu in classical Chinese texts, some historians believed them identical, prior to the rediscovery of Sun Bin's treatise in 1972.

Sun Tzu's work has been praised and employed in East Asian warfare since its composition. During the twentieth century, The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in Western society as well. It continues to influence many competitive endeavours in the world, including culture, politics, business and sports.

The ancient Chinese people worshipped the bronze and iron swords, where they reached a point of magic and myth, regarding the swords as “ancient holy items”. Because they were easy to carry, elegant to wear and quick to use, bronze swords were considered a status symbol and an honour for kings, emperors, scholars, chivalrous experts, merchants, as well as common people during ancient dynasties. For example, Confucius claimed himself to be a knight, not a scholar, and carried a sword when he went out. The most famous ancient bronze sword is called the “Sword of Gou Jian”.

The Warring States period saw a transition in military styles, from bronze weaponry and chariot-based fighting to iron and cavalry. However, the old period was still revered. Despite the cost of manufacturing bronze swords like this on a mass scale, this particular style of duan jian – a double-edged straight sword – was used in China for approximately 2,500 years. Finely made bronze weapons such as this one were signs of prestige, wealth, and fighting prowess used in both ceremonial and funerary contexts. For example, swords were worn by the Emperor and his officials in ceremonial or official dress, attached to the belt with jade ornaments.

This is one of a stunning collection of original archaic bronze age Zhou dynasty weaponry we have just acquired. Many are near identical to other similar examples held in the Metropolitan in New York, the British royal collection, and such as the Hunan Provincial Museum, Hunan, China. As with all our items, every piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Just over 26 inches long overall.
From the Tony Dove F.S.A. Collection, formed circa 1970's, one of England’s most revered and respected collectors, especially early silver, & he was a past honorary President of London’s Silver Spoon Society.

Other bronze swords bearing inscriptions inlaid in gold include the example dated to the 5th century BC in the Freer Gallery of Art, illustrated by T. Lawton, Chinese Art of the Warring States Period, Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC , Washington, DC , 1982, p. 70-71, no. 28, and one in the Musée Guimet dated 5th-4th century BC, illustrated by C. Delacour, De bronze, d'or et d'argent, Sumptuary Arts of China , Paris, 2001, p. 131. Both the Freer sword and the Guimet sword bear the same twenty-character inscription, arranged in ten characters to each side, which Thomas Lawton translates as, "On the auspicious day jen-wu, this sword was made for righteous use .

We show in the gallery, another very similar sword in a most similar state of aged preservation, but, with surviving gold inlaid archaic script upon the blade. It was sold at Christies in 2013, for $183,,750 . Lot number 1234. A very rare and important gold-inlaid bronze sword, Eastern Zhou dynasty, late 6th-early 5th century BC; 19 3/8 in. (49.3 cm.) long. Estimate 150,000 - USD 250,000. Price realised USD $183,750. Formerly of the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York.

Ref; SOME OBSERVATIONS ON EARLY CHINESE BRONZE SWORDS
By
Anthony Dove and Alan Williams {The Wallace Collection} 65 publications  read more

Code: 24842